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DRX
Users Manual
31 pgs1.44 Mb0

Sealed Air DRX Users Manual

www.turbo-tag.com
TurboTag™ Session Manager™ Software and DR-1 Reader
Setup and Operating Instructions – Version 2.0.0
Table of Contents
Components of the System....................................................................................................................................1
Computer System Requirements..........................................................................................................................1
Basic Software Installation Procedure .................................................................................................................1
Reading Tags with TurboTag™ Session Manager™...........................................................................................2
Alarms, Shelf Life and Data Summaries...............................................................................................................8
General Software Actions ....................................................................................................................................12
Configuring and Starting Tags with TurboTag™ Session Manager™............................................................13
Protocols................................................................................................................................................................16
ID Code Inputs for Identification of Monitored Products/Locations................................................................20
Data Security Features of T-700 Tags and File Access ....................................................................................21
IR Data Capture (Optional QC-1 Handheld Reader Accessory).......................................................................22
Appendix A - Shelf Life Monitoring Option ........................................................................................................24
Appendix B – Using MKT with TurboTag™........................................................................................................28
Appendix C– Setting Future Start Times with Log Delay Window...................................................................30
® Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off. U. S. Patent 7,165,015. © Sealed Air Corporation 2007. All rights reserved. The “9 Dot Logo” and “Sealed Air” are registered trademarks of Sealed Air Corporation (US).
Components of the System
• TurboTag™ DR-1 Desktop Reader, including USB cable
• TurboTag™ Session Manager ™ Software Installation CD
• TurboTag™ T-700 temperature monitoring tags
Computer System Requirements
®
• Desktop or laptop computer running Windows
2000 or XP operating system.
• Screen resolution at least 600 x 800 pixels
1
• USB port
with power (do not use with un-powered multi-port USB hub)
Basic Software Installation Procedure
• DO NOT plug in the DR-1 reader to the computer yet!
• Insert the Session Manager™ Software Installation CD and select Install
• Follow all on-screen prompts. Accept license terms and default options
• When the installation processes are complete, you will have a
TurboTag™ Session Manager™ icon on your desktop. Clicking on this icon will start the software.
• Connect your DR-1 reader to a You should see a series of new device recognition windows appear a disappear the first time that you do this, indicating that the DR-1 reader has been recog
powered USB port on the computer.
nd
nized and is being installed on your computer. It is important to start getting familiar with Session Manager™ with the reader already connected to your computer.
. Warning: Changes or modifictaions not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could
void the user's authority to operate the equipment.
1
Some TurboTag™ installations may include the DR-2 m id-range reader or other TurboTag™ supported antenna modules
designed for longer distance reading than the DR-1. This option does not affect any of the instructions in this manual, but may involve installation of a dif ferent driver.
V2.0.0c Session Manager™ 9/5/2007 1
Reading Tags with TurboTag™ Session Manager™
When you first use Session Manager™, be sure at the DR-1 reader is plugged into an available USB port. Your operating system should provide a message that indicates that the DR-1 has been installed. The installation procedure is designed to provide the driver for the DR-1 and proceed to create its connection with the PC.
If it is connected correctly, the first READ screen of Session Manager™ will appear.
You will see a message in the Control Panel message box showing the process of finding the DR-1 reader on one of the COM ports If you see this screen as shown above you are ready to process T-700 tags on the DR-1 reader. Note that when the software has connected to the DR-1 Reader, the status light in the upper right part of the reader case changes to green (indicating it is ready to perform communication with T-700 tags).
You will see a series of messages in the white background message box just below the READ title on the Control Panel. These will convey information about the actions and readiness of Session Manger™ to perform certain tasks.
Note that there are several panels on the screen display: The Control Panel, Time Panel, Temperature Panel, Temperature vs. Time Panel and the Tag Status Panel. Each of these represents different types of information that control the way tags are programmed and read.
V2.0.0c Session Manager™ 9/5/2007 2
IR Mode Display (Reader Not Found)
At startup, lack of a Control Panel display
indicates a failure to connect to an RFID reader, either the DR-1 or other supported devices. In the same part of the screen where the Control Panel would be displayed, the IR screen will appear instead of the Control Panel:
These are options that are discussed in the section covering IR Data Capture, below.
Data entry in this area will allow changes to the QC-1 Startup Screen.
The Control Panel message box will indicate that the software is monitoring IR Ports on the computer for incoming data from the QC-1 handheld reader.
With this IR screen displayed in TurboTag™ Session Manager DB™ software, you will be able to
(1) View existing data files, or (2) Receive new tag data and update handheld reader settings via an IR port on the computer
linked to the QC-1 handheld reader (sold separately).
The message area of the screen will acknowledge connection with the QC-1 handheld reader and will confirm receipt of tag data sets as they arrive via the IR link.
