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TeleCorder
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   TeleCorder TC-02F & TC-04F — User Manual, section 3 of 6
   

  
5. Installing Software on a PC (Win98/2000/ME/XP)
 

        Install TeleCorder software from the CD included with your recorder prior to connecting the supplied USB cable from the recorder to the USB port on your computer.
    
1.     Insert the CD into the drive on your PC. If it does not auto run to show install procedure, look at files on the CD using file manager and open “TeleCorder_V410E.exe” file. Follow on screen instructions. If your PC is running WinXP, you may be asked for Microsoft signature (screen shot at right). Select continue until installation is finished. The TeleCorder program will now be installed in your computer, be listed under Programs, in Control Panel add/remove programs, and there should be an icon on the desktop for the TeleCorder (image at left). If you try to run the TeleCorder program without a TeleCorder connected to your PC via the USB connection cable, or if the TeleCorder power is off, the software will not run. You will see “ERROR: No TeleCorder device connected!”.
  

2.    If your TeleCorder is not already powered On, connect it to AC power and wait for it to display time and date. Since the TeleCorder is normally left On at all times, there is no power On/Off switch. To turn it Off, unplug the power cord. Connect the supplied USB cable (photo at right) from the USB port on the back of the TeleCorder to a USB port on your computer. The first time you connect the TeleCorder to your computer, your PC should display “New Hardware Found” message, search for and install the required driver software (FTDIFT8U2XX.dll), if the software was previously installed (see above).
        If connecting a TeleCorder to your PC that was previously used with a different TeleCorder, you may receive a pop-up message telling you that it has “Found New Hardware, FTDIFT8U3XX device, installing — Files Needed”, type the path to the folder where the driver was previously installed (such as: C:\Program Files\TeleCorder\TeleCorderE_F4V201), or the path to the drivers folder on the CD supplied with your TeleCorder (such as: E:\Drivers, where E is the CD drive on your PC containing the TeleCorder CD). In some parts of Canada and England different formats of Caller ID information is used. If the Caller ID is not in the Bellcore, as in the USA and most other countries, the Caller ID numbers will not show (some phone line providers in Canada still use the older Stentor format). 
 

3.    Run the TeleCorder program by clicking on the icon on your PC desktop that was created when the program was installed or from the programs list. Refer to manual section III (below) for detailed information.

III. Using TeleCorder
 

1. Recording Process
 

        When connected to standard telephone lines, the TeleCorder will automatically record the telephone number called in or dialed out, time duration of the call and the voices of the conversation. You don’t need to change your procedure for making or receiving your calls. Nevertheless, the following points should be considered. When connected to phone lines, channels should be set to start/stop recording using the voltage sensing mode, not the VAR mode (hardware set-up from key-pad, or Hardware screen using a PC).
 

1)      If Caller ID numbers are not displayed, confirm with your telephone company that your phone lines have the caller ID feature enabled and that it is the USA Bellcore standard. Otherwise, there will not be caller phone numbers recorded and displayed when managing the recordings. If you are connected to telephone handset audio, the recorder will not show caller numbers and will only show dialed out numbers if the handset has standard DTMF tones when dialing. Also check to be sure phone line channels are set for voltage sensing, not for VAR start/stop.
 

2)      Always wait to answer a call until after the second ring so that the phone number from the calling party can be received and stored with the recording.
 

3)     When channels are set to start and stop recording using voltage sensing, outgoing calls will not be saved unless they are longer than 8 seconds and contain a minimum of 3 dialed digits (DTMF tones). This feature minimizes false recordings and does not apply when using Voice Activated Recording (VAR).
 

1.1 Setting for Phone Line or Voice Activated Recording (VAR)
 

        When you first connect a new TeleCorder, default settings for all channels will be for Voice Activated Recording (VAR). Channels connected to phone lines should have their start/stop mode changed to the voltage sensing start/stop mode. In this mode, instead of monitoring audio levels, the recorder will monitor for DC voltages on the selected inputs to indicate on-hook and off-hook status. The phone line voltage is high when the circuit is not in use and will drop to a lower voltage when it is being used. Any channels set for on-hook/off-hook voltage sensing that are not connected to a phone line will not show any recordings due to the lack of the DC voltage changes that are required to initiate a recording in this mode.
 

If you connect any of the TeleCorder inputs to audio sources that do not have standard on-hook/off-hook voltages, these channels must be set for audio or voice activated recording (VAR).

1.2 VAR Settings
 

Recorder channels set for the VAR mode will detect the voice level on the line to start a recording. It will start recording when a preset audio level is reached (normal conversation levels), and stop after the audio drops below this threshold (no sound other than weak background noise) for a preset period of time. The length of quiet required for the recording to end is called “turn-off-delay”.

