This article is for users of Spektrix Payments who use the Castles S1F2 payment terminals (also known as PIN Pads, Chip & PIN machines, Chip Readers or PEDs) to take in-person card payments. This article will help you troubleshoot issues you might encounter such as power, battery life, connecting to the internet and taking payments.
Before you read this article you should be familiar with:
Some common issues might include:
- S1F2 terminal won’t power on
- S1F2 terminal isn’t responding
- S1F2 battery doesn’t charge
- S1F2 battery drains too quickly
- Blank Receipts printing
- Connection issues
- Declined payments
- Pending payments
- S1F2 terminal displays a TAMPER message
Before you troubleshoot, start with the following initial checks. These can often save you time.
Initial Checks
- Is the payment terminal powered on?
- Is the battery fully charged?
- Is the payment terminal connected to Wi-Fi?
Device Issues
You may sometimes encounter device issues when using a Castles S1F2 payment terminal. Click the tab below relevant to your issue for troubleshooting steps.
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S1F2 terminal won’t power on
If your S1F2 terminal won’t power on, check the following:
- The power adapter is plugged into the mains/AC power
- The USB-C end of the cable is plugged into the USB-C port on the terminal
- The USB-A end of the cable is plugged into the power adapter
If you have more than one S1F2 terminal, try using the power supply, cable and battery from that terminal to charge the battery. If the terminal doesn't power on, then the terminal, power adapter, cable or battery may be faulty. Contact Support for further advice.
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S1F2 terminal isn’t responding
The S1F2 terminal is designed to go into sleep mode after a period of inactivity. You can wake up the terminal by pressing the power button on the left side of the terminal:
There are several instances that wake up the terminal from sleep mode. The most common are:- The power button is pressed on the terminal.
- The terminal makes a maintenance call to Adyen.
- The terminal receives a message packet over the network. For example, a payment sent from Spektrix to the terminal. This is called a network event.
If the terminal doesn’t respond after pressing the power button, follow these steps to remove and reinsert the battery:
- Turn the terminal over and press the battery cover and slide downwards to open:
- Push the latch inwards on the left side of the battery to release:
- Remove the battery.
- Reinsert the battery by aligning the contacts on the right side of the terminal with the battery contacts:
- Press down on the left side of the battery to click into place:
- Reinsert the battery cover.
- Press and hold the power key to power on the terminal.
If the Payment Terminal won’t respond after trying the steps above, the battery or device may be faulty. Contact Support for further advice.
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S1F2 battery doesn't charge
If you experience charging issues, try inspecting the charging port for any dust or debris as this can block the connection between the payment terminal and the cable. You can clear any dust using a can of compressed air.
Once you’ve checked the charging port, if the battery still doesn’t charge, check the following:
- The battery is inserted correctly
- Battery and terminal contacts are free of dust and debris.
WARNING: Do not use metal objects, liquid (other than isopropyl alcohol), or anything sharper than a toothpick when cleaning the charging port or contacts on the terminal and battery.
To check the battery, follow these steps:
- Turn the terminal over and press the battery cover and slide downwards to open:
- Push the latch inwards on the left side of the battery to release:
- Remove the battery.
- Make sure there is no dust or debris on the contacts on the battery and terminal.
- Reinsert the battery by aligning the contacts on the terminal with the battery:
- Press down on the left side of the battery to click into place:
- Reinsert the battery cover.
Once you've reinserted the battery:
- Plug in the USB-C end of the cable into the USB-C port on the terminal
- Plug power adapter into the mains/AC power
- Press and hold the power key to power on the terminal and let the battery charge for five hours
WARNING: Only use the supplied USB-A to USB-C cable and power adapter to charge the S1F2 terminal. Using a different cable or adapter may result in damage to the terminal or battery.
If you have more than one S1F2 terminal, try using the power supply, cable and battery from that terminal. If the battery won’t charge, then the power adapter, cable or battery may be faulty. Contact Support for further advice.
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S1F2 battery drains too quickly
The S1F2 terminal has a 15 hour battery life and is designed for all day use. Under normal use, battery life will decrease over time.
The S1F2 terminal has a packet filter that wakes up the terminal only when a dedicated message is sent to the terminal. For example, when a Chip & PIN / Chip payment is initiated in Spektrix.
If your battery lasts significantly less than 15 hours, check your Wi-Fi network. If you’re in an area with a weak signal, battery life will be reduced as the terminal tries to remain connected.
If you are in an area with a weak Wi-Fi signal, try moving to an area with stronger signal. You may need to speak to your IT team about increasing the Wi-Fi signal to ensure a strong connection which can help to improve battery life.
To help maintain the life of the battery, you should:
- Store the terminal and battery in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and heat sources.
- Inspect the battery every six months. Check for battery leakage or swelling.
WARNING: If you notice any leakage or swelling from the battery, do not use the terminal. Contact Support immediately.
If the Payment Terminal won’t charge after trying the steps above, the battery or device may be faulty. Contact Support for further advice.
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Blank Receipt printing
If your Payment Terminal prints blank receipts, check you have inserted the receipt roll correctly.
Check the steps in How to insert a Receipt Roll for further information.
Connection Issues
If you experience any connectivity issues when taking a payment, first check the signal strength of your Wi-Fi network by looking at the Wi-Fi icon at the top of the terminal’s screen:
In the image above, when your Wi-Fi signal is strong the symbol will appear as a solid colour. As you move further away from your Wi-Fi network, the symbol will gradually empty. When you have a very weak or no signal, the Wi-Fi symbol will be empty.
If you’re in an area with a weak Wi-Fi signal, you may experience issues taking payments. Try moving to an area with stronger Wi-Fi. The Wi-Fi symbol on the terminal should look like the one on the left (preferred).
