Introduction

Thank you for purchasing a Recon CRM, and welcome to the Recon Download Tool!

By following this document, you will learn how to:

• configure the software with your company and technician defaults, as well as PDF report preferences
  
  
• configure the Recon display to change what is shown while the unit is running
  
  
• download and analyze the test results from your Recon
  
  
• generate the final report that you will send to your client

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Application Overview

The main program screen is divided into several panels, labeled according to function.

• Deployment
  
  All deployment information is entered here.
  
  
• Graph
  
  This is where your graph will appear when you have a data file open.
  
  
• App Log
  
  Shows details as the program is working. Useful for knowing when the application is busy, either with a download or some other operation. Also useful if you need to troubleshoot a problem.
  
  
• Recon Status
  
  Information about a connected Recon will appear here.
  
  
• Recon Operations
  
  Buttons specific to interacting with a connected Recon.
  
  
• File Management
  
  Buttons specific to dealing with file operations.
  
  
• App
  
  Config and Exit buttons.
  
  
• Online Manual
  
  Where you are reading this documentation (you may also open this html file separately in a web browser).

Button Overview

Recon Status

• Download
  
  Downloads the selected test on a currently connected Recon.

Recon Operations

• Clear Session
  
  Designates the oldest test on the Recon as no longer needing to be downloaded. Decreases the session count by one, effectively removing it from the Recon's memory.
  
  
• Reset Memory (disabled by default)
  
  Designates all sessions as not needed. On next test, start overwriting at the beginning of memory. This should not be used unless you are troubleshooting a problem.
  
  
• All Data Dump
  
  Dumps entire contents of Recon memory to file.
  
  
• Clear Tamper Flag (disabled by default)
  
  Resets the "tampering detected" message on Recons with older firmware revisions. This is no longer needed for current units. It's been retained in order to support older units which haven't been updated.
  
  
• Sync Time
  
  Synchronizes the Recon date/time to your PC date/time.
  
  
• Display Settings
  
  Allows you to customize what appears on the Recon display during runtime.

File Management

• Open Saved File
  
  Opens a previously downloaded test.
  
  
• Close File
  
  Closes the currently opened file. Note: when using LegacyUI, closing the graph window serves the same purpose.
  
  
• Open PDF Folder
  
  Quickly opens a folder window for your reports folder.
  
  
• Generate PDF
  
  Generates a PDF report from the currently opened test.
  
  
• Export
  
  Exports loaded data file to one of the following formats:
  • Microsoft Excel raw data (xls) — this is the raw data from the Recon
    
    
  • Comma Separated Values — This is the raw data from the Recon in a plain text form.
    
    
  • RRM Text (Legacy) — The old text file format for the Radon Report Manager. It was once necessary to use this format when importing a test from the RDT into the RRM, but the RRM now supports the same data files as the RDT. This format is no longer needed but has been kept for compatibility/historical purposes.
    
    
  • Microsoft Excel Report (xlsx) — a more "report like" excel format. Useful for running your own analysis of the data or for copying the data to be used on your own custom report.
    
    Note: The Excel (raw data) and CSV formats are intended for data analysis and do not contain deployment details.
    
    
• Backup
  
  Exports all of your Recon Download Tool data (configs, data, reports, images) to a zip file that may then be imported into another computer. Useful if you want to make sure you are getting everything before switching to a new computer.
  
  
• Restore
  
  Import a zip file created with the Backup button.

App

• Config
  
  Opens the Config window, where all program options are set.
  
  
• Exit Program
  
  Quits the program.

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Entering Defaults

Before you begin using the software, it is important to fill out your defaults in the Config window. These values will appear on the main program window each time you open the program.

In order to adjust your settings, simply edit the desired fields and then close the Config window. All changes are saved automatically.

There are five tabs at the top of the Config window.

Company

Your company name and address. Previews of your current customer logo and digital signature, and buttons to create them if they do not exist.

Clicking Set Company Logo or Set Signature will prompt you to open a graphic file and select a portion of that file to become your logo or signature.

Settings

Most of the options here are self-explanatory, but we will touch on each briefly.

