Ei Electronics RF Tool User manual

RF TOOL
Ei Electronics - Shannon, Clare, Ireland [phone]
Last Revision: 15 / 03 / 2021

RF Tool User Manual
Contents
RF Tool User Manual 1
Scope ........................................ 1
IntendedAudience ................................. 1
How to Install the RFTool Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
SystemRequirements............................. 1
Installing the USB RF Dongle Software Suite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
RFToolUpdates .................................. 5
UsingtheRFTool.................................. 6
TheLaunchScreen .............................. 6
CreatingaNewSystem .............................. 7
DownloadingEventLogs........................... 8
Summary Screen Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
RFInfo .................................... 13
Update..................................... 13
IDUnit .................................... 13
AddUnit ................................... 14
RemoveUnit ................................. 14
EditUnit ................................... 15
GenerateReport .................................. 16
Saving and Loading Alarm Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Saving ..................................... 17
Loading .................................... 18
ViewRFSignals .................................. 19
RecordingRSSIData............................. 19
PlayingbackRSSIData ........................... 20
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
AppendixA..................................... 21
Maintenance Tool Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
AppendixB..................................... 22

RF Tool User Manual
Scope
This document is intended to support:
•Downloading, installation and, use of the RF Tool software on a windows device
•Purpose and use of the USB RF Dongle
• How to extract and interpret unit data, such as checking the reliability of the RF
communication paths between all of the units, and downloading and explaining the
event log from each unit.
The USB RF Dongle is designed to plug into the USB port on a PC, laptop, or
Windows tablet.
Intended Audience
The RF Tool enables the installation, configuration, maintenance and data extraction
of RF interconnected alarm systems in a domestic setting. The RF Tool as a viewer
enables the administration of the facility to review and generate installation reports from
installation files created by the RF Tool post-installation or maintenance cycle.
The RF Tool enables a single record for the property showing in chronological order
the periodic inspections carried out over the lifetime of the Fire Detection Alarm System
(FDAS) in that property.
How to Install the RFTool Software
System Requirements
• OS: Windows 10, Windows 7 Service Pack 1, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows
Server 2008 R2 SP1, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2
•1 GHz or faster processor
•512 MB of RAM
•USB port
Please ensure the time and date are correct on the device.
Installing the USB RF Dongle Software Suite
1. Insert the USB RF Dongle into the computer.
2. Install the RFTool Driver ( RFTool Driver.exe ).
3. Install the RFTool (RFTool.exe)
4. Run the RFTool from the shortcut on that will appear on your desktop.
To setup and install the RFTool software for the first time, you must have a USB
RF Dongle.
To start, please insert the USB RF Dongle into the computer. Windows may
automatically install a driver when the USB RF Dongle is inserted, this process ensures
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you will install the correct version of the driver to use and run the RFTool application
successfully. After this, install the driver package available here - RFTool Driver.exe.
To install the driver, run RFTool Driver.exe.
Press extract to extract the driver. On the next screen, you can press Next to
continue the installation of the RFTool driver. On the next screen, accept the License
agreement for the RFTool driver.
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The driver will then install, and when this is completed press finish. You can then
continue with the installation of the RFTool.
The most up to date install file for the RFTool is available here - RFTool.exe.
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Run RFTool.exe . Press Extract on this screen to install the RFTool to the default
location, or you may choose another location to install the software. In case of smart
screen filter please see the FAQ.
A shortcut will now be available on the desktop, clicking the shortcut will launch the
application.
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Everything that is needed to use the RFTool is now installed. If there are any
troubleshooting enquiries, please check the FAQ section.
RFTool Updates
The RFTool will automatically check for updates when it is started. If an update is
available, please follow the update instructions on screen.
If this screen appears, press Yes.
On this screen, you can choose a location for the update to be downloaded, and then
press OK. If a security prompt appears at this point, please allow the installation of this
update to continue. The current RFTool will then close, and the installation prompt will
appear, and you can follow the instructions from installing the RFTool above.
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Using the RFTool
The Launch Screen
The launch screen consists of five options:
New System This will start the process of creating a new system of units. The
application will automatically connect to the USB RF Dongle and wait for a compatible
unit to be button tested.
Load This option displays a dialog window in which you can select a previously saved
system. The RFTool can load the following file formats:
•.el and .el2 legacy file formats (Note that when loading these will be converted to
.el3 files which will be saved in the same location they are loaded from)
•.el3 file format
These formats are NOT interchangeable. .el,.el2 and *.el3 file formats MUST have
the correct format at the end of the file:
•*.el files MUST end in .el
•*.el2 files MUST end in .el2
•*.el3 files MUST end in .el3
If this is not followed the RFTool will not be able to load the file.
RF Survey This screen will display a rolling graph of received signal strength in the
frequency that the units operate in. It can be used to detect heavy sources of interference.
Exit Exits the software.
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Flag Icon Clicking on the flag icon allows you to set the locale of the RFTool. Pressing
OK on the window will change the RFTool to that language.
Creating a New System
Caution: Hearing Protection must be used. The following instructions
assume that this system is also already House Coded.
When on the launch screen, you must click Create New System . You will then see
the following:
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If the screen shown does not automatically transition to the screen above, please
check that the USB RF Dongle is plugged in and that the drivers have been installed.
Downloading Event Logs
At this point, you are ready to start downloading from compatible units.
1. Button test the first unit until you hear the application chime to confirm. You will
then see a screen similar to the following:
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This step could fail is if the USB RF Dongle is too far away from the button tested
unit or the unit is not house coded. On a successful download you will see the
following screen:
2. In this step you will want to:
