Evaluation of the Hi Sense HK900 Point of sale terminal.
Power requirements
The HK 900 is equipped with a 12V 10A DC brick power supply. I personally like POS systems that incorporate these power supplies as they tend to be more reliable and cheaper to maintain. Two immediate benefits on using the DC brick style Power supply are that they tend to be more durable; they are also locally available in SA and would typically retail at about R500ex.
A big advantage of having a brick power supply instead of an incorporated PCB one is that it moves heat away from the core of the system, a lot of heat buildup occurs around the processors especially in a stagnant or enclosed working environment.
This is one area where I feel Hi-Sense fell somewhat short in the design. They have moved the PSU away but have neglected to add any ventilation or air cooling in the base of the system. This 120W power supply’s only way of relinquishing heat is through the top of the base, right onto the processor and main PCB. I suspect this will have no immediate effect on performance or reliability, but over time as component fatigue sets it and efficiency drops; heat and power dissipation will increase and could speed up degradation of the main PCB leading to dry joints.
Head and Head assembly
The head consists of a HS-525T industrial motherboard. The board is equipped with a ‘finned’ type heat sink. It would have been good for a solid heat transfer system to be incorporated here as excessive heat can be then be transferred to the chassis. The backlights are powered with a standard dual inverter (nice and easy to maintain)
Touch panel and controller
The touch screen interface is powered by a One-touch or Touch-kit controller. These little controllers have become very popular over the last few years and I have noticed them in many makes and models. Their failure rate is low. They are compatible to G-touch panels which are readily available in South Africa.
The touch screen is a standard 5 wire resistive panel again common to most POS devices and can be swapped with other generic types. Resistive panels work well in oily and dirty environments and I prefer them above SAW and IR technologies especially in the hospitality industry.
Overall
Except for the main board, most parts can be sourced from different suppliers and most parts are interchangeable with generic or locally available parts. I do recommend putting a test unit in a restaurant on the Durban beach front as this will quickly show how this unit deals with heat, humidity and rust. I would monitor the chassis very closely for rust as this was a severe shortcoming in the Digipos Blades.
The main board would need to stand the test of time; I suspect the normal failures as with any other industrial board, faulty serial and cash drawer ports and the development of dry joints over time.
I think this unit is definitely worth looking at if parts are readily. There are no extraordinary parts inside and standard design and layout guides were followed.
This unit will most probably deliver the same efficiency and reliability as all the other entry level POS devices available from Pinnacle and Mustek. Hence I will make my decision on spares availability and after sales service and support.
