Physical Hardware

On-site hardware is optional. Everything required for a basic event can be run from an ordinary web browser. You add a hardware layer once you start doing things like on-site printing, NFC, and self-service workflows. You can use our hardware or any of your own, including borrowed or loaned PCs, with no permanent changes. This section covers the terminalsA physical device running EventDrake's on-site software, such as a check-in tablet or a countertop unit. A terminal can have hardware attached, for example a badge printer, a receipt printer, or an NFC reader. Terminals are registered once, then paired to a station at the start of a shift. operators work from and the peripheralsA piece of hardware attached to a terminal, such as a badge printer, a receipt printer, an NFC reader, or a barcode scanner. A peripheral belongs to the terminal it is plugged into; other desks use it by pointing at that terminal. attached to them, with the hardware known to work in each category.

Getting hardware

There are a few ways to run EventDrake on physical hardware:

• Rent it from us. We provide rental hardware in several countries: touchscreen terminals in various form factors, payment machines, badge printers, receipt printers, NFC hardware, and self-service kiosks. It arrives ready to use.
• Boot from a USB stick. We publish a regularly updated live-boot image. Put it on a USB key and boot almost any machine from it: an old PC, a laptop, even a volunteer’s own laptop. Nothing is installed and nothing on the machine is changed, so it is ideal for borrowed or loaned hardware.
• Install on your own machine. Install our image onto a PC you own, for a permanent terminal that is always ready.

For a terminal that does not need attached hardware, you do not even need our image: any device with a web browser can run a station with nothing to install. See Terminals for the full list of options.

The categories

• Terminals. The devices operators work from. Minimum and recommended specs, and how to run them.
• Badge printers. Print attendee badges. Known-supported models.
• Print servers. Host printers shared across several desks.
• NFC readers. Write attendee details to a badge chip.
• Receipt printers. Print merch picklists and receipts.
• Barcode scanners. Read ticket codes, badges, and picklists.

How hardware is used in check-in

Each piece has a job at a check-in desk:

• Terminal. Runs the station the operator works from.
• Badge printer. Prints a badge automatically at check-in or on demand.
• NFC reader. Writes the attendee’s details to their badge chip.
• Barcode scanner. Reads a ticket code to look the attendee up, and confirms a printed badge or picklist.
• Receipt printer. Prints picklists at a merch table.

See Check-in for how each is used in the flow.