Ultra•Max® Deactivation Products and
Electronic POS Equipment Interaction Issues
Can Ultra•Max Deactivators interact with POS Equipment?
Yes. Although ample spacing is provided by most
checkout counter designs, Sensormatic
deactivation products such as the Rapid Pad II
Deactivator and Scan-Thru Deactivator may
interact with other electronic point of sale (POS)
devices located in the proximity of the
deactivator.
Why do deactivators interact with POS equipment?
Ultra•Max deactivators use a transmitter to create
a surveillance field where Ultra•Max security
labels are detected. When a label is detected, the
deactivator momentarily emits a second field to
deactivate the label.
These fields can induce a small electric current in
wires of nearby equipment. Any device that
produces an alternating field can have the same
effect. For example, operating a hair dryer or
electric pencil sharpener near a television set can
cause interference.
Many common devices produce such fields. For
example, conveyor motors, power tools,
Are deactivator—POS interactions common?
Almost 200,000 Rapid Pad II and Scan-Thru
deactivators are installed worldwide and comply
with all applicable regulations. Only a small
number of installations have reported interaction
What POS equipment can be affected?
Many POS devices readily accommodate fields
generated by nearby equipment; others are far
more sensitive. Even the same type of devices
can vary widely in their sensitivity. For example,
one model magnetic stripe reader can be located
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For example, deactivators may cause harmless
flicker on some video displays and have, on rare
occasions, interacted with POS devices or
cables. This fact sheet describes why the
interaction occurs and what techniques can be
used to eliminate the interaction.
automatic door openers, neon signs, floor buffers,
elevators and escalators, and electronic ballasts
in lights can interact with nearby electronic
equipment. Other types of electronic article
surveillance equipment, including other
technologies besides Ultra•Max’s acousto-
magnetic technology, can also interact with POS
equipment.
Whether devices interact is dependent on several
factors: the proximity of the devices, the
frequency or alternation rate of the emitted fields,
and the device’s susceptibility to fields.
with POS devices. Typically, ample spacing is
provided by most checkout counter designs
without modifying equipment locations.
within two inches of a Rapid Pad II without any
interaction. Another model reader from the same
manufacturer must be located more than 12
inches away.
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Some types of equipment routinely found in the
POS area are not affected. All types of barcode
scanners, most telephones, scales, standard
keyboards, character and coupon printers, and
LCD, LED, and gas plasma displays are
examples.
Conversely, CRT displays are the most easily
affected type of POS equipment, some models at
distances of five or six feet. The typical checkout
counter design provides at least 30 inches
between the CRT display and deactivator. For
most models at this distance, the momentary
flicker caused by the deactivation pulse is
inconsequential. It has no effect on operator
performance and no long-term adverse effect on
the display. If a CRT display must be located near
a deactivator, shielding can be used to eliminate
or minimize the affect of the deactivation pulse.
How can deactivator — POS interactions be eliminated?
The most common method used to eliminate
interaction is to increase the spacing between the
deactivator and the device. It is the nature of field
strength to decrease rapidly with distance.
Adding shielding is another effective method, for
example, placing metal foil behind a magnetic
stripe reader or substituting shielded data cable
for a non-shielded type. Similarly, a more robust
type of device or technology can be substituted for
a device that is particularly susceptible to fields.
Sensormatic has identified many EAS-friendly
devices.
Sensormatic Electronics Corporation
951 Yamato Road, Boca Raton, Florida 33431, U.S.A.
Telephone (561)989-7000 Toll Free (800)368-7262
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Several other types of equipment can also be
affected, but much less distance is needed to
avoid interaction. Other technologies are less
easily affected than CRT displays.
Unshielded data cables can be affected at up to
20 inches. Proper cable routing eliminates the
interaction in the same way that nearby conveyor
motors and speakers are avoided when routing
data cables. Shielded data cables can typically be
located within eight inches of a deactivator.
PIN pads, and magnetic stripe and check readers
can typically be located within 15 inches of a
deactivator. Some can be as close as two inches.
Computer hard drives can be located within 12
inches and magnetic signature pads within six
inches or less. Flexible disks and magnetic media
should be kept four inches from a deactivator.
Software solutions have also been successfully
implemented. For example, the deactivator can be
integrated with the POS system so that the
deactivator and magnetic stripe reader are not
active at the same time.
Sensormatic can help you identify potential
interactions before deactivators are installed and
remedy interactions if your POS environment
changes. Solutions may be as simple as moving
a device a few inches or removing a service loop
from a data cable. Sensormatic’s experienced
Technical Support staff is ready to help.
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