15.    Connecting to Analog Signal Lines

    15.1.    Connection
 
                       When installing Total Recall for analog recording,
                                     care must be taken to capture call signaling
                                     wherever possible, to maximize the information
                                     that is recorded with each call.
 
        15.1.1.    Signal Sources

Total Recall requires 2-wire inputs for analog recording. A digital line signal will first need to be converted to analog before it can be recorded.

Total Recall can be installed to record from almost any line level audio signal source:

·          An analog trunk (exchange) line.

·          An analog extension line.

·          A telephone handset, either analog or digital (via handset splitter / logger patch).

·          A digital extension line, using D/A converters.

·          A digital trunk line, using D/A converters.

·          A radio or other audio signal presented as a two-wire analog interface.

        15.1.2.    DSP Cards

The Total Recall Desktop recorder can accommodate up to 2 DSP cards (maximum 24 channels), while the Total Recall Rack recorder can accommodate up to 4 DSP cards (maximum 48 channels).

Each DSP card supports either 4, 8 or 12 input channels, via RJ11C/RJ12/RJ14 (6P6C) line interface connectors. The connectors support 2 input lines each. As a result, 4-channel boards have 2 connectors; 8-channel boards have 4 connectors; and 12-channel boards have 6 connectors.

On each connector, line 1 must be wired to pins 3 and 4 of the connector, and line 2 must be wired to pins 2 and 5 of the connector (as in Figure 1 below).

Figure 1 — RJ connector wiring

Analog recorder channel numbering starts with the lines on the left-most connector, where line 1 maps to analog recorder channel 1 and line 2 maps to analog recorder channel 2. The numbering than continues in lots of 2 channels to the right-most connector.
 
    15.2.    Analog Telephone Networking
 
        15.2.1.    Connecting to the Telephone Network

The analog line interface on the Total Recall recorder is a bridging point and not a pass-through point. Therefore, it is not possible to connect the recorder in series with a telephone line or telephone handset/headset.

The analog line interface connection from the recorder must be run back to a termination point. Depending on the application, this termination point is normally a parallel tap to an extension line, a trunk line, or a digital handset/headset.

Most PBX installations have an MDF (Main Distribution Frame) fitted between the incoming trunk lines and the premise equipment. The trunk lines are terminated to the MDF, and then connected through to the PBX.

Similarly, there is normally a distribution frame on the extension (office) side of the PBX. From this frame, the telephone cabling is routed through the office/work area to individual telephones, or telephone connection points.
 
        15.2.2.    Location of the Recorder

The recorder can be located near the PBX and distribution frame, or near the designated users in the office area. Care should be taken when planning the installation to ensure that telephone cable runs and ease of access to the recorder are considered.

The area should be dust free and the room temperature should be kept down to an acceptable level.
 
        15.2.3.    Connecting to Analog Lines

Total Recall can be connected to the trunk side or the extension side of the PBX, depending on user preferences and operational requirements.

The main difference is that an extension side connection will enable the recording of internal (extension to extension) calls. In this case, the extension number dialed may be recorded as a search field, provided the handset generates a DTMF dialing tone.

If the number of extensions exceeds the number of trunks, and the requirement is only to record external calls, then the recorder can be connected to the MDF or distribution frame on the trunk side.

Connecting on the trunk side will ensure calling number capture, if CLI is activated.

 
Figure 2 — Example Total Recall Installation (2-wire analog extensions).

In Figure 2 above, the recorder is patched onto a distribution frame within the communications or PBX room. This assumes that the lines between the PBX and the Phones are 2-wire analog. Only three of the five available extensions will be recorded. If required, the recorder could be located out in the office area and wired back to the distribution frame.

 
Figure 3 — Example Total Recall Installation
(2-wire analog direct to trunk lines)

In Figure 3 above, the recorder is patched directly to analog trunk lines. All incoming and outgoing (but not internal) call activity will be recorded. The recorder can be located in the Communication (or PBX) room, or in the front office.
 
        15.2.4.    Connecting to Digital Phones

Many PBX installations use digital phones. It is common to have digital signaling on the extension side, with analog trunk lines installed.

It is important to know the configuration of your PBX system before installing Total Recall.

Total Recall will not record a digital line signal directly, so digital to analog (D/A) conversion must occur before the signal reaches the line interface on the recorder.
 
