Technology
How it is built
LinxPos is a set of cooperating processes rather than one large program. That is why a lane keeps trading when something else stops, and why the same product runs on three operating systems.
Architecture
Separate processes, one lane
The till application, the display manager, the device drivers and the printing and audit services are separate processes that talk to each other locally. A fault in one does not take the lane down with it.
It also means a lane can be configured for the job in front of it. A self-checkout unit runs the same till application in a different mode, with a camera process alongside it; a handheld runs without the drawer and printer services it has no use for.
Data
One relational store
Products, prices, promotions, operators and configuration live in a relational database. There is no proprietary file format in the way, so your other systems can read and write the same data directly.
Transactions are journalled as they complete. The journal is the record of what happened, and it is detailed enough to answer a question about a single receipt weeks after the event.
The stack
What it is made of
Application
Data
Platforms
Devices
Configuration
Interfaces
Where it joins onto everything else
Payment terminals
Chip and PIN terminals are driven over a dedicated payment client, so the till never handles card data itself.
Scanners and scales
Barcode scanners, scales, customer displays, receipt printers and cash drawers are all driven through one device layer.
Product data
Products, prices, promotions and stock live in a relational database that your existing systems can read and write directly.
Audit and journal
Every transaction is written to an electronic journal that can be exported for reporting, reconciliation or audit.
Head office reporting
Sales and stock movements are collected per lane and can be forwarded to a central reporting service.
Loyalty and accounts
Customer cards associate a sale with an account, for loyalty schemes, staff purchases or account customers.
When things go wrong
A lane that keeps selling
A till is not a web page. If the network drops mid-queue, the answer cannot be an error message. Each lane holds the product data it needs and journals its own transactions, so it carries on trading and reconciles when the connection is back.
The same thinking applies to devices. A missing peripheral disables the function that needs it rather than stopping the lane, so a failed receipt printer does not prevent the sale being completed and recorded.
Next step
See LinxPos on your own counter.
Tell us how your lanes are set up today and what you want them to do. We will show you the system running and be straight about what it would take.
Or call 01746 740050