Horizon F.A.Q

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After 6 years using a competitive, fixed, pay-once price setting, we have decided to change our pricing policy. The idea is to make the pricing very transparent and very competitive once again. The money we make with this price change will be invested in human resources. There are so many things we want to integrate with Horizon POS so extra programmers are urgently required.

The all inclusive price of Horizon POS will be as low as $16.60 per month (paid on a yearly basis). All apps, add-ons and services will be included. Here is a list of the things you get for your money :

• Horizon POS iPad app
• Our famous support, everybody is gold now
• As many as you want Horizon Remote’s for iPhone and iPad
• As many as you want KDS’s : kitchen (or bar) display system
• Cloud dashboard : see your sales in realtime from anywhere
• Cloud backup
• Updates for all apps

If you should have questions about this change feel free to contact us. Always available, always ready to help.

Compared to other systems $16.60 per month is not expensive. You don’t need extra hardware (no $2000.00 touchscreen, no slow and annoying PC running an operating system ready to crash after a security update or disc problem) or software (web based systems costing you over $120 per month). You don’t need a support contract either. Horizon POS and the hardware we use are just perfect for your business and it doesn’t need support like other POS solutions.

And yes, 16GB is more then enough to run Horizon. If you want to install more then 30 other apps or if you have like a 10.000 songs library on your digital jukebox, then maybe invest in 32GB, 64GB or even a 256GB version. If I were you I would go for the iPad Air 2 (which I did) or the iPad mini 4.

Just released is the iPad Pro. Version 1.4.0 of Horizon will be compatible with it.
Something for the near future (and already in test) : Horizon (server) for OSX and Horizon for iPhone/iPod (not the remote!).

Yes and no! Due to some s****d US encryption law, we didn’t encrypt data on Horizon. So your data is not encrypted and can be read by anybody who gets his hands on it. At the end of the day, you can delete all your sales, so you can start all over again the day after. Nothing to worry about.

We are working on a fiscal version (see BlackBox), let’s say a version with a lot of restrictions and encryptions. More about this very soon now.

Sure can…The database is viewable in iTunes (File Sharing), you can drag w1.db, drop and store it on your Mac or PC for backup purposes.
We also added a backup function in the ‘Settings’ of Horizon. Under Settings -> Data -> Data.This way you can backup your data by sending yourself an email with backup as attachment or you can backup you data to the cloud.

Here is a list of printers compatible with Horizon:

Epson :
Epson™ TM-T20 and TM-T20II : at last a low budget POS printer with an ethernet interface
Epson™ TM-T70II : ethernet and Wi-Fi interface
Epson™ TM-T88III, TM-T88IV, TM-T88V, TM-T90, TM-T82 and TM-T82II
Epson™ TM-m30 : a new fantastic looking printer, we are waiting for our first test item to test it all out

You can only connect a ticket printer to Horizon if it has an ethernet or Wi-Fi interface.
Usb, serial, parallel or BT won’t work. Normally* you should connect your printer to your access point and have it configured so that it has an ip address in the same network range as your access point and iPad. Do not configure you printer (and iPad) with DHCP, as your ip address will change from time to time then, giving connection problems afterwards. If you don’t know what an ip address is, then have it configured by the guys at CCR (www.coastalpos.com.au).

If you have problems connecting your Epson printer to your network. Please use the EpsonNet Config utility (PC and Mac). You can configure your printer by using an USB cable first and test it on your network. This is the link to the Epson page for that utility.

Epson has an awesome app to configure your printer, please check it out : Epson TM Utility

*The Epson™ TM-T88V with Wi-Fi interface has a very cool feature so that you don’t need an access point.  You can connect your iPad to the ad-hoc EpsonNetIBSS or EpsonNet SSID directly. You can even add other devices to it. The default ip address of the printer is 192.168.192.168. Conclusion : 1 Epson printer with Wi-Fi + 1 iPad with Horizon. Nothing more!
No cables (except for power).

Please check your printer driver disk for tools to change the ip address. Epson has this utility here : Epson TM Utility

Be sure you have the name of your printer found in the StarIO SDK app (mine was BT:TSP654). Fill in that name in the Host field of you printer (data -> printers). Set the ‘Type printer’ to Star Line Mode. Disable Big Font, set Characters A to 48, Characters B to 64.