 

Phone Line Recording

Voice Activated Recording (VAR)

Requirement to Start

Phone Line DC voltage lower than the threshold (<20v DC)

Audio level on input is loud enough or louder than
preset threshold required
to start recording

Requirement to Stop

Phone Line DC voltage higher than the threshold (>20v DC)

Audio level is lower than
preset level required to
continue recording for the selected turn-off-delay

Suggested
Uses







Recording from standard Analog phone lines

1.    Radio recording,
broadcast or two-way

2.     Amplified microphone

3.   Audio picked up from handset or headset of analog or digital telephone set (single or multi-line phone)

4.   Analog phone line recording where DC voltage sensing cannot be used

Parameters


1.    DC Voltage
      
Threshold:

(This threshold
is preset in the
TeleCorder through hardware
components
and cannot be
changed via software).

1.   VAR or Off-Hook Mode for each channel

2.   Threshold in 4 levels

3.   Turn-off-delay/VAR space: (4, 12, 32, or 100  seconds)

4.   VAR Time-Out to limit long recordings and start a new recording: (20, 40, 60, or 120 minutes)

2.   Setting Channels for Operation in VAR Mode
  

        You can use either your PC or the keypad built into the TeleCorder to select Phone Line recording or VAR mode, and to change and confirm these and other operating parameters.
  

2.1   Configuring TeleCorder using a PC
  

        Using your PC with the TeleCorder program running, select Hardware from the main screen. You will open the Hardware Information screen as shown here. From this button you will gain information about the TeleCorder including version number, capacity, media’s usage, recorded call items, deleted call items, etc.



(click on above image to see full size window)

a.   Channel/Port Setup:   Each channel (Port) in the recorder can be set to start and stop recording using either audio activation (VAR) or voltage sensing. Channels showing a check mark in the boxes labeled Port 1, Port 2, Port 3, or Port 4, are set for VAR recording. Channels with no checkmark indicate they are set for phone line recording. For any channel you want to start/stop recording using the phone line voltage sensing mode, click on the box for that channel to remove the check mark, then click the Write Hardware button to confirm any changes. With 2 channel TC-02F, disregard Port 3 and Port 4 settings.
  

b.   VAR Voltage Threshold:   Set the threshold level to match the audio level on your audio source.
     L0: Extra Sensitive, suitable for weak audio sources with low background noise level: (for example, with weak earphone or line-out recording).
     L1: High Sensitivity, suitable for normal line level audio sources with low background noise levels: (normal phone handset earpiece audio or weak speaker of radio).
     L2: Mid Sensitivity, suitable for higher than normal audio levels and/or higher background noise levels: (for recording from a noisy phone line when voltage sensing cannot be used due to non-standard voltages or with normal speaker audio from a radio).
     L3: Low Sensitivity, suitable for very high audio levels, and high background noise levels. Recording may stop if audio levels are too weak: (phone recording with non-standard and very noisy DC voltages, or extra loud radio audio).
        After making changes, click the button labeled
Write Hardware to confirm any changes. You may be asked to quit the program and try again. You may also need to un-plug and re-connect the TeleCorder power or USB cable to successfully change the TeleCorder operating parameters.
 

c.   Turn-Off-Delay Time (VAR Space Time):   If any channels have VAR selected for recording start/stop, also select one of the four turn-off-delay options (
VAR Turn Off Delay): 4, 12, 32 or 100 seconds. This setting will help to prevent recordings from ending during quiet periods. Click the Write Hardware button to confirm any changes.
  

d.   VAR Timeout:   If any channels have VAR selected for start/stop, set the timeout to one of the four choices: 20, 40, 60 or 120 minutes. This setting will limit the maximum length of a recording for easier management of long conversations or for when recording from broadcast radio where pauses may not be long enough to separate individual recordings using VAR for start/stop. If a recording reaches the maximum length of time that you select for VAR TimeOut, that recording will end, and a new recording on that channel will begin. Click the
Write Hardware button to confirm any changes.
 

e.   Save VAR and Outgoing Calls Less than 8s or Outgoing Calls with Less than 3 DTMF Codes:
        Click on this option to place a check mark in its box if you want to save recordings that are less than 8 seconds long. If this box is not checked, VAR recordings shorter than 8 seconds, and outgoing telephone calls (using voltage sensing for start/stop) with less than 3 DTMF digits, will not be saved.
        This setting is normally used if external noise causes frequent and unwanted false audio activated recordings, or if telephone line testing produces short off-hook conditions that are not associated with actual phone line usage. It is normal to record all activity on the monitored circuits. Use care when setting to delete short recordings. This setting can only be changed from the PC It cannot be changed from the units keypad.
 

f.   Hardware Information:   Click on this box to show information about your TeleCorder; hardware version, model type, number of calls recorded, number of calls deleted, total length of all recordings in its memory (in hours, minutes and seconds), total length of deleted recordings, and percentage of storage space used.
 

g.   Date/Time Setting:   Click on this box to copy the date/time setting from your PC to the TeleCorder.
 

h.   Audio Recording Mode: From this sub-button you can set
            the quality of recordings.
     Mode 0 --- Large file, good audio.
            8bit linear PCM mode used in the 1st generation recorders.
     Mode 1 --- Tiny file, poor audio.
            2bit ADPCM mode.
     Mode 2 --- Small file, good audio.
           3bit ADPCM mode. Default mode set from factory.
     Mode 3 --- Large file, best audio.
           8bit nonlinear PCM mode.
 
