The "Smart" Counter: Deconstructing 2CIS Tech for Mixed Denomination & Serial Number Reading

In any cash-handling business, from a bank to a “currency exchange shop” or a small retail store, the two biggest risks are wasted time and counterfeit currency. For decades, bill counters only solved half of this problem.

The “dumb” counter, a technology that is still common, can count a stack of bills (CNT mode) and use basic sensors (UV, MG) to check for fakes. But it has a critical flaw: it cannot tell the difference between a $1 pile and a $100 pile. This forces employees to manually pre-sort all currency, a massive labor-intensive bottleneck.

The “smart” counter solves this. It is defined by one core feature: Mixed Denomination Counting. To understand this leap, we can deconstruct the technology of a “business-grade” machine like the CASHTEK N70A as a technical case study.

1. The Great Leap: From “Sensing” to “Seeing”

The technology that separates a “dumb” counter from a “smart” one is its “eyes.”

• “Dumb” Counters (UV/MG/IR): These use “legacy” sensors. They shine Ultraviolet (UV) light to check for fluorescent fibers. They use Magnetic (MG) sensors to detect magnetic ink. They use Infrared (IR) to check for IR-reflective patterns. These are “yes/no” checks. They can spot a bad fake, but they cannot tell you what they are looking at.
• “Smart” Counters (2CIS): The N70A uses these legacy checks plus 2CIS. This is the game-changer. CIS stands for Contact Image Sensor. It is a high-speed, full-color scanner, just like the scanner in an all-in-one printer.

The “2” in 2CIS means it has two of these sensors—one for the top and one for the bottom of the bill. As a banknote passes through at 1,500 bills per minute, the machine “sees” and scans the entire image of both sides of the bill.

2. How 2CIS Enables “Mixed Denomination” Counting

This “seeing” ability is what unlocks the machine’s primary value: MIX Mode (Mixed Denomination).

When you “throw every mixed pile of bills in the hopper,” the 2CIS system doesn’t just “sense” them; it sees them. The machine’s internal software has a database of what genuine currency is supposed to look like.
1. A bill passes the 2CIS scanners.
2. The machine captures a full-color image of it.
3. It compares that image to its database. “Does this image match the portrait of George Washington?”
4. If yes, it identifies it as a $1 bill and adds $1 to the total value.
5. The next bill passes. “Does this image match the portrait of Benjamin Franklin?”
6. If yes, it identifies it as a $100 bill and adds $100 to the total value.

This is how the machine can, as it claims, provide a “clear breakdown of quantity and value by Denomination.” It is the only technology that allows a counter to read the bill like a human does. This same technology allows it to be programmed for 20 different currencies; it’s just a matter of loading the right “image database” into its software.

3. The “Bonus Feature”: Serial Number Reading

The 2CIS technology provides a powerful “bonus” feature: Serial Number Reading.

Once the machine is already capturing a full-color image of the entire bill, it is a simple software step to add Optical Character Recognition (OCR). The machine is not just matching the portrait; it is reading the alphanumeric text in the corner.

This is a high-level B2B feature. It allows a business to “upload the count data to your computer” and have a full, time-stamped record of every bill that passed through the machine, creating a powerful audit trail for cash-handling security.

4. The “Multi-Layer” Defense: 2CIS + UV/MG/IR

The 2CIS system is also a powerful counterfeit detector, effective against “Superdollars” (high-end fakes) that might look real to the naked eye but have microscopic printing errors that the scanner can see.

However, the 2CIS alone is not enough, because some fakes are not visual. A high-quality fake might look perfect but lack the specific magnetic ink (MG) or infrared (IR) patterns of a real bill.

A “bank-grade” machine like the N70A uses a multi-layered defense. It forces a bill to pass all the tests.
1. 2CIS Test: Does it look like a real $20 bill?
2. UV Test: Does it fluoresce correctly under UV light?
3. MG Test: Does it have the magnetic signature of a real $20 bill?
4. IR Test: Does it have the correct infrared pattern of a real $20 bill?

If a bill fails any one of these tests, the machine stops and flags it as a counterfeit, protecting the business from loss.

5. The Achilles’ Heel: The “Sensor Jam”

This high-precision technology has a predictable, physical weakness. The machine’s greatest strength—its high-sensitivity 2CIS scanners—is also its greatest liability.

A “dumb” counter is just a set of mechanical rollers. A “smart” counter is a high-speed optical instrument. As one 2-star reviewer, Zaara I., discovered, this can lead to frustration: “It stop counting at the first use, keep jamming… Cleaning the sensor doesn’t help.”

This is the operational reality. If the CIS sensors are blocked by dust, dirt, or even the residue from a “slightly ripped” or “damaged” banknote, the machine cannot “see.” It will “jam,” stop counting, and report an error. This is why the machine is built with an “Accessible passage for easy cleaning & maintenance.” It is not a “set-it-and-forget-it” device; it is a piece of precision hardware that requires regular cleaning to function.

Conclusion: From “Counting” to “Authenticating”

The CASHTEK N70A is a case study in the evolution of cash handling. It represents the leap from “dumb” counting (which only provides a quantity) to “smart” authentication (which provides value and security).

This leap is made possible by one core technology: 2CIS. It is the “eyes” that enable Mixed Denomination counting, Serial Number Reading, and advanced visual counterfeit detection. This technology, layered with the traditional UV, MG, and IR sensors, creates a powerful “business guard” that saves time and eliminates risk.