Contents

Technical Support

Introduction
Product Features
System Requirements

Installation

Getting Started

Pull Down Menus

Downloading from the instrument

Uploading to the instrument

Viewing a trace
Technical Support

AVO TraceMaster technical support is available in the following ways:

Fax +44 (01638) 515060

E-mail support@avotech.com

Internet http://www.avotech.com

Post AVO Technical Services

4 King Street
Mildenhall
Suffolk
England
IP28 7ES
Introduction
The AVO TraceMaster is a 32bit Microsoft Windows™ application for use with
the AVO TDR and CFL range of instruments. This can be used for storing and
recalling of cable traces and allows an annotation file to be stored with it for easy
identification of the trace. This annotation file contains a cable identifier, date field
and a note field and is kept with the stored trace even when uploading to the
instrument. TraceMaster can also be used for detailed analysis of stored
waveforms on the PC with its advanced graphing facilities and allows for the
easy comparison between any two traces at one time. The test instrument drivers
are automatically installed from the CD during installation but additional drivers
can be downloaded from the http://www.avotech.com web site as they become
available.

TraceMaster receives (downloads) data from an instrument and sends (uploads)

data to an instrument. This data is stored in a comma separated file format.
Though generally the data will be stored traces, TraceMaster can also be used
for uploading foreign languages to the instrument. (Note the instrument always
has to available languages - English and a second language.)

Product Features
Single step downloading of anywhere from 1 to 15 stored traces from the
instrument.

Files and folders easily managed using standard Windows™ interface.

Detailed analysis of stored waveforms available with advanced graphic

facilities.

Ability to compare and contrast two waveforms simultaneously.

Waveforms can be annotated and that annotation file is kept with the trace even
when uploaded to an
instrument.

Ability to upload a second language to the instrument for all menus and help
screens - a comprehensive choice includes: Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French,
German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish.

System Requirements
PC with Pentium-class processor (Pentium 133MHz minimum, Pentium
233MHz recommended).
 Microsoft Windows™ 95 or later operating system or Microsoft Windows™ NT
operating system version 4.0 with Service Pack 3 or later.

Minimum 32MB of RAM for Windows™95 or later (64MB recommended);

minimum 32MB of RAM for Windows™ NT 4.0 (64MB recommended).

100MB of free hard disk space recommended for a typical installation.

CD-ROM drive

VGA or higher resolution monitor; Super VGA recommended.

Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device.

One free RS232 serial port.

Installation
CD Installation

If the CD does not auto run then you will have to point Windows™ to the CD-
ROM drive and run the Setup.exe program. You will have a chance to select the
language you wish for the installation by selecting one from the drop down list.

The following welcome screen will be displayed and when you have read all of
the information click the "Next" button to continue.

A screen will be displayed showing the current software license agreement. It is

important that you read and understand all of the information shown on this
screen and the subsequent screens by pressing the page down key.
Click the "YES" button to accept the license agreement and continue with the
installation.

Unless you have a good reason to change it, we suggest you do not change from
the default installation folder.
If you changed the destination folder when you installed the software and you are
upgrading from a previous version or reinstalling, you must set the destination
folder correctly to ensure the programs and files are updated. Click the "Next"
button once you have selected the required folder.

Unless you have good reason to change it, we suggest you do not change the
suggested program icons folder. This folder will be shown as a sub menu from
the Windows™ Start Menu, Programs folder.

Click the "Next" button to install the AVO TraceMaster software.

When the installation is complete you will be required to restart your computer.
N.B. It is very important that your machine is restarted at this time as the
Setup program may need to update some of the system files which were in
use when the installation program was running.
Getting Started
Starting AVO TraceMaster
To start AVO TraceMaster:

1. From the windows Start menu, select Programs | AVO TraceMaster |

AVO TraceMaster.

When you start TraceMaster up, this is the screen that you will be presented
with:

As indicated by the text bodies on the above screen shot, the screen is divided in
to four main areas:

The Menu Bar

The Overview Window
The Main Trace Window
 The Trace Information Window

The Menu Bar

This row of icons provide for a single click request of most of the TraceMaster
functions. Each button has a "Tool Tip" associated with it so that if you place the
cursor over a button and leave it there for a couple of seconds a pop-up window
appears naming the function of the button. The button's functions are as follows:

Delete | Open | Save | Print | Download | Upload | Zoom | Trace 1 & Trace 2 |
Trace 1 - Trace 2

Alternatively, all of the TraceMaster functions can be selected from the pull down
menus above the Menu Bar.
(Pull Down Menus)

The Overview Window

This graphics window always shows the entire trace of any selected traces. If the
Main Trace Window is zoomed in on a certain part of a trace, the overview
window will show two lines to indicate where and what proportion of the trace is
on view.

The Main Trace Window

This main graphic window shows the selected traces in detail. Using the zoom
facility (see the Menu Bar above and the Pull Down Menus section) a proportion
of an overall trace can be closely examined. The buttons provided directly
underneath this window are for manipulating the waveform for easier
comparison. (Viewing a Trace)

The Trace Information Window

This area shows the non-graphic information stored with a trace within a csv file.
This information is as follows:

Memory Location
Wave Type 1
Wave Type 2
Unit Range
Pulse Width
Gain
Velocity Factor
Cable ID*
Date* *These are the annotation fields
 Notes*
Velocity Factor Mode
Distance Units
Display mode
Zero Point (ns)

Most of this information is provided by the instrument when the trace is saved,
however the memory location will need to be edited if appending csv files and the
annotation fields can only be set within TraceMaster. To set an annotation field
simply click within the field and type the required information. Similarly to alter the
memory location simply click on it and edit the number and the next time this
trace is uploaded to an instrument the new location will be used.

