Magnetic Encoding Start and Stop Sentinels

Owned by Roman Villandry
Last updated: Sept 24, 2021
2 min read

For successfully encoding the magnetic stripe with CardExchange, you need to specify the start-of-data and end-of-data macro codes in the printer options window.

Default Settings in CardExchange:

Track 1: ~1% respectively ?
Track 2: ~2; respectively ?
Track 3: ~3; respectively ?

Can also be applied to - Fargo, VDS, and Datacard printers

Zebra:

Track 1: ~1 (no end of data)
Track 2: ~2 (no end of data)
Track 3: ~3 (no end of data)

The Start and Stop sentinels can also be set in the printer properties

Some users report that the start and stop sentinels for Zebra as posted above do not always work. As an alternative, they use the start and stop sentinels as specified in the Zebra driver. By default, they are set to

Track 1: ${1 respectively }$
Track 2: ${2 respectively }$
Track 3: ${3 respectively }$

but they can be changed. For Zebra, you also have to make sure that magnetic encoding with macros is enabled.

Magicard:

Track 1: ~1,% respectively ?
Track 2: ~2,; respectively ?
Track 3: ~3,; respectively ?

Nisca:

Track 1: ~@1,1,, (no end of data)
Track 2: ~@1,2,, (no end of data)
Track 3: ~@1,3,, (no end of data)

VDS CX120: (Reported by Users)

Track 1: ~?1 (leave end of data blank)
Track 2: ~?2 (leave end of data blank)
Track 3: ~?3 (leave end of data blank)

Evolis:

For magnetic encoding with Evolis printers insert a text indicating the track number followed by the data to encode, bounded by | character. (ex:|1DataToEncode| --> encodes on track 1 DataToEncode string.

The settings in CardExchange are (start of data respectively end of data):

Track 1: |1 respectively |
Track 2: |2 respectively |
Track 3: |3 respectively |

IDP Smart and SOLID series:

Track 1: |1 respectively |
Track 2: |2 respectively |
Track 3: |3 respectively |

Matica:

Track 1: ~1% respectively ?
Track 2: ~2; respectively ?
Track 3: ~3; respectively ?

A CardExchange user reported that the XID 8300 has different stop commands for a 32 bit and 64 bit installation.

32bit driver:
~1%respectively?
~2;respectively?
~3;respectively?

64bit driver:
~?1ABCDEFG
~?21223456
~?3567890

NBS Javelin J230i (Pointman):

The correct sentinels for NBS Javelin J230i (Pointman) are:
Track 1: ~1[ respectively ]?
Track 2: ~2[ respectively ]?
Track 3: ~3[ respectively ]?

 

IDP Smart: (DEPRECIATED)

For magnetic encoding with Smart printers, the settings in CardExchange are (start of data respectively end of data):

Track 1: ~SP:M:H:1: respectively ?
Track 2: ~SP:M:H:2: respectively ?
Track 3: ~SP:M:H:3: respectively ?

The H value above is used to define the magnetic stripe coercivity and can have the values H or L for (H)iCo and (L)oCo.