Black IC/IIRG

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Mars-2 Specifications from MEI - PDF Format

The History of MARS2

Table of Contents
I. ACTS Pay Phone
II. MARS Pay Phone
III. MARS-2 Pay Phone
IV. Company Overview

V. Summary of Information
VI. Description of AVI File
Since the worlds first coin operated pay phone was put into service back in 1889, their have been many changes with the advent of technology. One of the first notable changes was the ACTS pay phone.

ACTS

The ACTS (Automated Coin Toll System) is a computer system that automates fortress phones by listening for the Nickel, Dime and Quarter tones. ACTS is also responsible for ACCS. Which is how you pay by calling card. ACTS pay phones work on the basic principle that when you place money in the pay phone it makes a tone. For every 5 cents that is inserted a tone is made. The tones used are as follows:
Nickel tone: 1700+2200 Hz Once at 5-8.5 PPS (Pulses Per second)
Dime tone: 1700+2200 Hz Twice repeating at 5-8.5 PPS
Quarter tone: 1700+2200 Hz Five times repeating at 12-17 PPS
It is basically the nickel tone repeated for however much you put in. When you put a coin in a fortress phone it is subjected to a number of tests. The first being a magnetic test which will determine if it is a light weight coin or slug or a "good" coin. If it passes this test it is then classified as a Quarter, Nickel, or Dime as it will be checked for weight and size. If the coin passes all these tests it is then sent to the totalizer arm, the arm rotates once for every 5 cents, i.e. a quarter will make it rotate 5 times. The totalizer arm then causes the Coin Signal Oscillator to output a dual frequency signal indicating the value of the coin to the ACTS.
A relay in the phone called the "B" Relay, places a capacitor across the speech circur during the totalizer "read-out" to prevent the user from hearing the ACTS tones. The ACTS is also responsible for those messages saying, "Please deposit 50 cents for the next 5 minutes".
There are also tones for other things such as, Ring Back, Coin Collect, and Coin Return. These would be used by the ACTS operator and sent to the CO (Central Office) at appropriate times. The tones are as follows:
Coin collect: 700+1100 Hz
Ring Back: 700+1700 Hz
Coin Return: 1100+1700 Hz
Before these tones are sent by the ACTS it first sends a signal to the CO to alert it's Multi Frequency Detectors. This tone is as follows:
900+1700 Hz a 2600 wink, approximately 90 milli-seconds, followed by a 60 milli-second gap then the appropriate signal for at least 900 milli-seconds.
Once the above tones are received the CO transfers them into the appropriate DC pulses, -130 volts for coin return, and +130 volts for collect. This pulse is sent down the line to the fortress phone and thus causing the coin relay to either return or collect the coins.
As for the physical nature, ACTS pay phones weigh about 50 pounds with an empty coin box. The coin plate is secured on all 4 sides by hardened steel bolts which pass through 2 slots each and are interlocked by the main lock. The main lock is a 8 level tumbler lock, located on the right side of the coin box. This lock has 390,625 combinations. The lock is held in by 4 screws and is case hardened and has anti drill inserts thus keeping the coin collection safe from theft. Though if you are able to get hold of some refrigerant like R-12, you can freeze the case and a light tap with a hammer will shatter that area.

MARS

The next generational move was a modified version of the ACTS pay phone called MARS (MARS-1). The MARS pay phone made by Mars Electronics International (a sub-division of Mars International which is known more for the candy it produces) looked the same as the ACTS pay phone except for some internal changes that enhanced security and coin management. The MARS incorporates a modified chute that would allow or disallow coin deposit. Their are three magnets that are designed for the three main coins used by us today (Nickel, Dime and Quarter). This security was established for the ACTS pay phone and enhanced to a greater level with the MARS and its following generation. When a coin is placed in the pay phone it passes the three magnets which are controlled by a proprietary chip made by Mars Electronics International and if accepted it sends a charge that serves two purposes. 1) It switches a lever that blocks the exit of the coin to the coin return and dumps it in the collection box and 2) Sends that charge/tone to the CO letting the CO know that a coin has been accepted. The advent of this technology seriously limited the use of the Red Box but would still allow T-Networking to be used as a phreaking technique. Some of you might have wondered whether the minimum amount to place a call is managed and established at the CO or at the pay phone site. It is set up internally through manual switches on the totalizer.

