[Guide] Easy to build bitcoin ATM - Includes Bill Collector

[Accardo]

This Update came from Ben Arc a FOSS hobbyist, met him on twitter about to engage with him hopefully on ways to optimize the ATM to spit out FIAT.

The budget for getting the parts needed to build the ATM is $200. Below are the items needed to set up a bill collector Bitcoin ATM.


    i) ESP32 WT32-SC01 £20

    ii) DG600F(S) Multi Coin Acceptor £30

    iii) NV10USB+ bill acceptor (Seems to be plenty 2nd hand ones on ebay) £70

    iv) Box ("aluminum medicine box" on amazon £30), ("Amazon Basic Home Safe", for more secure solution £70)

    v) Screw Terminal block £1

    vi) 12v power supply, best to get one with terminal block adapter (12v battery also works well, for unplugged version) £8
    
    vii) 12v to 5v step down converter with USB £5

    viii) Male/female GPIO jumpers £5

Images of the parts

CONSTRUCTION

WT32-SC01 Pinmap


THE WIRING FOR COIN ACCEPTOR



The Coin-acceptor can be purchased pre programmed with your currencies, in any case, he shared a youtube video that guides on how to train the coin acceptor.

Bill Acceptor Wiring



It is required for the bill acceptor be configured to your currencies and set to S10 mode, its common to buy it preconfigured. However, if you have to program, the author specified you purchase this Wire
and download the Validator manager software he also provided a guide on how do it yourself. NOTE: When using the guide-PDF don't mind the programming cards they are old fashioned, focus on the host cable.

Mounting in Box

For the Aluminim Storage Box solution, holes can be cut with a sharp knife (clearly not secure, but fine for somewhere you can keep an eye on the ATM or for demoes).

For the Home Safe solution, holes can be cut with angle grinder and a very thin cutter. (If you have not used an angle grinder before, don't be scared, they're cheap, easy enought to use, and very useful. Just take your time and wear safetly equipment.)

He specifically use CT1 sealent/adhesive (or similar) for mounting screen, although the screen has screw points, which should prob be used for added security.

Installing arduino + Libraries

Install the Arduino IDE,
https://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/Software

Install the ESP32 hardware
https://github.com/espressif/arduino-esp32#installation-instructions

How to install Arduino ESP32
https://docs.espressif.com/projects/arduino-esp32/en/latest/installing.html

TUTORIAL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbyYb9Yiu_k

Watch tutorial careful if you need help copying the libraries folder, to your "/Arduino/libraries" folder (usually in OS "Home" directory) from this project.

FULL DETAILS - https://github.com/arcbtc/fossa

WHERE THE ATM CAN BE USED?

It'll be of good use in a store that accepts bitcoin and as-well replace a tip pot - using the coin acceptor or bill acceptor.

Can the ATM dispense FIAT?

The Author assured me that it can dispense Fiat but with the use of other gizmos like acceptors with hoppers



Will add to this thread any info he shares with me on DM (if he does)

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[dkbit98]

This Update came from Ben Arc a FOSS hobbyist, met him on twitter about to engage with him hopefully on ways to optimize the ATM to spit out FIAT.

Thanks for posting this cool stuff!
I noticed this Ben Arc guy with someof his previous projects like Bowser DIY wallet, LNPoS and LNURLPoS.
He is working non-stop on building better Bitcoin and Lightning Network ecosystem, so I am not really surprised he made this as well

The budget for getting the parts needed to build the ATM is $200. Below are the items needed to set up a bill collector Bitcoin ATM.

This had to be world cheapest DIY ATM machine, and you can probably move it easily everywhere you want.
One thing I am not sure if how this is going to work with regulators and taxes...
I just wanted to ask for video tutorial, but I see you posted it below

[nullama]

It's missing some kind of securing structure. This ATM would be gone the first hour of operation in the real world

[Accardo]

I checked the demo on his Twitter and it's really cool project. My only concern is the ESP32 WT32-SC01 only has WiFi/Bluetooth  connectivity, which isn't very reliable for ATM.

The ESP32 WT32-SC01 is specifically made that way and its recommended for offline projects, observing the ATM it can operate offline with the help of the WIFI/Bluetooth connectivity feature.

[BitMaxz]

I like the bill acceptor it's cool I saw it on their youtube unlike the coin acceptor because the coin acceptor can be easily bypassed compared to the bill acceptor.

Having this outside in your home is too risky but if Ben can improve the design and the money storage more securely maybe without looking for Bank partners this is a good alternative to sell Bitcoin locally in your area.