i.   Limitation for List Displaying:
   From this sub-button you can set the list display features to speed up the list refresh process or to have more items displayed in the lists of recordings shown on your PC in the main TeleCorder program screen. The default setting is 2000 for fastest speed. You can select a different number, such as 10000, 32768 or 65536, respectively. This selection is saved in software, not as a hardware setting.
 

j.   Caller ID Detection Settings: From this sub-button you can set (turn on/off) the caller ID detection features.
     Pre-Ring DTMF Detection: If the local caller ID mode is DTMF and sent before the Ring, you must turn this feature on. Otherwise, if erroneous caller numbers are sometimes received, you should turn this feature off.
     Pre-Ring FSK Detection: If the local caller ID mode is FSK and sent before the Ring, you must turn this feature on. Otherwise, if erroneous caller numbers are sometimes received, you should turn this feature off.
     Forced FSK Between Rings: If your caller ID signaling is FSK and sent between the rings, you must turn this feature on. This is the normal setting for North America.
  

k.   Volume Balance Setting (Dava): For recorded audio in the recording mode 1, 2, or 3 (see above) the player can provide Dava --- Digital Automatic Volume Adjustment capabilities. This is done in software, not hardware. There are 2 possible settings.
     Dava for File Conversion: This setting is normally used to enable Dava converting batches of files to wave files.
     Dava Depth for Play and File Conversion: This setting can provide better audio quality but less balance in audio levels. This switch will take effect both for playback of recordings and for batch file converting of recordings to wave files.
  

l.   Dava:
If the volume levels of the 2 sides of a conversation are different, or if the line quality is not well adjusted, the Digital Automatic Volume Adjustment (Dava) function will amplify the lower or far side to more closely match the level of the stronger or near side of a recorded conversation during playback. Since background noise will also be amplified together with the sound, there will be a compromise to permit weak voices to be played at higher levels without raising background noise levels to objectionable levels.
 

m.   Notice for PC settings:
Some of the above settings must be locked into the TeleCorder hardware by restarting the recorder. If this is the case, you will see a message to restart the recorder (unplug power from TeleCorder, wait 10 seconds, and re-connect to power). After any of the above settings are changed, they will not take effect until the recorder is restarted by turning off or disconnecting AC power to the TeleCorder, waiting a minimum of ten seconds, and powering the TeleCorder back on. Any changes made in software should now be locked into the recorder’s internal memory.
        After the settings have been changed, check to make sure the recorder is functioning as expected.
  

2.2   Setting up your TeleCorder using the built-in HandyPlayer
        See section 3.2 for more detailed descriptions of HandyPlayer buttons and operation.  
        Using the
0 Setup key on the HandyPlayer, enter into the setup mode. When in the setup mode, parameters to change will be underlined. Use the 4 or 5 keys to change which character is highlighted and the 2 and 8 key to change the value of the highlighted character. Use the bottom right key save changes and the bottom left key to quit.
   

1.    There are 4 setup modes provided on the HandyPlayer.
The setup items on the HandyPlayer are listed as follows:
        a.   Date/Time/Recording Mode
        b.   Password
        c.   Language for display
        d.   VAR Channels (two with model TC-02F, four with TC-04F)
             The channels are listed from 1 to 4 (P1, P2, P3 and P4) as
             “xxxx”, 1 for VAR, 0 for non-VAR
       e.   VAR Threshold
       f.    VAR Delay Time
       g.   VAR TimeOut
Set individual VAR options as required to match the required recording parameters.
 

2.     Notes
         a.   To avoid interruption of active recordings, you should
               only set the above items while the recorder is idle. Wait
               until no channels are active or unplug inputs prior to
               changing settings.
         b.   The above settings must be locked into the TeleCorder
               hardware by restarting the recorder. After any of the
               above settings are changed, they will not take effect until
               the recorder is restarted by turning off or disconnecting
              AC power to the TeleCorder, waiting a minimum of ten
              seconds, and powering the TeleCorder back on. Any
              changes made in software should now be locked into
              the recorder’s internal memory.
        c.   After the settings have been changed, check to make
               sure that the recorder is functioning as expected.
        d.   The recorder listens for outgoing numbers dialed using
              DTMF/touch-tone signaling and stores them with the
              recording. It is possible for it to document and record
              false phone numbers when the recorder is in the VAR
              mode (particularly when recording broadcast radio music
              where the audio can mimic sounds of dialing). To avoid
              collecting and recording these erroneous numbers, you
              can use the PC interface to disable storing of dialed digit
              signaling.
 

2.3   Removal of TeleCorder
             Follow the installation procedure outlined above in reverse order.




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                                               OMNICRON ELECTRONICS
                                   581 Liberty Highway,  Putnam, CT  06260

Phone:
(860) 928-0377

 Fax:
(860) 928-6477
E-mail: 
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