Note when uploading - Any stored traces in the instrument that have the same
location as the uploading csv file will be overwritten by the new file; also, a
maximum of 15 traces can be uploaded to an instrument and each trace must
have a unique location reference.
Pull Down Menus
The Pull Down Menus are:

File

Open This opens a saved csv waveform file and replaces

whatever file was currently
being stored in memory.
Open Append This opens a saved csv waveform file adds it to the
end of the csv file currently
being stored in memory so that both csv files can be
viewed simultaneously.

Save This saves the current csv file. If a filename has

already been assigned to the file
then the current file will be saved straight away. If,
however,a filename has not yet
been assigned then the user will be prompted to
accept the default filename or
assign their own name.
Save As Same as Save but the user is always prompted to
confirm or reassign the filename.
Save Selection If some traces within the currently viewed csv have
been selected by highlighting
them, then this function will save that selection under
a new csv file that the user
must name.

Download This downloads traces from the instrument to the PC

memory. The details of the
traces that have been downloaded to the new csv file
are displayed in the trace
information window.
Upload This uploads the csv file displayed in the trace
information window to the instrument.
Note - Any stored traces in the instrument that have
the same location as the
uploading csv file will be overwritten by the new file;
also, a maximum of 15 traces
can be uploaded to an instrument and each trace
must have a unique location
reference.

Print This function prints the currently displayed trace

waveform along with the overview
 of the trace, the range and cursor settings, and trace
annotation fields.
Print Setup This function allows the user to select and set up the
properties for the desired
printer to be used.

[History] This part of the File pull down menu displays the last
five csv files viewed with
TraceMaster. By clicking on any of those listed files,
TraceMaster will automatically
go to the relevant directory and open up the selected
file.

Exit This functions exits from TraceMaster. You will be

prompted to save any unsaved
csv files currently in memory.

Edit

Delete This function will delete the trace(s) that is(are)

currently highlighted within the trace
information window.

Options

Refresh This function will refresh the display as per the

standard Windows™ function.

[Instruments] During the installation process, the install routine

automatically searches through the
available drivers to select drivers relating to AVO TDR
or CFL meters with download
/ upload ability. Click on any available drivers to select
the appropriate instrument.

Upload Language File TraceMaster has the ability to upload to the

instrument a second language
file. Related to the selected instrument, the available
second languages for that
instrument will be displayed. Selecting a file will
initiate its upload to the instrument.

Distance Unit This function allows the user to select whether all the
cursor measurements will be
in m or ft.
 Trace 1 & Trace 2 When two traces are selected at the same time, this
function sets that both traces
will be displayed at the same time.

Trace 1 - Trace 2 When two traces are selected at the same time, this
function sets that the
difference between both traces will be displayed.

Zoom

[100% to 1000%] This sets the current zoom value within the main
display window. The area of the
overall trace currently displayed within the main
display window is shown by the
overview trace window.
Downloading from the instrument
To download form the instrument, simply click on the DOWNLOAD button or
choose File/Download from the menu and the following screen will appear:

Click on the check boxes to select which memory locations in the instrument you
want to download from. When you click on Continue you will be asked to put the
TDR into PC mode (by pressing SHIFT + PC) and then the download will
commence.
Uploading to the instrument
To upload to the instrument, simply click on the UPLOAD button or choose
File/Upload from the menu and the following screen will appear:

To continue at this stage will overwrite whatever memory locations are currently
occupied in the instrument with traces in the currently selected csv file. If the
instrument currently stores trace information that you don't want to loose, simply
edit the memory location information within the trace information window to avoid
overwriting it.

When you click on OK you will be asked to put the TDR into PC mode (by
pressing SHIFT + PC) and then the upload will commence.

Similarly, if from the pull down menu you select Upload Language File, the
available language files will be displayed and on selecting the appropriate file you
will be asked to the TDR into PC mode and then the upload will commence.
Viewing a trace

When a csv file has been opened, right click on one of the traces within the trace
information window to highlight it with the colour the trace will be displayed in the
main view window (red). A second trace can also be selected for displaying in the
main view window but this will be colour and highlighted green for ease of
identification.

The function of the main and overview display windows is explained in the
Getting Started section.

There are additional buttons provided underneath the main view window to help
manipulate the display for ease of viewing.

The buttons within the Trace 1 box allow the displayed amplitude of trace 1 to be
increased or decreased. The Reset button will restore trace 1 to its original form.
Similarly, the buttons within the Trace 2 box allow the displayed amplitude of
trace 2 to be increased or decreased. In addition the trace can be moved
horizontally (in the time domain) to allow the characteristics of two features at
different distances to be compared. The Reset button will restore trace 2 to its
original form.

The buttons in the middle relate to the cursors that are available for fault locating.
By clicking within the main view window with the left mouse key, cursor 1 will be
placed. By clicking in the same area with the right mouse key will place cursor 2.
(Note - cursor 2 can never be further left than cursor 1). The buttons in this
middle section are for the fine adjustment of the cursor position (down to 0.1m
resolution) for accurate fault location. The three readings in this area display the
distance from the origin to cursor 1 or origin to cursor 2 (both take the zero point
of trace 1 into account) and the distance between cursors. If a number is directly
entered into one of these reading areas, the appropriate cursor is automatically
placed at that distance.

Note, the velocity factor and zero point for both traces are taken from selected
trace 1.

To alter the velocity factor simply click on the up / down arrows within the
Velocity Factor box. This will alter the measured the measured distances within
the readings area but will not affect the csv file itself.