If you have a strong Wi-Fi connection and experience any connectivity issues when taking a payment, check the Adyen Platform Status page.
If there are no reported issues, the next steps are:
Network Diagnostics
Running network diagnostics can help indicate whether there’s any issues with the Adyen platform, or with your own network connection.
To test your network connection, follow these steps:
- Tap Settings on the terminal’s home screen:
- Tap Diagnostics:
- Under Diagnostics, you’ll see the following:
Test the following by tapping the menu item:
- PSP connection
- Terminal API
- Endpoints
Each option should return a successful status:
If any of the tests fail, click the relevant tab below for further information on resolving the failures.
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PSP Connection Test
The PSP connection test verifies the connection to the Adyen payments platform. The test checks the DNS resolution, firewalls, routing, and TLS negotiations.
TIP: If a test step fails, all other steps afterwards will be marked as failed.
Test Step Result Description Looking up host There is a DNS problem. The terminal is unable to resolve the Adyen domains. Connecting Something on your network is preventing the terminal from connecting. This could be:
- A problem with your router
- Your internet connection is down
Negotiating This step checks the security of the connection. If this fails, it can indicate that your security gateway is inspecting the TLS session.
If that is the case, wait for the inspection to finish
If you see this failure message, contact Support immediately.Writing data Traffic from the terminal is blocked. There is a problem with your firewall or router settings.
Receiving data Traffic to the terminal is blocked. There is a problem with your firewall or router settings TIP: If you’ve checked the Adyen Platform Status page and are still experiencing issues, speak to your IT team and ask them to check your network and firewall exceptions.
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Terminal API Test
Test step Result Description API Enabled If this step fails, contact Support. WebSocket enabled If this step fails, contact Support. WebSocket connection If this step fails, contact Support. -
Endpoints Test
The Endpoints test verifies whether the terminal is able to connect with the following URLs:
- Sync URL: Used for refunds and cancellations
- Config URL: Used by the terminal to retrieve its configuration
- PAL URL: Used by the terminal to send requests
- Firmware URL: Used by the terminal to retrieve the latest software release
For each of the above URLs, the terminal carries out the following test steps:
Test step Result Description Looking up host There is a DNS problem Connecting Something on your network is preventing the terminal from connecting. This could be:
- A problem with your router
- The Adyen server is down
- Your internet connection is down
Negotiating This step checks the security of the connection. If this fails, it can indicate Adyen has updated their certificates.
If you see this failure message, contact Support immediately.
Writing data There is a problem with your firewall or router settings. Receiving data There is a problem with your firewall or router settings. TIP: If you’ve checked the Adyen Platform Status page and are still experiencing issues, speak to your IT team and ask them to check the firewall exceptions.
Checking your Wi-Fi network connection
To rule out any issues with your Wi-Fi connection, check the following:
- Make sure you’re within range of your Wi-Fi network. If you’re in an area with a weak Wi-Fi signal, you may experience issues taking payments.
- Make sure the terminal’s Wi-Fi is turned on and connected. You can check by tapping Settings > Network > Enter your Passcode> Wi-Fi:
- Once you’ve checked your Wi-Fi connection, try and connect another Wi-Fi enabled device to your existing network.
If you can’t connect another device this indicates an issue with your Wi-Fi connection or router. Speak to your IT team to resolve this.
If you can connect another device to your Wi-Fi network, this could indicate the Wi-Fi network hasn’t been configured correctly on the Payment Terminal.
You can resolve this by removing the Wi-Fi network connection from the payment terminal
Removing your Wi-Fi network from the S1F2 Terminal
To remove your Wi-Fi network from the terminal, follow each step below:
- Tap Settings on the terminal’s home screen:
- Tap Network and enter your Passcode
- Tap Wi-Fi and then tap the cog next to your Wi-Fi network:
- Tap FORGET to remove your Wi-Fi network connection:
Once the Wi-Fi network has been removed, you’ll need to set up your Wi-Fi connection again. Go through the steps in Connecting the S1F2 Payment Terminal to your Wi-Fi.
If you’re still experiencing connection issues after following the steps above, contact Support.
Issues taking payments
Read this section to troubleshoot the most common transaction errors with Payment Terminals.
Declined Payments
If a payment is declined, you’ll see the reason in the Chip & Pin Payment screen or on the payment terminal screen:
You can find more information by reading Reasons why a Payment may be Declined.
We’d advise checking the Adyen Platform Status page first, before performing any transaction troubleshooting. This will indicate any issues with the platform that may prevent a successful transaction.
Pending Payments
At the top of the Payment Terminal Screen, next to the Adyen logo, you may see the following icon:
This icon indicates that there are Pending Payments that the terminal hasn't been able to send to Adyen. This is usually due to a network connection issue.
To help identify any network issues, first go to the Adyen Platform Status to check for any platform issues.
If no issues have been reported, the next step is to run network diagnostics to check whether the terminal is able to reach the Adyen platform.
TIP: When the terminal indicates it is connected to your Wi-Fi network, this doesn't always mean that it is connected to the internet. There may be issues with the connection from your Wi-Fi network to the internet. Read Checking your Wi-Fi network connection for further information.
The S1F2 terminal displays a ***TAMPER*** message
The Castles S1F2 payment terminals have a security feature designed to disable the device in the event of any security threat.
If you see a **TAMPER** message on your terminal’s screen, this suggests the device has either been dropped or damaged. .
This security feature cannot be reversed. If your device displays the message **TAMPER**, the Payment Terminal will no longer work and must be replaced. To request a new Payment Terminal, contact Support.
Further Reading
To learn more about hardware, visit the Set up and troubleshoot hardware section of the Support Centre.