Look at this one below it is more secure but the money storage is transparent which may attract thieves it could be more secure if it's a metal box.

Source:https://www.instructables.com/Open-Bitcoin-ATM/

[n0nce]

I like the bill acceptor it's cool I saw it on their youtube unlike the coin acceptor because the coin acceptor can be easily bypassed compared to the bill acceptor.

Having this outside in your home is too risky but if Ben can improve the design and the money storage more securely maybe without looking for Bank partners this is a good alternative to sell Bitcoin locally in your area.

Personally, wouldn't bother setting one up in a public area; security-wise and opsec-wise.

But I can see it as a great gadget to allow friends & family that come over (and know you're a Bitcoin user already) to really visualize how Bitcoin = money and money = Bitcoin and how it is possible to use Bitcoin without a middleman and without selling your soul to tyrannic companies to acquire it.

[serhack]

Great idea! By the way, is the firmware behind that machine open-source?

[DaveF]

I like to see projects like this, I can see them being a neat thing to bring around to places where you want to show & educate people about BTC.
Look, you don't have to jump though hoops to get some, just install this app on your phone and stick some cash in here and your are done here is your BTC


Slightly OT and I can't find the source material.

I read an article in some trade magazine early this year (it's amazing what you read in Dr's waiting rooms with no phone) but it was about vending machine bill acceptors and there is a difference between the $50 ones and the $250 ones and the $3000 ones in terms of counterfeit detection and scanning. More or less as you can guess, the $50 ones are more likely to accept counterfeit bills then then $250 ones and the $250 ones although good can still be tricked more easily then the $3000 ones.

Seems kind of obvious, but until I read about it I never thought about it.

It is / was apparently a BIG issue in sparsely populated places in the US where people have unattended gas pumps that take cash but were using the cheap bill collectors.
People would come in and put in $1000s of cash fill up drums of gas in the back of pickups / box trucks / vans and then drive off. The station owners were out 100s and 100s of gallons of fuel and had a stack of $20 / $50 / $100 bills that you could look at and see that they were fake.

Would like to say that I am over 50, been driving for 35+ years and have only seen 1 gas station that took cash though an automated thing. And that was in Las Vegas on the strip, but I guess they really do exist in a lot of places.

-Dave

[n0nce]

I checked the demo on his Twitter and it's really cool project. My only concern is the ESP32 WT32-SC01 only has WiFi/Bluetooth  connectivity, which isn't very reliable for ATM.

The ESP32 WT32-SC01 is specifically made that way and its recommended for offline projects, observing the ATM it can operate offline with the help of the WIFI/Bluetooth connectivity feature.

I'm not sure it can be called "operate offline" when it needs internet connection through WiFi. Anyway, my point is WiFi usually less reliable than LAN cable or decent satellite connection.

I agree: adding Ethernet to the project seems like a great idea.
There are ways to do so, since it has Ethernet MAC built-in! This project explains what is needed to add Ethernet to a simple 'ESP32-Bit' dev board, but steps will be very similar for the WT32-SC01.
https://sautter.com/blog/ethernet-on-esp32-using-lan8720/

I agree, although there's exception if you're owner of place/store which accept cryptocurrency or you attend to cryptocurrency meeting/conference.

Yeah, inside your own store (even restaurant) sounds cool, as well!
It would also be fun e.g. to encourage people to throw their change (coins and / or bills, also depends on geographical location) into such a machine and get some sats via Lightning.

[DireWolfM14]

Cool project, but it's not exactly an ATM, but rather a bitcoin selling machine.  Which is still cool.  I think of an ATM as having the ability to exchange cash for BTC, and vise versa.

It would also be fun e.g. to encourage people to throw their change (coins and / or bills, also depends on geographical location) into such a machine and get some sats via Lightning.

That would be a cool use case.  I wouldn't mind putting in my office at work, encouraging my cohorts to buy a few sats to get them interested.

As for the security of the device, there are a few things that can be done.  Like Accardo already mentioned, a small document safe as the main housing would be a decent idea.  Even more secure would be a safe with small slots cut into it that are aligned with the cash receptacles.  A heavy wooden cabinet could be built to house everything, and the weight of the safe and the wooden cabinet would reduce the risk that someone would could just pick up the unit and walk away with it.  Obviously the more secure you attempt to make it, the more expensive it becomes.