Tag data received from the QC-1 are identical in all ways to tag data received by the DR-1 Reader connection (see aspects of reading using the DR-1, below).
Detailed aspects of operation from the IR screen is described in the section on IR Data Capture below and in a separate document supplied with the QC-1 reader itself.
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Reading Actions
The Control Panel message area will indicate READ readiness by a different appearance, a green
indicator light, and the title READ:
This is the Control Panel indicator light. A green light indicates that the
This toggle switch is in the “Read” position. The bold READ word is displayed to the right. You can click on this switch to toggle back and forth between ‘Start’ and ‘Read’.
Reader and Software are ready to read a tag…it is a “go” message.
The message area indicates that a tag can now be presented to the DR-1 for reading.
You must see this appearance of the Control Panel to begin to read T-700 tags of any kind. The green light will be “on” and the message box area will indicate that the reader function is activated.
Pick up one of your supplied T-700 tags and place it on the reader, as shown below. As you read tags, you will notice the Graph Panel on the Session Manager ™ screen. Data points from the information recorded on the tag being read are presented in graphic format as a time vs. temperature plot.
The tag is read (indicated by the green light Æ red light Æ green light transition on both the Control Panel
and the reader itself); a computer “beep”, and ”beep” from the DR-1 accompanies this transition.
The data is displayed on the Graph Panel in the Session Manager™ screen (as shown above).
Note: Do not leave the tag resting on the DR-1 reader! The RF signal interferes with normal logging
activities, and if the tag is left on the reader for too long, it will “skip” scheduled readings and the tag will abort its logging sequence.
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When no longer logging data with a tag, you can prolong battery life by making sure the tag is stopped
T
at the time of reading. To do this, check the box for “Stop tag after reading” in the READ Control Panel (see below), and then read the tag.
• Be sure to un-check this box whenever you do not intend to stop a tag in progress. Once tags have been stopped, they cannot be re-started without erasure of their logged data.
• When reading a full tag (702 data points), the software will always stop the tag.
Files are created at the option of the user. To activate file creation, check the “Save next tag in…” box in the READ screen Control Panel, prior to reading a T-700 tag. A destination folder can be selected or created via the BROWSE button. Two file types are created automatically, in the destination directory, after reading a tag:
After clicking the check box for file
Click on this check box to activate file creation.
The file format incorporates the Info field, Alarm status, TagID and date read information – creates *.txt and *.ttd files.
creation, this button becomes “live”. Clicking here enables you to specify where you want to store individual tag files.
Clicking here will cause the program to stop tag recording immediately after reading
Click here to display remaining shelf life as a function of time (instead of temperature) See Appendix A
• A proprietary file format (*.ttd file name) for re-display and printing within the Session Manager™ Software via the LOAD button (or the File => Load menu command), followed by the PRINT button (or the File => Print menu command) if desired.
• A generic text file format (*.txt file name) for import into other applications, or viewing/printing via a text-processing application.
Files names are formatted to display key identifying information about the tag and information about the recording session. Here are some example files:
The first field in the file name is the information contained in the Info field…this was filled in during tag configuration and starting. In this instance, the Info field contained “Freds Flowers 3”
agID
Date and Time
The next four digits refer to alarm status types: Maximum, Minimum, Tstd, and Shelf life…in that order. A “1” indicates an active alarm; a “0” indicates no alarm. This “1010” code indicates
Each file name is—in effect—a brief summary of the tag data itself.
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Card Reading Errors
If Session Manager™ is in READ mode, and for some reason, a T-700 tag is not successfully read, then the following will appear in the control panel:
Remove tag from reader and click on the OK button to enable Session Manager™ to re-read the specific T-700 tag that created the error
Almost every card reading error is caused by removal of the T-700 before reading is finished. The red light indicates active reading, so do not remove the card when the light is on. If repeated trials (
sequentially placing, reading until green light, and then removing the tag) do not result in a successful read, then the card may be damaged or faulty. Do not attempt to use a tag that cannot be read after repeated trials.
Other Information Displayed During READ Operations Data on ID parameters and T-700 status are presented in the Tag Status panel at each READ event,
in the Tag Status panel:
The Timer On light will show green if a tag is logging or is in logging delay (see discussion below). Low Battery will show red if battery voltage is too low for continued operation (approximately 1.2V)
The Full light will show green if all 702 data points were used in a tag that has been read.
The Tag ID and Session ID are not user-editable, and are explained in the section entitled “ID Code Inputs for Identification of Monitored Products”.
Reading a tag that is running or has been placed into “delayed start” mode will activate the Timer On light. Since this is a read of a tag that has not been stopped, a battery voltage will also be displayed in the Tag Status panel.
Tag Status also shows battery voltage in the START mode (see description of START mode below).
