Choosing recognition terminals and counter hardware for canteens

How fast a factory serves meals depends heavily on the counter hardware. A slow terminal, or one that wrongly rejects valid staff, creates queues, and a display that is hard to read leaves servers unable to check the ordered dish in time.

This post covers the specifications to check when choosing a terminal, the hardware for each counter and the shared infrastructure, based on a quoted configuration for four collection counters.

Key terminal specifications

The counter terminal does face recognition and has a built-in QR reader, so one device handles both collection methods. Specifications to compare between devices:

• Matching speed under 1 second
• Capacity of up to 30,000 users
• False acceptance rate (FAR) of 0.01% and false rejection rate (FRR) of 4%
• Mask detection and recognition with a mask on
• Dual RGB and infrared camera, 2MP plus 1.3MP
• 10-inch display at 800x1280
• CE and TELEC certification, IP66 protection rating

A low FAR means few cases of matching the wrong person. FRR is the share of valid users who are rejected and must scan again. Because the terminal has a QR reader built in, a rejected employee can use the QR code on their phone without moving to another counter.

Configuration and ports

The terminal runs Android 9.0 or above on an octa-core 1.8GHz CPU with 2GB RAM and 16GB storage. It connects over Ethernet, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Peripheral ports include RJ45, Micro USB, USB Type A, Wiegand in and out, RS485, RS232 and a relay, with a 12V/2A power supply and dimensions of 315 x 167 x 23 mm.

A built-in speaker and microphone allow sound prompts at the counter. One factory asked for a single-tone prompt on Face ID recognition, and asked for voice prompts played on the counter computer to be looked into, such as inviting the employee to collect or saying they are on the wrong line and directing them to the right one.

Mini PC and displays at each counter

Each counter has a mini PC driving the display for the server. If the dish and shift are correct, the screen shows the employee's photo and the ordered dish. If the employee has not registered or tries to collect the wrong dish, the screen shows an error.

In the four-counter configuration, the list comprised four recognition terminals, four Intel Core i5 mini PCs with 16GB RAM, a 1TB SSD and a wireless keyboard and mouse, and eight 23.8-inch displays. The mini PC also runs the local data sync feature that keeps the counter working during a network outage.

Shared infrastructure

• Tower server with a 6-core, 12-thread Intel Xeon, 32GB ECC RAM, a 480GB SSD, three 4TB hot-plug SAS drives with a RAID controller, two 1GbE ports and dual 600W power supplies
• 24-port Gigabit managed switch with 4 SFP ports
• 1kVA double-conversion online UPS
• CAT6 network cable, D25 PVC conduit and CVV 3x2.5mm2 power cable to each counter

The reference quotation included 600 metres of CAT6 cable, 300 metres of D25 conduit and 180 metres of power cable. These quantities depend on the distance from the server room to the canteen, so a site survey is needed before they are fixed.

Checklist before ordering

• Count the collection lines to set the number of terminals, mini PCs and displays
• Compare total users against the terminal capacity of 30,000
• Choose mounting positions where workers look straight at the screen when scanning
• Prepare network and power to each counter
• Decide whether to use counter data storage for network outages

Frequently asked questions

How many people can one terminal store?

Up to 30,000 users, with matching in under a second. The number of terminals is based on the number of collection lines.

Does recognition work with a mask on?

Yes. The terminal supports mask detection and recognises faces while a mask is worn.

Is a separate QR scanner needed?

No. The terminal has a built-in QR reader, so one device covers both collection methods.

How many displays does each counter need?

The four-counter reference configuration had eight 23.8-inch displays, which is two per counter, alongside one mini PC.