Abstract: The invention is a system component which may be installed in systems used to, in an automated fashion, acquire and process identification data from sources such as drivers licenses. The novel component is typically installed between the reader and the processing unit of such systems. Preferably the novel component replaces the cabling between the reader and processing unit. In this configuration, the component adds an electronic module placed serially in the cable. The electronics module accepts raw data from the reader in a variety of formats, and decodes and re-formats the data in a pre-determined format understood by the processing unit. Thus the novel component allows the system to accept multiple data formats without extensive re-programming of the processing unit.