Abstract: A coin mechanism having a plurality of coin storage and dispensing assemblies (2, 4; 2', 4'), each one of the assemblies being provided with a plurality of detectors (6, 8; 10; 12, 14) each for detecting a respective parameter of that assembly, characterized by a plurality of output lines (01, 02) one for each assembly, each of which output lines is coupled to all the detectors of its assembly, a plurality of activation lines (A1, A2, A3), each of which is coupled to a group of said detectors comprising a detector for each assembly, and control circuitry connected to the activation lines, wherein the control circuitry drives the activation lines one at a time to activate the detector groups one at a time, whereby to produce sequentially on the single output line of each assembly signals indicative of all the parameters for that assembly as its detectors are sequentially activated by the driving of the activation lines.

Abstract: An automatic test equipment for the functional testing of electrical printed circuit board assemblies is constructed as the combination of a programmable controller based upon a microcomputer and selected interface modules which can be plugged into the controller system backplane in any of a number of module interconnection locations and in any combination of module types with the controller being adapted to interrogate the modules as to their type and location and organize its routines accordingly. The controller has an advantageous bus structure for resource sharing within the equipment, and provides facilities for various forms of input/output modules as well as for analog stimulus/response modules, programmable waveform generator modules, signature analysis and frequency measurement modules, real time emulation modules, etc., and for the connection of computer standard utilities such as keyboard, light-pen graphics, printer, etc.