• Highlight Average in PDF?
  
  Whether or not the radon average is highlighted on the final report.
  
  
• Include First Four Hours in Avg.
  
  Includes the first four hours in the final radon average. Generally, you do not want to do this. The first four hours of a radon measurement made with a CRM are usually excluded because the air inside the device is reaching equilibrium with the environment during that time.
  
  
• Show both detectors on chart and report?
  
  The Recon is equipped with two detection chambers which are normally averaged together. This will show you both detection chambers on the graph, as well as on the PDF report (this may not be desired). Most of the time you will want to leave this unchecked.
  
  
• Auto generate PDF?
  
  Automatically generates the PDF report after a Recon download has completed. Most users will want this enabled. With this box checked, it is important to fill out your deployment information before initiating the Recon download. If you forget, you will have to generate the report again.
  
  
• Deployment field reminder during download?
  
  Reminds the user to fill out all deployment information on the main window prior to download. This is only important if you are using the Auto generate PDF option. Otherwise, you may fill out the deployment fields and generate your report at any time.
  
  
• Auto-Load test after download?
  
  Whether or not to load the test after downloading. Most users will always leave this checked. There may be scientific/high-test-volume environments where you would like to download the raw test data from several units quickly, and do not need to see the results right away, for example, when passing the data off to someone else for analysis.
  
  
• Open PDF folder after report generation?
  
  Ease-of-use option. Some users just want to download the unit, generate the PDF, and drag the file to their email for a streamlined process when sending the report to a customer. Uncheck if either you don't want the window popping up, or you are on a non-standard operating system (UNIX or Linux) where trying to open a folder could have unexpected results.
  
  
• Unit System
  
  US or SI. These are the units that will appear on the report, not what appears on the Recon display itself.
  
  
• PDF Page Size
  
  A4, Legal, Letter. This is paper size you want for your PDF report. Letter is the standard 8.5" x 11" (215.9mm x 279.4mm), and is suitable for most users.
  
  
• Signature Options
  
  Display Line, Digitally Signed, No Signature
  
  
• Header Options
  
  Text Header, Company Logo. If Text Header is selected, the information you entered under Company will be used as a header on each page of your PDF report. If Company Logo is selected, you will use your logo graphic instead.
  
  
• Theme
  
  Select a colorscheme for the app.
  
  
• Date Format (new)
  
  Sets how the date will be formatted on the PDF report. A planned feature is to display date and time on the chart. When that is completed, this format will be used there as well.
  
  
• Hour Format (new)
  
  Sets the hour format that will be shown on the PDF report (12 or 24/military). A planned feature is to display date and time on the chart. When that is completed, this format will be used there as well.
  
  
• Tilt Sensitivity (slider)
  
  During operation, the Recon will measure "tilts," or movements detected by an internal sensor. The movements can be difficult to analyze. For example, a mouse skittering nearby the unit, or someone hammering in a nearby area (in the case of construction, etc), could generate 100 tilts (example number). The sensitivity slider allows you to customize how dramatic these movements appear on your final report. 10 is the most sensitive while 1 is the least sensitive.

Deployment

These are the default values which appear in the deployment fields. You can always change what appears on the report on a test-by-test basis, using the deployment fields on the main window.

Chart

Experiment with these values to create a customized chart.

A "preview" feature is planned for the future, but for now, you will need to adjust the values and open your data files to see the final look.

Use the Restore Defaults button to restore all changes to default.

Report

Experiment with these values to create a customized report.

A "preview" feature is planned for the future, but for now, you will need to create and view a PDF report to see the final look.

Use the Restore Defaults button to restore all changes to default.

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Using the Signature and Logo Wizard

The signature and logo wizard allows you to set your company logo and digital signature from preexisting image files on your computer.

1. Click Config
   
   
2. Click either Set Company Logo or Set Signature
   
   
3. In the Open File dialog, select a file you would like to use for your logo or signature.
   
   
4. In the upper portion of the editor that opens, click and drag a region you want to use for your final image. You can use the scrollbars to navigate the image if it is very large. You will see a preview of your selection in the bottom portion of the editor.
   
