Scriptel ST1501 Signature Capture Devices

As of February 2017, Scriptel devices are no longer being sold or supported by ECI Software Solutions, Inc. Customers who already have these devices can continue to use them; however, we are not suggesting that they be used with slow or inconsistent internet speeds. New customers should use M400 or other supported network devices.

We recommend that you review the General System Requirements (GSR) document for your region before you choose new products for your store location. This GSR document contains hardware options that have been thoroughly tested for use with ECI software. You can get this document and access many other helpful tools on the Customer Portal.

The Scriptel® ST-1571 device is solely a signature collection device and is only supported in Canada, the Caribbean, and the UK. Communication is one direction only from the pad to the application. Signature data is transmitted as keyboard input which avoids many of the issues normally encountered with remote connections. These devices operate as a HID (Human Interface Device), just like a keyboard or mouse. The signature is converted to an encrypted string of characters that's sent as keyboard input to the application. The keyboard input is converted back to a signature once received. Internet speed can be a factor with communication because the signature string can be very large. For hosted users, we wait up to 30 seconds as a default to receive back the response from the device. For local network connections, we default to 10 seconds. This setting can be adjusted via a parameter that can be set upon request.

Since there is no communication from the software to these pads, a customer must only submit their signature at a specific point during processing and at the direction of the sales clerk. This device does not display items and does not include any card processing capability.

The Scriptel ST-1501-STN and Compact St1551-STN devices are now considered deprecated by Scriptel. The Scriptel ST1571 device is compatible with the software.

This signature device should work in most hosted and Remote Desktop (Terminal) Services situations. We do suggest that your company purchase one device initially for your own testing prior just to ensure that the device works suitably within your specific environment.

No software is required to use the device; however, you will need to download and install the ScripTouch™ Toolbox software for initial configuration. Communication between the device and the software is one way only, from the device to the application. Devices don't display items and the customer must sign and submit their signature at a specific point during processing as directed by the sales clerk (while the signature form is displayed after the sales clerk presses the signature button). The station must be assigned to a Scriptel pad device.

Where can I buy Scriptel devices?

We don’t sell or directly support these devices ourselves. Devices may be purchased from Scriptel Corporation distribution partner Computime® or other sources. For manufacturer’s information about the device, please visit their product page: http://www.scriptel.com/products/desktop-1x5-lcd-signature-pad.

What if I need assistance?

We do not provide any support for hardware devices including Scriptel signature devices beyond this documentation. If you are having difficulty using a Scriptel device, please refer to this topic, most issues can be resolved by adjusting settings and following the instructions listed here. Since we are unable to guarantee that Scriptel devices will work in all environments and situations, you should purchase a single unit for testing at your location before investing in more devices.

Installing the Device

When a Scriptel device is connected, you may be prompted to install drivers. It is not usually necessary to install drivers for these devices since they usually work using your computer's existing HID (Human Interface Device) drivers. Before connecting your device, it's best to wait until after you've installed and run the ScripTouch Toolbox and follow the steps outlined below. Newer Scriptel devices may come with updated firmware. Our software currently targets the EasyScript 1.0 API. Until we make changes to integrate with the newer EasyScript 2.0 API, we suggest using firmware versions 3.x only. These instructions are provided primarily for cloud-hosted connections or any remote type connection where speed may be an issue.

Step 1:

Download and install the ScripTouch™ Toolbox software from the Scriptel web site: http://services.scriptel.com/releases/scriptouch-toolbox/scriptouch-toolbox-windows

Step 2:

Open (run) the software.

Step 3

Make sure the stylus is plugged into the device then connect the device to an available USB port on your computer. The USB cable provides both power and connectivity.

Step 4

Choose the Information tab to let it populate with information once your device is located.
If the ScripTouch software doesn't reflect your device, unplug the USB cable and plug it back in. Try a different port if it repeatedly fails.

Step 5

Choose the Firmware tab. Set the firmware version to version 5.0.44 and click the Download button. Version 4.x may work in certain cases, but needs to have advanced options such as compression and stream output disabled). The device should display a message to wait until the device completes the update. Do not unplug the device until the process completes. You will be asked to calibrate your device once the update has completed. This involves tapping the stylus on the + symbol displayed in various areas of the form.

Step 6

Choose the Output tab.

  • Set the Signature Output Mode to EasyScript Mode.

  • Set the Packets per Second to 200.

  • Set the Timeout Delay field to 15 and leave the other check boxes unchecked.

Scriptel devices treat the signature data as keyboard input. This data is encrypted and can be quite large. The larger the signature, the more data is sent as keyboard input. For slower connections, this can cause issues, so it's important to choose a Packets per second speed appropriate to your connection. The slower your connection, the lower the Packets per second setting should be. Ranges are from 1 to 500. For slower connections, we suggest a setting anywhere between 15 and 200. We do not suggest you use the maximum setting of 500, as in most cases, larger signatures will fail over remote connections.

Begin testing with the slowest setting (15) and work your way upwards or just set the speed to 50 which should work in most cases (you might see some delays before the signature is shown; however, this is better than not receiving the signature). You'll need to complete the "Software Setup" (outlined below) before you can test signatures to find the best speed for your connection.