                     Total Recall does not provide D/A conversion.
                                   A third party product would be required for this function.

Unlike standard two-wire analog, most digital PBXs generate their own signaling protocol, and therefore recording from digital lines or handsets can be different for each application.

Most digital phones have audio signaling in the handpiece, with the speaker (earpiece) and microphone (mouthpiece) channels being connected to the recorder. A Logger Patch can be used to parallel tap this audio signal from the handset, and wire directly back to the recorder.

It is sometimes the case that there is a signal level difference between the speaker and microphone, and therefore, in a recorded conversation, one party may be heard more clearly than the other. (This is a limitation of recording via handset adapters, and not a recorder limitation.)

Combinations of PBX and digital handsets can produce varying signal levels.
 
                      It is not possible to capture incoming call (CLI) data
                                    on the recorder when using handset adapters, as the
                                    recorder connection is to the handset, rather than to
                                    the incoming line. With some handsets, standard DTMF
                                    signaling tones are not transmitted and thus will not be
                                    captured by the recorder. 

Logger Patches are available from Total Recall. Your supplier should be able to advise on a suitable Logger Patch which is compatible with the line signaling and wiring of the handsets installed.

The diagram below shows a representation of how Logger Patches may be used to enable recording direct from digital handsets.

                                     
                                       Figure 4 — Example Total Recall Installation
                                   (recording digital phones from handset interface).

Your Total Recall supplier or the Digital phone manufacturer, should be able to advise on a suitable Recorder Adapter, compatible with the Total Recall analog interface.
 
        15.2.5.    DTMF/CLI/Extension Capture

For extension side recording, each line is dedicated to a specific channel, and will always record the same channel unless the line is disconnected or physically changed to another port. For trunk side recording, the next call in or out will generally pick up the next available phone line and will be recorded on the channel dedicated to that line, so agent calls are not channel specific.

If the recorder is connected trunk side on an analog line and set to VOX activation, and an operator/receptionist answers the incoming call, the recorder will record the operator’s comments, and also the continuing conversation of the call if it is transferred. However, in this scenario, the recorder will not capture the agent’s extension number.

In this situation with a Total Recall Rack, you could also take advantage of the (optional) Station Messaging Detail Record (SMDR) processing capability to extract extension information for each call.

CLI data will only be captured if it is embedded in the incoming call data. The recorder is designed to detect DTMF tones on dialing and display the “Dialed Number” in the Number Field of the call record. If DTMF is not present at the point of recording, then the DTMF number will not be displayed.
 
                Due to differences in international standards for CLI and
                              off hook, CLI captured for an unanswered call will be
                              held for five seconds after the last ring detect. If a new
                              call comes in without CLI within that five second period
                              the previous CLI may be displayed. If CLI is critical then
                              VOX trigger settings may be better suited to your application.

If CLI signaling is not available, then you should specify an extension name (or number) as part of the analog channel configuration, to provide the Total Recall with more information about where the call originated.

   See Analog Settings in Section 18.4., and
     Extension in Section 28.10.4 for further information.

 

16.    Switching On and Getting Started
 
    16.1.    Starting Up

Once the line interface and network cables have been connected, connect the power cable and switch ON the recorder. The power ON/OFF key switch is located at the front of the unit.
 
                     Total Recall must always be shut down properly using the
                             System Shutdown function, found in the administrator-only
                             Options Menu. If Total Recall is powered off without
                             following the proper procedure, open database records
                             can be permanently damaged.
 
                      It is strongly recommended that Total Recall is connected
                                   to an Uninterruptible AC Power Supply (UPS), to avoid
                                   improper system shutdown due to unexpected power events.

Initially, you will see the green power LED illuminate, the red LED will flash to show hard drive activity and you will hear a short beep. Text relating to the Linux boot process will appear on the LCD screen, and then the Total Recall logo will be displayed. A screen will then appear giving you essential recorder information, and a few seconds later the Logging Menu will be displayed with the padlock icon “locked”. This Menu is the “default” Menu that the system will revert to after 120 seconds of inactivity.

Before commencing to navigate the menu structure, enter the password [default 0000] at the Logging Menu and then press [Select]. The padlock icon in the top right corner of the LCD will display as “unlocked”, and you may begin to use the system.
 