[NotATether]

As for the security of the device, there are a few things that can be done.  Like Accardo already mentioned, a small document safe as the main housing would be a decent idea.  Even more secure would be a safe with small slots cut into it that are aligned with the cash receptacles.  A heavy wooden cabinet could be built to house everything, and the weight of the safe and the wooden cabinet would reduce the risk that someone would could just pick up the unit and walk away with it.  Obviously the more secure you attempt to make it, the more expensive it becomes.

I like the "safe with small slots" idea. Because the rest are vulnerable to a professional thief just smashing the unit, but the safe makes it harder to retrieve the money that's inside (there's hopefully some kind of combiniation lock on it) even though robbers can still walk away with the safe.

[n0nce]

As for the security of the device, there are a few things that can be done.  Like Accardo already mentioned, a small document safe as the main housing would be a decent idea.  Even more secure would be a safe with small slots cut into it that are aligned with the cash receptacles.  A heavy wooden cabinet could be built to house everything, and the weight of the safe and the wooden cabinet would reduce the risk that someone would could just pick up the unit and walk away with it.  Obviously the more secure you attempt to make it, the more expensive it becomes.

I like the "safe with small slots" idea. Because the rest are vulnerable to a professional thief just smashing the unit, but the safe makes it harder to retrieve the money that's inside (there's hopefully some kind of combiniation lock on it) even though robbers can still walk away with the safe.

The whole unit could also be stolen if put up somewhere outside; then cracked open elsewhere with power tools.

To avoid all these risks, I'd still prefer to just put it up in a safe location, like at home, in your store (if you have one) or actually in the office (as DireWolfM14 suggested). I really like this idea! Get people interested, directly with some hands-on experience and small amounts that present no risk.
It all seems very abstract before you once try it..

[DireWolfM14]

The whole unit could also be stolen if put up somewhere outside; then cracked open elsewhere with power tools.

To be fair, this can be said about nearly anything of value that's left unattended.  As we used to say about locking up bicycles in the old days; all we can hope to achieve is keeping the honest people honest.  A professional thief will be prepared for most obstacles, and if he's determined enough well...

To avoid all these risks, I'd still prefer to just put it up in a safe location, like at home, in your store (if you have one) or actually in the office (as DireWolfM14 suggested). I really like this idea! Get people interested, directly with some hands-on experience and small amounts that present no risk.
It all seems very abstract before you once try it..

I've been mulling it over as well, it would be a fun project.  If I do I would keep it simple and cheap, since I'm not sure it would get much use.  One way to cut down on costs and still keep it fun is eliminate the bill counter.  A small plexiglass box would make a decent looking housing.

[n0nce]

If I do I would keep it simple and cheap, since I'm not sure it would get much use.  One way to cut down on costs and still keep it fun is eliminate the bill counter.

You mean without bill counter such that the user just inputs how much cash they threw in, manually for instance?
I think it takes away from the experience a little bit, but technically fine in the office / home type scenarios that we are both considering. Maybe the bill counter can also be sourced for cheaper, not sure about that.

[DireWolfM14]

If I do I would keep it simple and cheap, since I'm not sure it would get much use.  One way to cut down on costs and still keep it fun is eliminate the bill counter.

You mean without bill counter such that the user just inputs how much cash they threw in, manually for instance?
I think it takes away from the experience a little bit, but technically fine in the office / home type scenarios that we are both considering. Maybe the bill counter can also be sourced for cheaper, not sure about that.

I meant just the fiat coin receptacle, but not the bill receptacle.  It would still be fun, and effectively just provide family, friends, and coworkers a way to prevent their pockets from jingling.  Some might even decide to cash in their entire coin jar.  The optics of it might also be less intimidating if there's no way to collect larger sums of cash.  Of course there's more risk of running into dust limits, but that can also be a coaching opportunity.

[n0nce]

If I do I would keep it simple and cheap, since I'm not sure it would get much use.  One way to cut down on costs and still keep it fun is eliminate the bill counter.

You mean without bill counter such that the user just inputs how much cash they threw in, manually for instance?
I think it takes away from the experience a little bit, but technically fine in the office / home type scenarios that we are both considering. Maybe the bill counter can also be sourced for cheaper, not sure about that.

I meant just the fiat coin receptacle, but not the bill receptacle.  It would still be fun, and effectively just provide family, friends, and coworkers a way to prevent their pockets from jingling.  Some might even decide to cash in their entire coin jar.  The optics of it might also be less intimidating if there's no way to collect larger sums of cash.  Of course there's more risk of running into dust limits, but that can also be a coaching opportunity.

That makes sense! To avoid dust, one could allow to either put in a whole bunch of coins before 'exchanging' them, or do Lightning withdrawals by default and on-chain only above e.g. 10€.