Also set the code page of this Star printer to 32 in Horizon. Otherwise some characters will not be printed properly (e.g. the $ symbol).

From one of our clients. Thanks Ingemar V.

1. Download the Star Utility/Setting from App Store.
   
2. Turn one of the printers off.
   
3. In the Star Utility (or Settings) app change the name from Star Micronics to Star Micronics2 (or whatever name).
   
4. In data -> printers change the name to Star Micronics2. Turn the other printer on and connect in data -> printers -> bar with Star Micronics and Kitchen with Star Micronics2.

Depending on the printer brand (and/or model) you use you can do the following. If you printer is not listed or if it doesn’t work let us know. Remember to select the correct printer type (= driver) in Horizon (Data -> Printers -> General -> Type printer). If you are a printer manufacturer and you want your printer to be listed here, please let us know, and/or maybe lend us a printer so we can fully integrate and test it with Horizon POS.

A  : Epson™ (most models, but we are testing with the Epson TM-T88V with Wi-Fi) :

Epson has a nice tool that does the job (and more) : Epson TM Utility

1. First upload your company logo (or whatever image you want to be printed) to your ticket printer. The software needed for that is called Epson™ Logo Setup utility : go to https://download.epson-biz.com, this software is only made for Windows. It is beyond the scope of this FAQ to explain how to use that utility, but you should upload your logo at the first image place, that is (32,32).

2. In Horizon, under Settings -> General -> Ticket Header (or footer), add the following code : . You can also add a second logo using (32,33).

A : Star™ in Line Mode (e.g. Star TSP650II) :

1. First upload your company logo (or whatever image you want to be printed) to your ticket printer. Download and install the Star™ Micronics Printer Utility (see www.starmicronics.com and select your printer), software is only made for Windows. Once started up, click on Logo Store. Upload your logo’s, your first logo should have Key Code 01, your second logo 02, and so on.

2. In Horizon, under Settings -> General -> Ticket Header (or footer), add the following code : . You can also add a second logo using . If you want to add more then 2 logo’s then you should add your own markup’s, logo3 should then be <27,28,112,3,48> (where 3 is the third logo).

A : Xiamen Rongta Technologies™ (e.g. RP80W and RPP300) :

1. First upload your company logo (or whatever image you want to be printed) to your ticket printer. Use the Rongta Tech software for this. The software is a little bit user unfriendly, no feedback if you upload a logo. It also only works for Windows.

2. In Horizon, under Settings -> General -> Ticket Header (or footer), add the following code : <28,112,1,48>. You can also add a second logo using <28,112,2,48>. We have added a special markup tag for it, starting from version 1.3.17 you can use and instead of the ugly hex codes .

The logo also works on the portable Rongta RPP300. There is a difference though, the logo doesn’t seems to be centered! Should not be a problem, just add some white space in front of it and all should be ok.

A : Citizen™ (e.g. Citizen CT-S851) :

1. First upload your company logo (or whatever image you want to be printed) to your ticket printer. Use the Citizen software called Citizen POS Printer Utility ((see www.citizen-systems.com and select your printer). Use the ‘Mode change button’ first to set the mode to ‘Unused key code mode’ and name your first logo 01. The software is quite awesome and is one of the most advanced we’ve seen so far to configure a printer.

2. In Horizon, under Settings -> General -> Ticket Header (or footer), add the following code : <28,112,1,48>. You can also add a second logo using <28,112,2,48>. We have added a special markup tag for it, starting from version 1.3.17 you can use and instead of the ugly hex codes .

First configure your scanner so it works in iOS mode. It will not work properly in any other mode. Normally you should have received a configuration sheet with you scanner. Scan the iOS Mode barcode. There is also a configuration sheet on the website of Socket Mobile. Page 3 has the iOS Mode barcode. You could also configure your scanner so it beeps or vibrates when you have read a good scan.

Secondly pair you scanner with your iPad. It’s a bluetooth scanner so you have to enable bluetooth on your iPad : Settings -> Bluetooth

Thirdly activate your scanner in Horizon : Settings -> Barcode

4 steps to be made :

1. Download a free version of Horizon Remote for iPhone / iPod.

2. Connect your device to your local network (enable Wi-Fi). Your device should be in the same range as your iPad or access point.

