MICR read
EIA-232 Syntax:
ESC I or X'1B49'
Purpose:
To read account information from the magnetic ink character line on
customers’ checks.
Remarks:
v Checks should be inserted upside-down from the front and against the
right wall of the printer. The check can be, but does not have to be,
registered in the printer before this command is given. The check will be
fed, forward, until the bottom sensor is uncovered, then fed back for the
MICR reader reading. After the reading is complete, the check is fed to
the first print position.
v This command increments the line count (status byte 6).
v At the completion of this command, information read by the MICR reader
is sent over the serial I/O following the eighth status byte.
v The next byte represents a percentage of an average signal level of the
MICR characters for the E13b check only. (In CMC7, this byte is always
100.) A nominal signal has a strength of 100.
v Characters are sent as read from left to right, up to a maximum of 65
characters.
v If no magnetic ink characters are detected, a single question mark (X'3F')
is sent back.
v If the printer is unable to read any character on its first try, it will feed the
check forward and backward for a second try. Complete status will then
be sent to the system - if the character was still not read it will be
identified by a single question mark (X'3F').
v Checks with magnetic ink printing within 1.2 inches of the right edge of
the check are not read correctly. This occurs when the amount field is
printed on the check.
Character Description ASCII Representation hex value returned
MICR data representation
0–9 Numerical data
blank
Unreadable
Character
0–9
?
30–9
20
3F
E13-B - Special characters
Dash - 2D
Transit T 54
On Us A 41
Amount $ 24
CMC7 - Special characters
Special character 1 a 61
Special character 2 b 62
Updated April 2, 2009
Appendix D. EIA-232 programming information 165
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