PREFACE
Coke vending
machines are everywhere. They're getting more
and more like regular computers with LEDs
that show little
"ICE COLD" messages and whatnot. Well, there's a lot more
to those little built-in computers than you may think.
Included in the low-level operating system that these
babies run on is an actual debug menu that gives you access
to all sorts of
machine information and possibly gives you
free cokes in older
machines.
WHICH MACHINES WORK?
There's a very strict list of vending machines that have
the debug menu. First off, they're all COCA-COLA product
vending machines. This means the giant, un-missable picture
on the front must show any of the following: Coke, Dasani
(Water), Barq's Root Beer, Vanilla Coke, Cherry Coke,
Sprite, Evlan (water), Fanta, Fresca, Frutopia, Hi-C,
Sprite Remix, Mad River, Mello Yello, Minute Maid, Nestea,
Odwalla, Mr. Pibb/Pibb Xtra, Planet Java, Power Ade,
Seagram's Ginger Ale, Simply Orange, Sparkletts, or Tab. Of
course anything Diet or Caffeine free works too.
The machine must have an LED screen. Some of the older ones
just allow the LED to be set to a price amount and won't
have the debug menu. You're safer if the little LED is
telling you something. Usually it will scroll a little
message like "Ice Cold Cokes". Newer machines are more
likely candidates.
ACCESSING THE MENU
To enter the menu, there's a button combination. HERE'S THE
ONLY THING YOU HAVE TO REALLY REMEMBER:
<4>-<2>-<3>-<1>
The buttons are numbered depending on how they are
positioned. They will either be vertical (more likely), or
in horizontal rows of 4 buttons per row. If it is vertical,
the first button is #1, the one below it is #2, and so
forth. If the buttons are in horizontal rows, the first
button is #1, and the one to the right of it is #2. The
numbers work like a type writer after that. In rows of 4,
the first button of row 2 will be button #5. So, to review,
getting in to the debug menu looks like this:
COKE MACHINE::::::
$1.00 -------
-------------
< Coke >