3. Enable on your iPad the Remote server under Settings -> Horizon remote.

4. Launch Horizon Remote on your iPhone / iPod, go to settings, your iPad should become visible, select it, enter your waiter code, download the buttons and start using it. Enjoy!

We are using a protocol named ‘Bonjour’. Sometimes your access point blocks it or it is just not being well transmitted/received. Check that you don’t have a firewall running on your access point. A client pointed out that changing the ‘channel width’ to automatic solved his problem. Imagine that!

For best results please use an access point with 5g wifi.

Easy, just be sure that both devices are in the same network :

1. Get the ip address of your iPad where you have installed the KDS : settings (of your iPad) -> Wi – Fi : click on the (i) of your Wi-Fi network. Write down your IP-address

2. Launch KDS

3. On your main iPad where Horizon POS is installed, go to data -> printers, configure a printer with the ip address of your KDS iPad and choose KDS for the printer type, test the KDS by pushing the printer test button

Some remarks :

• The KDS only runs on iPads and iPhones with iOS 7 or higher (so no iPad 1’s, sorry about that)
• If the KDS doesn’t show anything be sure to check all settings, ip address (make sure it isn’t on DHCP, as then it could get an new ip address from time to time), is there a product configured to print to the KDS

You can only connect a ticket printer to Horizon if it has an ethernet or Wi-Fi interface.
Usb, serial, parallel or BT won’t work. Normally* you should connect your printer to your access point and have it configured so that it has an ip address in the same network range as your access point and iPad. Do not configure you printer (and iPad) with DHCP, as your ip address will change from time to time then, giving connection problems afterwards. If you don’t know what an ip address is, then have it configured by the guys at CCR (www.coastalpos.com.au).

If you have problems connecting your Epson printer to your network. Please use the EpsonNet Config utility (PC and Mac). You can configure your printer by using an USB cable first and test it on your network. This is the link to the Epson page for that utility.

Epson has an awesome app to configure your printer, please check it out : Epson TM Utility

*The Epson™ TM-T88V with Wi-Fi interface has a very cool feature so that you don’t need an access point.  You can connect your iPad to the ad-hoc EpsonNetIBSS or EpsonNet SSID directly. You can even add other devices to it. The default ip address of the printer is 192.168.192.168. Conclusion : 1 Epson printer with Wi-Fi + 1 iPad with Horizon. Nothing more!
No cables (except for power).

You can connect 2 drawers for every ticket printer you use. If you want to open the cash drawer automatically every time you print a receipt then just add for the first drawer or for the second drawer, to your ticket header (or footer) : under Settings -> General -> Ticket Header (or footer).

Another way to open the drawer is by activating the drawer switch in the waiter settings (Data -> Waiters -> Special functions -> Drawer). The drawer can then be activated or deactivated depending on the waiter that has logged in. The drawer here should be connected as drawer 1 to the ‘bill printer’.

1. Go to the settings of Horizon, click on barcode, activate software barcode, use front camera and activate blind mode
2. Next go to data -> users and select the user you want to make a badge for, next click on the QR Code button that located on the right (next to code)
3. Now log out. Hold your QRCode above your iPad. Keep it +/- 30 horizontal or vertical in front of the camera. Faster then lighting it will log you on.

Awesome!

• with email configured on your iPad you can open the database w1.db file directly. Just click a few seconds on the w1.db zip attachment, a pop up will open, then select ‘Copy to Horizon’

  Copy to Horizon

  With iTunes (File Sharing), you can drag the previously stored database w1.db back from your Mac or PC to iTunes.

  Here is how :

  Connect your iPad to your Mac or PC,
  Open iTunes (if not already started),
  Click on your freshly connected iPad in iTunes,
  Click on Apps,
  Scroll down until you see ‘File Sharing’,
  Click on Horizon:
  Now drag and drop the w1.db file from whatever place you have stored it, to the Horizon documents, you can also click on the Add… button in case the drag and drop is to cumbersome,
  (Re)start Horizon.