   
5. Click Accept
   
   You will see your new image in the preview on the Config window.

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Downloading a Test

The first step in downloading a test is to connect your Recon. Don't forget to first check your deployment information in the Config window as discussed above.

1. Plug your USB cable into your computer and to your Recon. Turn the key to the middle position. Please verify that you see the message "USB Connected Remove cable and cycle power. Otherwise, continue." on your Recon display. This message is telling you two things:

   • That connection to the PC was successful. If you do not see the message, you may have an issue with your USB cable, computer, or USB port on your Recon. Verify all connections are good and try again if you do not see the message.
     
     
   • Don't arm the Recon while it's plugged in to the computer. Even if you disconnect it afterward, it may remain in a "high power" state that is needed for the USB and cause much higher battery drain during the test.

2. Press the Connect button
   
   Several pieces of information will appear: the unit's serial number, the firmware revision, and the calibration date, as well as the calibration due date. The number of sessions available for download is also listed. In addition, you will see a drop-down box with a date in it (if there are tests ready for download). You can use this box to select any test that is still in the unit. The field below the drop-down is for a custom filename, for example 123 Happy St. Your final report will then be named 123 Happy St.pdf. By clicking the checkbox next to "Use street address for filename?", the first line from the Test Site Information deployment field will be used for the filename.
   
   

3. Select the test you want to download in the drop-down box.
   
   
4. Optionally fill out the custom filename box (will be auto-filled with the default).
   
   
5. Fill out the deployment fields on the lower left of the screen.
   
   
6. Click the large Download button (blue letters)

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Generating a Report

1. Open the data session/radon test for which you would like to generate a report. If you just downloaded a test, and are using default Config options, the data session should have opened automatically for you and already generated the report. If generating a report for a previously downloaded test, click the Open Saved File button and select a data file. You will know the test is open when you see a radon concentration, start/end times on the deployment panel, and a graph showing the radon concentration, temperature, humidity, and movement data.
   
   
2. If desired, add images to the report. This might be a picture of a Recon deployed at a site. You can do this by clicking the Images button on the deployment panel.
   
   
3. Click the Generate PDF button.
   
   The report has now been written to your computer, and is saved as a PDF.

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Customize Recon Display

You have the option of changing what is shown on the Recon display during runtime. You may choose whether to show radon values from both detection chambers, or none at all.

1. Connect the Recon as discussed in steps 1 & 2 under Downloading a Test.
   
   

2. Click the Display Settings button appearing under Recon Operations.
   
   In the center of the pop-up window, you will see a mock-up of the Recon display, surrounded by several drop-down boxes. As you select items in the drop-down boxes, the preview will update to give you a general idea of how the display will appear. The current settings on your Recon are shown when the pop-up window appears.
   
   The options are:

   • Pres. Unit (inHG or mBar)
     
     
   • Radon Unit (pCi/L, Bq/m³, CPH (counts per hour)
     
     
   • Rolling Average (Hourly or Ten Mins.)
     
     This one requires a quick explanation. When the Recon is running, with a normal display configuration, you will see two averages shown on the screen. The top concentration is your "rolling" average, i.e. from the most recent time period, where the bottom concentration is your total average since the beginning of the test. You will almost always want this set to Hourly. Ten Mins. is not as reliable (because there is less data), and is only useful for quickly accumulating data.
     
     
   • Dual Chamber (Yes, No)
     
     Whether to show results from both detection chambers, or a combined average of the two.
     
     
   • Temp. Unit (F or C)
     
     
   • Inc. First Four
     
     See the Config window option Include First Four Hours in Avg. This does the same thing, but only for what is shown on screen. Changing this setting does not change the way the average is calculated on your report. If you want it calculated that way on the report, you must also select the Config option.
     
     
   • Blind Mode (No, Yes)
     
     Disable displaying of the radon concentration. With this option set to Yes, the Recon will not display the radon concentration, even if Display=ON is used during startup.
     
     
3. Once you are satisfied, click the Apply button. You should have a message box appear summarizing the changes you've made and letting you know that everything was successful.
   
