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DataGuard rf™ UHF Automatic Label Programmer Manual

Introduction

The Imation DataGuard rf Tape Tracking System is a complete turn-key solution that uses RFID

technology to track the movement of tape cartridges in and out of a data center, off-site facility,

or Data Recovery location. The user scans RFID-enabled cartridges, either individually or within

a transport case, as they arrive and exit a location. The system automatically logs each

cartridge transaction into a tracking database that is linked to the customer’s tape management

system. This solution efficiently accounts for the location of all data cartridges and provides both

reporting and audit capabilities.

This manual describes the DataGuard rf UHF Automatic Label Programmer that scans barcode

labels and converts and writes their label identification to RFID tags embedded in the labels.

The system also reads the RFID tags and verifies that they match the barcode labels that are to

be placed on the tape cartridges for tracking purposes.

Imation Programming Station Contents*

1. Imation Programming Station (66-0000-9001-0)

2. Power Adapter (Phihong Model PSC30R-120 and USA plug Model RPA)

3. USB Cable 2 m

4. Software and Documentation CD

5. USB to Serial Installation Guide

6. USB to Serial / Parallel CD

*Specifications are subject to change without notice.

Safety Instructions-please read thoroughly before using the Scan Station

Always follow the basic precautions listed below to avoid the possibility of serious injury or even

death from electrical shock, short circuit, damages, fire, or other hazards. These precautions

include, but are not limited to the following:

• Keep a copy of the operating manual close to the Programming Station for easy

reference for all operators.

Summary of content (18 pages)

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DataGuard rf™ UHF Automatic Label Programmer Manual Introduction The Imation DataGuard rf Tape Tracking System is a complete turn-key solution that uses RFID technology to track the movement of tape cartridges in and out of a data center, off-site facility, or Data Recovery location. The user scans RFID-enabled cartridges, either individually or within a transport case, as they arrive and exit a location.
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• Follow the operator’s manual carefully. Follow the correct procedure when setting up the device. • Do not open this device or attempt to disassemble or modify it. The device contains no user serviceable parts. If it appears to be malfunctioning, have it inspected by qualified service personnel. Modifying or disassembling this product will void the warranty on this product.
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F. Insert your DataGuard rf UHF Automatic Label Programmer Setup disc into the computer drive. (If the installer does not automatically run, browse to the installation disc drive and double-click on the Setup.exe file to start). G. Once the program has launched the Welcome screen, click OK. Figure 1 Figure 2 H. Select the installation folder where the DataGuard rf program will appear (Figure 2). If you prefer the default Program Files folder, click the large button with the install icon.
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Figure 3 I. Choose the program group you wish to include the software in and press the Continue button on the Choose Program Group Installation dialogue box (Figure 3) to begin the installation. When the installation is complete, click on the OK button to exit the installation set up of the software for the DataGuard rf UHF Automatic Label Programmer.
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Figure 4 Before You Scan Press the “New Order” button to initialize the software and prepare for scanning and programming an entire order of RFID tags. Order/Label Entry Info Fill in the customer order number in the box labeled “Customer Order Number”. Fill in the RFID lot number in the box labeled “Item”. Fill in the total number of tags in the order in the box labeled “Order Quantity”.
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It should be noted that the information in all of the above fields is optional. However, to get the maximum benefit of the logging and error checking algorithms built into the software Imation recommends that the info in the fields be entered prior to scanning. 1. Scan/RFID Write Mode The Scan/RFID Write mode is the default mode. This mode is active when the software starts up, when the “New Order” button is pressed, or when the “New Sheet” button is pressed.
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Figure 6 A small square to the right of each column contains a number identifying each step in the label identification programming process. The numbers run from 0 to 5: 0 = No label is being detected 1 = The initializer is decoding the barcode with the laser scanner. At this point the background turns green on each column that decodes the barcode. 2 = The initializer is detecting the RFID tag on each label. 3 = The initializer is trying to write to the RFID tag.
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Figure 7 If one of the laser scanners cannot read the label currently under it, the “NOREAD” message appears in the box as in the example above (Figure 7). If the value of the barcode label being scanned by the laser scanner does not fall within the range specified by the “Barcode Start” and “Barcode End” fields, the “Label Range Error” message appears in the box as shown in the example below (Figure 8). Check to make sure the sheet you are trying to program is the right one for the current order.
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2. The belt passes the sheet of labels below the laser scanners once again in the reverse direction, pausing at each pair of labels until they have been verified. 3. The system will put a “VER” confirmation next to each label identification number whenever the written RFID number matches the printed barcode ID, as in the example below. An audible confirmation is also provided. 4. If the “VER” confirmation does not appear for any label— a. Select the "Scan/RFID Verify" radio button again.
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Figure 10 New Sheet Clicking this button triggers a series of tests in the software in preparation for scanning a new sheet of labels. If fewer than twenty tags were successfully written and verified since the last time the “New Sheet” button was pressed the following warning will appear: Figure 11 Press Yes to ignore this warning and continue to the next sheet. The tags listed in the sheet results windows will be added to the order results windows.
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If one or more of the tags was written but not verified the following warning will appear: Figure 12 Press OK to clear the sheet results and rescan the sheet, or continue to the next sheet. Press Cancel to go back and verify the tags that were missed on the current sheet. Order Complete Clicking this button triggers the tests for a new sheet as well as an additional test that compares the total number of tags written and verified to the number of tags in the order.
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Figure 14 Show Settings A check mark in this box brings up the settings to align the barcode laser readers, as well as set other system options. Both the left and the right laser readers have adjustment sliders that can adjust the start and stop positions of the laser scans. The user makes these adjustments to correspond with the types of barcode/RFID label sheets.
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Figure 15: A screen shot with the settings check box active. Left Laser Start and Stop / Right Laser Start and Stop These settings are the adjustments for the laser scanners on the left and right sides of the DataGuard rf UHF Automatic Label Programmer. Moving the sliders under each column will visibly change the beginning and end points of each laser scan line.
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Left RF Power / Right RF Power The user can set the power level for the RFID scanners with these drop-down options. The range is 0 to 220 for the left and right scanners. Imation will specify a recommended power level for the tags we supply. RFID Data Format There are two options for the RFID format that is written to the RFID tags: JPMC format and standard format.
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Figure 16 Start Date The desired start date for the search can be specified in this field. It is possible to specify a start date without an end date. If that is the case, the end date is taken as today’s date. End Date The desired end date for the search can be specified in this field. It is not possible to specify an end date without a start date. If that is the case, an error will occur. Barcode Label The desired barcode label value for the search can be specified in this field.
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Once you have specified the desired search criteria in the fields above, press this button to search the database and display the results in the viewing window. The results will appear as a scrollable list of database records that match the specified search criteria. Figure 17 If you want, you can modify the search criteria and press the Run Report button again to display results based on the new search criteria. Close Press this button to close the database search window and return to the main screen.
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Figure 18 This error occurs when the software cannot find the reader hardware. Possible causes and solutions are: 1) Power is not being supplied to the programmer. Check to make sure the power cord is fully inserted into the programming unit. Make sure the power switch on the programming unit is turned on. Check to make sure the power cord is plugged into a live wall outlet. If the power cord is plugged into an outlet strip, make sure the power switch on the outlet strip is turned on.
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Specifications DataGuard rf UHF Automatic Label Programmer Part Number 66-0000-9001-0 Physical Data: Dimensions Weight 75 x 31 x 22 cm (29.4 x 12.2 x 8.5 inches) 14 kg (31 lbs.) Electrical Data: Power adapter Programming station Operating frequency Data Interface 100-240VAC 50-60HZ 1A 12VDC 2.