The disk-driven Hopper Discriminator II manufactured by Alberici S.p.A. discriminates and

counts different sorts of coins or coin-like tokens (provided they are round, with no grooves,

large holes, or steep reliefs), ranging from

It detects and pinpoints the denominations available on the coin disk, dispenses the requested

amount by mixing and adding them up, reading for each of them the relevant signal from the

output sensor, and transmits the ccTalk information to the machine board. The recognition of

each coin denomination is obtained by combining the readings made by inductive sensors that

pick up the magnetic features of the coin.

The expelled coin momentarily breaks the pulsed infrared beam between an emitting l.e.d. and

a photo-transistor: each interruption stands for one dispensed coin, whose value had been

previously acknowledged and chosen. The particular signal encoding prevents any possibility

of fraud through blazing or blinding the output sensor.

If any output obstruction occurs, the hopper electronics detects the excessive current draw,

then reversing temporarily the rotation direction, so as to help release the output and promptly

restart smooth dispensing.

Very exclusive and peculiar of the Alberici Hopper Discriminator II is the patented SPS® or

“Smart Pick System”: it acts so that the smaller value coins get parked and paid out only if and

when they are needed to top up the requested amount. As a consequence, the pay-outs get

virtually always accomplished, and accomplished without such delays as caused by the disk

searching for the proper top-up coin(s) - delays that could otherwise easily end up in the

hold-up of the machine, due to the hopper timeout.

The reservoir lower level can be monitored through two optic sensors.

The dispensing speed is approximately 180 coins per minute.