   
4. Click OK on the message box, and close out of the Recon Run Time Display Settings pop-up window.

Note: any time you want to restore the factory-default settings, open the Display Settings screen as discussed above and click the Default button. You will see the preview show the default values. Then click Apply.

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Selecting a Data Range (new)

It is possible to cut a portion (temporarily) out of a test for various reasons.

1. Ensure that Allow data range editing? is checked in the Config window (the default is unchecked).
   
   
2. Use the Open Saved File button to open the data file you want to temporarily modify.
   
   
3. In the deployment tab, just below the start and end times for the test, you will see a Range button. Click it.
   
   
4. Use the drop-down boxes to set the start and end of the test. If the duration of the test would be less than 48 hours, the Total Hours label will turn red.
   
   
5. Click Save. The graph will be redrawn, showing only your range of interest. The average shown will be taking into account only the time period you have selected.
   
   
6. Click Generate PDF to generate a report containing only this segment of data.
   
   
7. If you wish to return to the full portion of data, click the Range button again, and click the Use All button. Click Save. The graph and average will be recalculated to use the entire test.

Note: The checkbox titled "Average First Four Hours" is responsible for including the first four hours of your range in the averaged result. You would use this if you wanted to start your result 16 hours (example number) after you had armed the Recon, and the detection chambers had already come to equilibrium. You would not want to select this if you trimmed hours off of the end of a test. The setting of this checkbox will affect whether the first four hours are averaged in your selected range, regardless of your main Config setting regarding the first four hours.

Note: using the Export button to export a file with a range selected will still result in the entire file being exported (the exception is the xlsx report—your selection will be retained on that export).

Note: The change is not permanent. If you close and reopen the file, you will once again see all of the data.

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Downloading Entire Memory

The option is available to download the entirety of your Recon memory in cases where you might need it. These situations include:

• Someone has cleared all of the sessions on the device, but before the session was downloaded.
  
  
• Something went really wrong during a deployment, and you need to send the data to a technician for support/recovery.

Your Recon can hold approximately 42 days worth of data in short term mode (about 126 days in long term mode). The number of total sessions possible will vary depending on the duration of your tests (16 max, with all 48 hour tests). The data in the Recon stays there, forever, until it is overwritten. This means that even if someone has cleared sessions, the tests still physically reside on the unit. The exception to this is if someone has used the Clear All Memory button, in which case some tests might be partially overwritten and incomplete.

It is also possible to open an all data file with the Open Saved File button. You will be presented with an option to split the file into individual data files, which you can then open/edit/and generate reports for. This is extremely handy in situations where no sessions are shown on the unit.

1. Connect the Recon as discussed above.
   
   
2. Under Recon Operations, click the All Data Dump button.
   
   
3. Observe the download taking place on the App Log panel, and wait for the process to complete. (This can take a few minutes.) You will see the dump is complete when you see "Data dump successful." appear under the Connect button, and the scrolling has stopped under App Log.

You can find the file by navigating to your data folder (on Windows, go to Documents->ReconDownloadTool->data), and searching for a file called Recon_xyx_AllData.txt, where xyz is your Recon serial number.

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Troubleshooting

Connection Issues

If you do not see the "USB connected" message on your Recon display when attempting to connect, you won't be able to communicate with the PC.

• Try another USB cable
  
  
• If practical, try another Recon (this will at least tell you if that is the problem)
  
  
• On Windows, check in Device Manager to make sure you see a COM port appearing in the list when you turn the key to the middle position.
  
  
• On Linux/Unix systems, make sure you have read/write permissions for the device node associated with your Recon. On GNU/Linux, the Recon appears as a ttyACM device under /dev. Depending on distribution, you may need to be in the dialout or uucp groups to get permissions on these devices. In the future, a udev rule may be bundled along with the Linux version, but for now, you must manually create a rule or add yourself to the needed group.

If there is any problem you are having that you are unable to find a solution for, please feel free to contact us...we're happy to help!

info@radelec.com

(800)526-5482 (toll free)