The Purpose: Centralised Card Hosting
The fundamental goal of the Hyper Card hosting rack is to provide unlimited card hosting by consolidating multiple individual smart card readers into a single unit. The system is specifically designed to enable service providers to offer a centralised card hosting service, supporting compliance with regulations that require the regular downloading of data from driver cards and digital tachographs.
By hosting hundreds of cards remotely within a single rack, fleets no longer need to manage or host their own cards, as this responsibility is handled by the service provider. This approach ensures the system remains live and accessible 24/7, delivering a reliable and efficient compliance solution.
The Physical Mechanism: Rack-Mount Integration
The Hyper Card system is engineered to integrate seamlessly into a standard data centre environment.
- Size: The rack units (e.g. the Hyper Card™ 120) are designed for a 19-inch standard rack mount. A high-capacity unit can host up to 120 cards while occupying a minimal footprint.
- Card Slots: The rack contains multiple internal smart card reading slots. Each slot acts as a dedicated reader for a single company card.
- Design: The system features a robust, tidy, and scalable design, using drawers or modules for easy access to the hosted cards.
Setup and Connectivity: Plug & Play
- Plug & Play: The hardware setup is simple and effortless, enabling immediate integration regardless of the existing system.
- Centralised Control: Multiple Hyper Card racks can be connected to and managed by a single centralised PC or server. By reducing the impact of system USB limitations, this architecture allows a single CPU to host over 1,000 cards across multiple racks using any major operating system, providing exceptional scalability.
- Compatibility: The Hyper Card Rack works with all remote downloading software.
Operational Workflow: Continuous Card Hosting
Once the cards are inserted and the Hyper Card device is connected, the host computer or server automatically manages and operates the card hosting system.
- Continuous Hosting: All cards can operate simultaneously, with each smart card reader retaining a consistent ID at all times.
- Hot Swappable: To maintain continuous operation and scalability, the cards are hot-swappable. This means cards can be added, replaced or removed at any time while the entire hosting system remains live and operational, preventing downtime during necessary maintenance or scaling.
- Scalability: The modular design of the product allows new units to be added as required to match evolving customer needs.