Step 7

Choose the Display tab and start with the default settings.

Remote Desktop Settings

When using a Scriptel device over a remote connection, you may need to adjust Remote Desktop settings for the connection before the pad will function. Choose View options to see the Remote Desktop settings for your connection. Under the “local resources” tab for the remote desktop connection, you may need to adjust the “keyboard settings.” Try changing the “Apply Windows key combinations” setting to “on the remote computer.” You may also need to adjust your connection speed default under the “Experience” tab. Companies using the software should be using high-speed broadband connections; however, the quality of these can vary based on your location and selected plan.

Adding the Scriptel Device to a Station

Follow these instructions to set up your Scriptel device on a station. Complete these steps to pair each device with the station that will use it.

To add your Scriptel device to a station:

1. Connect the device to an available USB port. The driver installation is optional.

2. Log into the application as a user with administrative permissions (specifically, who can access Device settings).

3. From the Main Menu, choose Maintenance > Database > Devices to display the Device Maintenance form.

4. Leave the Station option selected.

5. In the Attachments section, select the Signature Pad check box.

6. From the Type list, choose either Scriptel ST1501 or GlobalPay w/Scriptel.
This selection depends upon your location. In the US, choose Scriptel ST1501. If you are in Canada or the United Kingdom, and you use Global Payments for integrated card processing, choose the GlobalPay option). Signature capture is not required for card processing, but some companies may want to collect signatures for other reasons while also doing card processing at a station. Signatures captured during point of sale transactions can display on transaction documents and tickets.

7. To save your changes, choose Process (F12).

8. Close the application and restart the software. Repeat these steps for each Scriptel device that is connected to the application through a station.

Using the Scriptel Device at Point of Sale

After you have paired a Scriptel device with a Station (see instructions above), you can use it to process any Point of Sale transactions that would normally allow for signature collection. You may need to close and re-open the application on the station after changing device settings. There are signature capture settings associated with the account that may trigger the display of the Signature prompt, or the application may rely on the Cashier's verbal prompt described below.

To capture a signature, the signature dialog must be displayed at the time the customer submits their signature. Nothing on the pad indicates when a signature is allowed, so the sales clerk must direct the customer when to sign.

To prompt the customer for their signature during the transaction, choose the Signature button on the Process form.

Credit card payment methods will not trigger a signature.

Bankcard Processing with a Scriptel Device

Scriptel devices are considered a Signature Pad device, but unlike many other options, they don't function as card devices. These devices were primarily intended for situations where card processing is not involved. For companies using VeriFone PAYware Connect and doing card entry via the Process (F12) form, enabling a "Scriptel" or other non-card device will prevent any card processing at that station unless the following command arguments are used: PAYWAREALLOWANYPINPAD and PAYWAREALLOWANYPINPAD2. These can be added as system-wide settings for your entire company or individually as arguments in the desktop shortcuts for the application.

The ability to manually input customer's card information from the Process (F12) form is not supported by newer card interfaces including Verifone Point and TSYS Cayan. To remain PCI-DSS compliant, we will be forced to remove this functionality at some point in the future. We are currently looking into similar but safer replacements for situations where a customer's card is not present (MOTO - Mail Order, Phone Order type transactions).

Using with International Keyboard Layouts

The EasyScript 1.0 API that we integrate with for Scriptel communication assumes a keyboard input default of English - United States. Depending upon your location and Windows operating system settings, your default keyboard layout may differ. There are differences between the English - United Kingdom and English - Canada keyboards, for example. These keyboard layouts map keys differently and use different character sets which can cause issues with the text characters returned by the pad to the client. In order to accommodate these differences, we have added code to temporarily swap your computer's default keyboard language while the Scriptel signature form is displayed. Once the signature is completed or the form is otherwise closed/canceled, we reset your keyboard back to its original language.

For this to work, your computer (as well as the computer you connect to remotely, if using a Remote Desktop Server), must have both your local and "English - United States" keyboard languages installed. This must be done by the end-user (you), we cannot add languages to Windows for you. Note: during the time that the signature form is displayed, your default keyboard language will temporarily be English - United States, so you will notice differences if you use your keyboard for other applications at the same time.

How to add a language from the Windows operating system

For Windows 8/8.1, do the following:

  1. Move your mouse to the upper right-hand corner of the desktop or tile display until the side-bar menu displays.

  2. Choose the search (magnifying glass) icon.

  3. In the search text-area, type in Language.

  4. Look for the option Add a language and select it from the search listing.

  5. PC Settings for time and language will be displayed.

  6. Choose the Add a language option.

  7. Choose English from the list of languages.

  8. Choose English - United States from the list of English formats.

After you add the language, the text ENG appears on the task bar next to the time and date. You can click on this to change your keyboard input format (language) between versions manually.

If you are using an older version of the Windows operating system, language settings can be accessed via the Control Panel.

 

Scriptel and the Scriptel logo are trademarks of Scriptel Corporation.