    16.2.    Using the Control Panel
 
        16.2.1.    MENU Key

Use the [Menu] key to move between the three main screens, the Logging Screen, the Search Screen, and the Options Menu.

         To move between main screens:
                        ·          Press the [Menu] key whilst at ‘root level’
                               of any of the main screens (that is, with
                               no dialogs open).   

When [Menu] is pressed with a dialog open, the cursor either moves straight to either OK or Cancel, or simply closes the dialog, depending on the contents of the dialog.

The system beeps each time the [Menu] key is pressed.
 
        16.2.2.    SELECT Key

Use the [Select] key to start an operation associated with a highlighted option or menu item, and to confirm requests.
 
        16.2.3.    Up and Down Arrow Keys

Use the 5 [Up] and 6 [Down] arrow keys to navigate sequentially within a menu or dialog. With each 5 or 6 key press, the cursor moves to the next option or menu item.

Press 6 [Down] to highlight items across the screen from left to right, as well as down.

Press 5 [Up] to move right to left, as well as up.

The system beeps each time arrow keys are pressed.
 
        16.2.4.    Numeric Keypad

Use the numeric keypad to enter numerals, and the Ž key to tag calls.
 
                     See the Total Recall User Guide for 
                                  further information on tagging calls.
 
        16.2.5.    Playback Control Keys

Use the playback control keys to navigate through a call during playback.

The control keys operate in the same way as the buttons on a CD player. They can be used to play, pause, stop, fast-forward and rewind a call.
 
                     See the Total Recall User Guide for further information
                                 about using the playback control keys to play calls.

The < (stop) key can also be used to lock the user interface.

To lock the user interface, press <(stop) in either of the three 3 main screens (Options, Logging or Search), whilst not listening to a call.

This overrides the normal 2 minute timeout required for the user interface to lock automatically.
 
                       The padlock icon, which appears in the top right hand
                                     corner on the LCD screen, displays in the closed position
                                     when the user interface is locked, and the open position
                                     when it is unlocked.

    16.3.    Using the Graphical User Interface
 
        16.3.1.    Using the GUI

The Total Recall Graphical User Interface (GUI) features a cursor that is moved around the screen using the 5 (Up) and 6 (Down) keys.

When the cursor is positioned on an interactive screen item (such as a screen button or a check box), the object becomes highlighted. Pressing [Select] then executes the function that is associated with that screen item.

Various methods are used to indicate that screen items are currently highlighted.

Buttons

Screen buttons (for example, menu buttons and OK and Cancel buttons) ‘pop up’ when they are highlighted, and the button text is shown surrounded by a blue border.

Standard screen button:

Highlighted screen button:

Press the [Select] key to ‘press’ highlighted screen buttons.

Calls

Calls are shown highlighted when selected. Press [Select] or 4 to play highlighted calls.

Data Fields

Data fields are shown in highlighted when selected and can be edited.

Use the numeric keypad to enter values for numeric data fields. If you enter the wrong value, simply enter another value and it will overwrite the existing value.

                           Some data fields will clear the current value
                                        on the first key press.

Use the [Select] key to cycle through available values for data fields with pre-populated options.

Check Boxes

Check box text is shown with a border when selected.

Press the [Select] key to place a check in the check box (referred to in this manual as ‘checking’ the check box).

Data fields associated with check boxes cannot be populated or edited unless the check box is checked.
 
        16.3.2.    Canceling

Where it appears, you can select the Cancel button to return to the previous screen or dialog without executing the current function.
   
    16.4.    Total Recall GUI Menus
 
        16.4.1.    Options Menu

Used for system configuration, system maintenance and system shutdown.

        16.4.2.    Search Menu
 
Used to set search parameters and to search the database or an archived DVD/CD for call replay. Your Total Recall can search and replay archive DVD/CDs created by other Total Recall units, or even archive DVD/CDs from old generation Total Recall systems. Calls found through the search can be tagged for archiving. The Search Menu is also used to manually archive calls to DVD or CD.

        16.4.3.    Logging Menu
 
The Logging Menu is the default Menu and is used to view current call data, call activity, call status and playback selected calls. Calls can be tagged and Live Monitoring of calls is enabled from the Logging Menu.