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If a tag battery has run down,
the Low Battery indicator will light up in the Tag Status screen when processing tags for configuration and starting. If battery voltage is too low, it will not be possible to re­start the tag. The Low Battery condition will not cause loss of data already stored on a tag.
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Under normal operating conditions, battery life is typically about 6 months of monitoring time, within one year the
purchase of the tag.
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Note that for tags that are read at the very beginning of a recording session, there is a minimum number of three recorded data points for graphic display and file creation to be activated.
Switching Between READ and START Modes
With the software running and a DR-1 reader connected, you will be in either the READ mode as shown in the right image below, or the START mode as shown in the left image. To toggle between these modes, click the toggle switch shown (or use the Operate Æ Start/Read menu commands).
Other Methods for Tag Reading
An alternative for reading tags while away from a suitably-enabled computer is to use the TurboTag™ QC-1 Handheld Reader, which is sold separately.
• Most of the displayed alarms in the Session Manager™ READ screen are offered via an LCD display on the QC-1.
• The QC-1 can be used to create a graphic strip chart printout using the TurboTag™ MP-1 Printer accessory, also sold separately.
• The QC-1 can store up to 99 tag data sets for later printing or importation into Session Manager™.
Information about importing data from the QC-1 Reader into the Session Manager™ is given at the end of these instructions (see IR Data Capture, below).
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Alarms, Shelf Life and Data Summaries
Reading tags with Session Manager™ can result in tag data transfer to discrete files, as described above. Important information about the time-temperature data is displayed on the Session Manager™ screen. This information appears in three “panels” in the screen itself. These panels are the Temperature Panel, the Time Panel and the Graph Panel.
Temperature Panel
The Temperature Panel appears in the middle of the Session Manager™ screen. All temperature data is summarized in this panel. This includes a report of time-over a maximum specified temperature limit (Tmax), time-under a minimum specified limit (Tmin) and an alarm limit specified based on a standard temperature (Tstd).
These are selector
This is a parameter for Shelf Life estimation. IF it has been configured into the tag, the parameter value will appear here.
Tmax is an alarm setting for high temperatures.
This can function as a second parameter for Shelf Life estimation. This is the ‘standard temperature’ or the average temperature desired for the perishable product or conditions being monitored.
Tmin is an alarm setting for low temperatures.
Maximum temperature measured by the tag. Average mean of all temperatures measured by the tag. Minimum temperature measured by the tag.
is the highest
is the simple
is the lowest
switches for setting display units of measurement. Click in the dark gray space of the switch area to change from °FÆ°C or from a simple average of temperature (Average) to a geometrically weighted mean of temperature (MKT, see Appendix B).
These are alarm lights that will turn red if the alarm settings under the Specified list have been exceeded.
Line colors are indicated for each of the Temperature Parameters that have been configured for the tag. These appear as reference lines on the charted data.
If any alarm had been exceeded, then the time (in hours) above or below will be displayed next to the red indicator lights.
A selector switch on this panel allows the user to display either °F or °C. Another selector switch shifts the average temperature calculation from a simple arithmetic mean (Average) to a geometrically weighted mean, MKT, which is commonly used in pharmaceutical applications (see Appendix B).
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Time Panel
As with the Temperature Panel, after reading a tag, important information about time is displayed in the Time Panel. The Time Panel shows new data and parameters that were initially programmed into a tag prior to starting: data on start time and date, and—if configured—information on shelf life remaining for the perishable product that has been monitored by the T-700 tag.
Tags can be configured to start after a time delay. If a time delay was programmed into the current tag, then the duration of that delay is displayed here.
T-700 tags can take a maximum of 702
readings. The interval The date and time that the tag began logging (adjusted according to the time zone settings of the current computer).
between these readings
is configured into the
tag before it is started.
This is the log interval.
These boxes display the value of the Initial Shelf Life (see Appendix A).
Current (i.e., Remaining) Shelf Life is displayed in this area of the screen in a running tag. If Shelf Life has expired, then the Current Shelf Life as a negative number and a red alarm light is displayed, as shown.
Current Shelf Life is replaced with this message whenever the tag being read had been previously stopped, and/or has reached its data capacity.
This area displays the time elapsed since the start time and date. Even if a tag is stopped, the Elapsed Time is figured from the Start time and date to the Read time and date.
Time settings are an important factor if you are using TurboTag™ to monitor shelf life. Initial shelf life settings are part of the starting parameters, and—after downloading a running tag—are also displayed along with calculations of remaining shelf life.
Remaining shelf life can be used as a powerful tool to determine the disposition and fate of perishable products in the cold chain. See Appendix A for details on how to set up Shelf Life monitoring.
V2.0.0c Session Manager™ 9/5/2007 9
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