Viewat announced a handheld computer for point-of-sale (POS) applications, complete with integral smart card and magnetic stripe readers. The EFT-POS VPOS53 has a 1GHz Texas Instruments AM3715 processor, 320 x 240-pixel touchscreen, 256MB of RAM and 512MB of flash storage, plus both a GPS receiver and a GSM/GPRS/EDGE/CDMA cellular modem, according to the company.

Shenzhen, China-based Viewat lists the operating system for its modular EFT-POS VPOS53 handheld as being Windows CE 6.0 R3. A Sept. 28 press release by Texas Instruments (TI), however, touted the device as a reference platform that could be used to develop Linux- or Android-based POS systems.

In any case, the EFT-POS VPOS53 uses TI's 1GHz AM3715, a processor that includes both an ARM Cortex-A8 core and a OpenGL ES 2.0-based PowerVR SGX graphics accelerator. Viewat combines this with 256MB of RAM and 512MB of flash storage, plus a Mini SD expansion slot.

Viewat EFT-POS VPOS53
(Click to enlarge)

According to Viewat, the EFT-POS VPOS53 (above) includes a three-track MSR (magnetic stripe reader) as well as a smart card reader. Possible options include a three megapixel camera, a 1D/2D barcode scanner, and an RFID reader (Mifare A/B), the company adds.

The EFT-POS VPOS53 also comes with a thermal printer, employing paper rolls with an approximate width of 2.3 inches and a diameter of 1.2 inches, the company adds. And history will record exactly where receipts were printed, since the handheld is also said to include a GPS receiver based on the SiRF starIII chipset.

Viewat says the EFT-POS VPOS53 includes a Maxim MAXQ1850 cryptographic controller, ensuring secure storage of customer information. Pre-accredited by RFI Global, this controller already meets Payment Card Industry (PCI) security standards, which can save developers as much as a year of time, TI said in its related release.

Cited communications capabilities for the EFT-POS VPOS53, meanwhile, consist of 802.11b/g/n wireless networking, a GSM/GPRS/EDGE/CDMA cellular modem, and Bluetooth 2.0. A USB port and an RS232 port are also on board, Viewat adds.

According to Viewat, the EFT-POS VPOS53 has a 3.5-inch touchscreen (resistive, almost certainly) with a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels. The device also has 20 keys including a numeric keypad, plus a mono speaker and microphone.

The EFT-POS VPOS53 has a removable, 2000mAh battery whose expected life was not specified. It weighs 1.1 pounds and measures approximately 8.2 x 3.4 x 2.1 inches, says Viewat.

Specifications listed by Viewat for the EFT-POS VPOS53 include:

• Processor — TI AM3715 clocked at 1GHz
• Memory — 256MB of RAM and 512MB of flash storage
• Display — 3.5-inch touchscreen with 320 x 240 pixel resolution
• Keyboard — 20 keys including numeric keypad
• Expansion — Mini SD slot
• Scanning/imaging:
  • RFID (Mifare A/B)
  • 3-track magnetic stripe reader
  • smart card reader
  • 1D/2D barcode scanner (optional)
  • 3.1 megapixel camera (optional)
• Networking:
  • WWAN — GSM/GRPS/EDGE/CDMA cellular modem with SIM slot
  • WLAN — 802.11b/g/n
  • PAN — Bluetooth 2.0
• Other features:
  • GPS receiver
  • thermal printer
• Other I/O:
  • USB port
  • RS232 port
• Battery — 2000mAh
• Operating range — -4 to 122 deg. F
• Dimensions — 8.2 x 3.4 x 2.1 inches
• Weight — 1.1 pounds

Further information

Pricing and availability for the Viewat EFT-POS VPOS53 were not detailed. More information may be found on the EFT-POS VPOS53 product page.

Jonathan Angel can be reached at [email protected] and followed at www.twitter.com/gadgetsense.

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