5     Installing Total Recall

5.1     Signal Sources

Total Recall requires 2-wire analogue inputs. A digital line signal will first need to be converted to analogue before being recorded.

Total Recall can be installed to record from any one of six possible signal sources:

·         An analogue trunk (exchange) line.

·         An analogue extension line.

·         A telephone handset, either analogue or digital (via handset splitter).

·         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 analogue interface.

Various standard and special order cables and/or adapters are available from your Total Recall representative. If you require a different cable or adapter than was supplied with your unit, contact your representative for assistance.

 5.2     DSP Card identification

Total Recall has either 4 or 8 RJ11C/RJ12/RJ14 line interface sockets.  The two-wire interface uses pins 3/4 (the center pair) of the RJ11C/RJ12 connector, the four-wire interface uses pins 3/4 and pins 2/5 of the RJ11C/RJ12/RJ14 connector. The 8-channel DSP card has gray color four-way RJ11C/RJ12/RJ14 connectors and the 4 channel DSP card has black color four-way RJ11C/RJ12 connectors. 

5.3   Connecting to the Telephone Network to Record Calls

The location of the recorder, in a communications room or office area, will depend on issues such as user access, security access, telephone wiring and available space.

The Total Recall line interface is two-wire analogue.  The connector terminations on the rear panel of the recorder are standard RJ11C/RJ12/RJ14 sockets.

The line interface on the recorder is a terminating point and not a pass-through point and, therefore, it is not possible to connect the recorder in series with a telephone handset.   The line interface connection from the recorder must be run back to a termination point.   This termination point is normally a parallel tap to an extension line, a trunk line or a handset (analogue or digital phone), depending on the application.

Most PABX/PBX installations have an MDF or 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 PABX.  Similarly, there is normally a distribution frame on the extension (office) side of the PABX.  From this frame, the telephone cabling is routed through the office/work area to individual telephones, or telephone connection points. 

5.4   Location of the Recorder

The recorder can be located near the PABX and distribution frame, or near the designated user(s) 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.

When recording from analogue trunk or extension side, the phone line needs to be tapped or patched.  Installing a distribution strip close to the MDF/Distribution Frame (MDF/DF) and patching a short cable from the strip to the extensions on the MDF/DF do this.   The line interface cables from the recorder are then wired directly to the strip. 

5.5   Connecting to Analogue Trunk or Analogue Extension Lines

Total Recall can be connected to the trunk side or the extension side of the PABX, 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 will 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 and not internal office calls, then the recorder can be connected to the MDF or distribution frame on the trunk side.  Connecting on the trunk side will also ensure Caller-ID capture if Caller-ID is activated. 

In the example above, the recorder is patched onto a distribution strip within the communications or PABX room.  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. 

In the example above, Total Recall is patched directly to analogue trunk lines.  All call activity, incoming and outgoing, will be recorded.  The recorder can be located in the Comms/PABX room, or in the “front office”. 

5.6   Connecting to a Digital Handset using Handset
         Adapters/Logger Patches

Many PABX/extension installations are digital.  It is common to have digital signaling on the extension side, with analogue trunk lines installed.

It is important to know the configuration of your PABX system before installing a voice logger.  Total Recall will not record a digital line signal directly into the recorder, so digital to analogue conversion must be done prior to the line interface on the recorder. Also, you can use the existing D/A converter that is built into digital phones by tapping the analogue audio at the handset/headset connection with a handset adapter.

Note: Total Recall does not provide D/A conversion.  If needed, a third party product would be required for this function.

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

Most digital handsets have audio signaling in the hand piece, with the speaker (earpiece) and microphone (mouthpiece) channels being connected to the recorder.  A “Handset Adapter” can be used to parallel tap this audio signal from the hand piece, and wire directly back to the recorder.  It is possible to find 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 PABX and digital handsets can also produce variable signal levels.

Note:  It is not possible to capture incoming call (CLI) data on the recorder when using handset adapters, as the recorder connection is to the hand piece rather than to the incoming line.  Also, with some handsets, standard DTMF signaling tones are not transmitted and thus will not be captured by the recorder. 

Handset adapters/logger patches are available from your supplier (Omnicron item # TSA-3LM, TSA-SLM, etc). Your supplier should be able to advise on a suitable handset adapter, compatible with the line signaling and wiring of the handsets installed.

The diagram below shows a “representation” of how handset adapters may be used to enable recording direct from digital handsets. SMDR data option is available on special order for some phone systems. 

5.7   Connecting to a Digital Extension Line

It is possible to connect (tap) directly to a digital extension line by using a Digital to Analogue (D/A) converter.

D/A converters are normally switch and protocol-specific, often using PABX protocol-specific interface cards in a rack mount configuration, with 1 or 2 connections per line card.

A D/A converter will monitor activity on the line, and reformat the digitized information on the line into a standard analogue format required by most recorders. The D/A converter will passively capture both sides of a conversation and send the audio signal to the recorder only when a conversation is present.

D/A converters need to be installed in the Communications/PABX room, in close proximity to the PABX. There is normally a distance limitation between the D/A converter and the recorder. As with handset adapters, D/A converters are generally available from local suppliers. 

Note:  Total Recall does not provide this D/A conversion facility.

5.8     Line Interface to Total Recall (CLI & DTMF 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 channel on the recorder, so agent calls are not channel specific.

If the recorder is connected trunk side on an analogue line, 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.

The CLI (Caller ID) 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. If Caller-ID is not present at the point of recording, then the DTMF number will not be displayed.

5.9     SMDR Integration

It may be possible to capture additional data fields from the SMDR port of the PABX, and append some of this data to the recorded call.

The SMDR connection to Total Recall is via a serial link, and Total Recall would need to be located in close proximity to the PABX.

SMDR integration is PABX specific and the software must be customized for each application.

The standard Total Recall package does not include the SMDR option or integration software.

Specific requests for SMDR integration must be detailed in writing, and a sample packet capture from the SMDR port of the PABX is mandatory.

Information available from SMDR integration may include, but is not limited to, the following.

·         Trunk identification

·         Station (extension) identification

·         Dialed digits

·         Caller I.D. information (some systems)

·         Log-on/Log-off data (some systems)