• Select Type : The unit type will be auto-detected if possible, please ensure this
is correct.
•Select Location : Select a name that identifies the area.
If the list of names does not have one that you can use, you can provide a custom
name. To use this feature, select “Custom” as the location, and press the custom
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name checkbox. Any entry you now enter will be saved as the location of the device.
N.B. Note that the location you enter will NOT be saved on the device. The unit
will be told it has a custom location but the location name will be in the installation
file that will be saved in the summary screen.
3. When you are satisfied that you have selected the correct name and type, press
Next.
When you have done this, the application will communicate the location to the unit.
When the application gets a response from the unit, you will be presented with the
opportunity to download more units and accessories into this installation.
Repeat 1&2 above until all of the units in the system have added to the installation.
!
4. When you have downloaded from all of the units in that system, press the finished
button on the download screen.
5. You should save your system immediately on this screen by pressing the save button.
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Summary Screen Navigation
You can select from the following actions on the Summary screen:
•Event Log: This screen shows any events that have occurred.
• RF Info: This will give an overview of the connection strength between the units
in the system.
•Update: This will download the unit event log of the selected unit again.
•ID Unit: This will cause the selected unit to chirp/beep.
• Add Unit: This will allow you to add a new unit to this installation. N.B. System
must be re House Coded after using this feature
• Remove Unit: This will erase the selected unit from the installation. N.B. System
must be re House Coded after using this feature
• Edit Unit: This will allow you to modify the Alarm/Accessory type and location.
• Save This will save the current state of the installation to the file. The date and
time of saving this installation will be added to the installation file.
• Generate Report This allows you to generate a PDF report showing an inventory
of units in the system, the RF connection strength between the units in the system
(if supported), and the historical events of those units.
• Exit: Returns you to the Home screen where you can create another new installation,
view the RF information, or load another installation.
Event Log The event log displays the last time an event occurred and the total number
of events of that type. It will start on the device you have selected on the summary screen.
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At the left of the screen, you can see the install date, and any extra monitoring
details about the device here such as:
•Dust level
•Battery level
•CO level
•Temperature info
•End of life date
At the top, you can see information about the unit such as:
•Sensor type
•Location
•Unit type
•RF module type
•Serial
The «and »buttons can be used to scroll to the next units event log instead of
returning to the summary table.
Note that accessories and legacy devices do not support the event log. The list of
unsupported devices is in Appendix B.
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RF Info
Here you can see the signal strength and repeat level from each unit to each other
unit.
If another unit is in direct range of the selected unit you will see the RSSI (Received
Signal Strength Indicator) margin and link quality.
If it is not in direct range, the application will note the repeat level. Because the
unit is communicated with via another unit, we do not have the RSSI level for that unit.
The RSSI level received will range from 0 to 30 with 30 being the best possible signal
strength.
A ‘-’ means there is no value or the value is not supported for the RSSI level from
that unit to the other unit.
Update
The update button can be used to re-download the event logs and RF information for
each unit. To use this feature, select a device from the summary list by clicking on it and
then press update. Ensure you are in range of the unit when this is attempted.
The device event logs and RF information will be updated if this is successful.
Note: This must be repeated for every device you wish to update, this feature will
only update the selected unit in the summary list.
ID Unit
Caution: Hearing Protection must be used
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This feature allows you to locate any of the units listed on the summary table. When
the button is pressed and the device is within range, the selected device will then sound
its horn if the unit has one.
Add Unit
The Add unit feature will allow you to add a new unit to an installation. Please note
that house coding must be done before using the add unit feature in the RF Tool.
To do this, put one of the existing units in the installation into house code mode as
well as this new device.
Ensure the new device is flashing the correct number of times, then take the unit out
of house code mode.
You will also be required to select each unit in the system individually and use the
update feature to ensure that the installation is up to date.
Remove Unit
The Remove unit feature will remove the unit from the installation. Please note that
house coding must be done before using the remove unit feature in the RF Tool by factory
resetting all the units in this installation. You will also be required to select each unit in
the system individually and use the update feature to ensure that the installation is up to
date.
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Edit Unit
The Edit unit feature allows you to edit the unit type if it is an accessory, and also
allows you to modify the location of the unit.
The unit must be in range for this feature to work.
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Generate Report
The Generate Report function will allow you to generate a report about an installation
that will contain an inventory of units, as well as an event report and an RF summary if
the unit supports the feature.
The entries Full Name, Address, Town/City, County, Postcode, Country, Phone
Number, Premises Type, and Notes will appear in the generated PDF.
The Email field will send the PDF to the email address provided if the Send Email
checkbox is selected. If the Show PDF checkbox is selected, when the PDF is generated,
it will open automatically.
The Generate Report button will start the report generation process, please give it
up to 1 minute to complete.
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Saving and Loading Alarm Systems
Saving
From the summary screen, you can save your profile. If you have clicked Create New
System and this is the first save then you will be prompted with the save file dialog. You
must enter a filename that is relevant to you or the house address etc.
If you have loaded a previous profile from the Launch Screen, you will not be prompted
with a save file dialog, it will save automatically.
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Loading
To load a profile you must first click Load from the left on the Home screen and
then select a previously saved installation.
When the profile is loaded, you can load by date by clicking Load. This will display
a list of every save performed while this profile was loaded. The most recent snapshot in
this list will be the most recent time the installation was saved, choose one from this list
and then press Select.
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