MARS-2

The latest edition to the pay phone development is the MARS-2 pay phone. Developed back in early 1993 but not cost effective to release to the masses until recently, MARS-2 is much like its predecessor MARS-1, but incorporates newer anti-theft technology. This technology offers more physical protection from damage, theft, and T-Networking. It also offers better money management, and customer relations. As with the previous changes in the pay phones there is no discernible difference in look since it uses the same old style housing but rather internal changes that cannot be seen but only felt. The MARS-2 electronic coin validater is what we call a "smart phone". It uses the same components as the previous MARS version but this pay phone is installed with an Intel Chip readily designed for upgrade by simply removing it from the socket and installing a newer version as needed. One of the purposes of this chip is for self diagnosing and self reporting, the sets keep themselves in reliable working condition so customers can make calls. This diagnosing monitors handsets, lines, mechanical failures, and coin box status. On a daily basis the CO sends a signal to the pay phone to ensure that it is still working and no failures have occurred. When a failure happens, the CO is immediately aware. This also goes for the responsiveness of the pay phone itself. If a wire or handset is cut a signal is sent to the CO and an alarm is sounded at the Central Office and the pay phone is shut down. A repair notice is issued and a technician dispatched to the pay phone to repair it (usually the next day depending on the availability). Another purpose of the chip is to assist in weighing and measuring the coins in conjunction with the Mars Electronic Chip and magnets. It also is used as a form of calculator. When the coin box is full it calls the Public Services Center (PSC) for an early collection but will keep the pay phone open for credit card use only, where as the earlier phones would completely shut down. When the coin collector comes out to collect, he knows exactly how much should be in that collection box and in what amount of quarters, dimes, and nickels since the pay phone has kept in touch with the PSC. Another benefit with these pay phones are with the heavy drug dealing areas. The pay phones if set up for, will not accept key pad input once a call has been placed. Thus using a pager will not work on a MARS-2 set up for this protocol. What this means is that one cannot use a voice mail system or a pager from said phone. This new model does not have a need for the use of tones seeing as it contains the best of the earlier generations and the use of a "smart" chip to literally let the CO know of a "good" coin collection and what kind it was. Thus the Red Box is obsolete with this phone. Also with the monitoring of cut wires the T-Network is obsolete. Some of the older models of pay phones have been refurbished to contain an RS-232 port for the repair technician to use his laptop and connect with the CO. This is standard issue for new phones and can be reached when the pay phone is opened up. The kind of refurbishing that's going on allows the telephone company to use existing stock before releasing a new housing. The bread and butter of the MARS-2 is the electronic coin validater that the coin goes through. This is the only piece, with some minor modifications to the internal housing that replaces the old version and brings the pay phone up to MARS-2 generation. Its made out of black plastic and fitted together by 2 screws and the rest is simply held in by pressure. This piece contains the heart of the system and is easily replaced and upgraded as needed. This piece of equipment holds the magnets, Mars Electronics International control chip, Intel Chip and data connections. Some of you might wonder how you can tell if a pay phone is at MARS-2 generation. First is that the coin release lever will have a lead space before giving in and releasing a coin to the coin return, it also will not have the metallic sound or harder resistance as the ACTS pay phones did. It will be smooth and not as resistive. Second some of the phones in the process of moving up a generation had the "new" volume control changed from "nipple" style to a "square" push button. Other than these mundane changes you can't tell the difference with out playing.

Company Overview

The Mars Electronic Chip was copyrighted in 1982 with a part number of 11155226. Again this chip allows the passing of the coin by enabling the switch if the coin passes the magnets. It will then let the Intel chip know of this occurrence. Otherwise no energy is expended if the coin is bogus and fails the magnet test. It will simply fall out through the coin return. By the way, their device is also used in some of the major soda machines on the market today. Mars Electronics International 1301 Wilson Drive. West Chester, PA 19380 (Phone) 215-430-2500 The Intel MHS chip (part number 110446005) will keep the CO aware of what is going on with the pay phone in the aspects already described. The power comes from the phone lines (Black and Yellow Wires) and cutting those will simply alarm the CO and the pay phone becomes useless. Intel Corporation 5200 Northeast Elam Young Parkway Hillsboro, Oregon 97124 (Phone) 800-321-4044

Summary of Information

Little Johnny Phreaker thinks it would cool to steal one of these phones. He's going to be the first kid on the block with one in his bedroom and he goes out and steals one right off of the Dairy Mart wall. He gets so K-raD 3l1t3 that he hooks it up in his room... The pay phone calls the CO and lets the CO know where its at... In essence the MARS-2 offers the following: 1. Coin Management (Calculation and Auditing of Currency), 2. Security, Self Reliance and Self Monitoring (Cut Handsets, Mechanical Failures, Coin Box Volume). 3. Credit Card usage only when coin box is full. 4. Drug Dealing deterrents (No Keypad usage after call answered), thus no pagers or Voice Mail Systems (VMS) can be used on pay phones set up for this procedure in high drug use areas. 5. Coin Verification (Weight and Magnetism of coins).

AVI

Full motion video operation of the electronic coin validater and a coin going through the system.

The End

This concludes the write up on the generations of pay phones and the MARS-2 Electronic Coin Validater.
* Portions of ACTS write-up taken and re-written in part from "BIOC 6" and "ABC's of Pay phones".
* MARS (MARS-1) and MARS-2 researched and written in its entirety by
* The Underground Consortium, an entitlement for a couple of people who got together from the IIRG and solo part of the "community".