Tactrol USB Interface Socket
The Tactrol USB interface socket is intended to allow the Autoclave user to easily download the
Priorclave Tactrol Configuration (ptc) file and logged data for back-up and offering to Priorclave
technical support for fault evaluation.
Using the supplied Priorclave USB Memory stick, the socket will function as follows:
Please note that the files supplied pre-installed on the memory stick must NOT be deleted, and that all files will only be used
from the ROOT directory of the memory stick. It will not search subdirectories contained within the memory stick.
Other files can exist on the memory stick without causing any problems to the upload/download procedure.
Whilst the upload or download procedures are in operation it is imperative that the memory device is not removed. Removal of
the device may leave the unit partially updated and may also corrupt the FAT table on the memory stick leaving it unreadable.
Creating a new USB stick for use with the available USB port:
To allow downloading Data Log Files:
1. With a new, blank Memory stick, insert it into an available PC
2. On the PC, go to the My Computer directory
3. Double click on the appropriate memory stick option in the example, this is Drive I
4. Open the new drive
5. Right-click on the screen and select NEW / TEXT DOCUMENT
6. Name the new document Sxxxx where xxxx is the Serial Number of the Autoclave
7. Open the new Text Document
8. On the first line of the document, enter the text DOWNLOAD=Sxxxx where xxxx is the Serial
Number of the Autoclave
9. On the Options tab at the top of the TEXT Document window, select File / SAVE AS
10. Select the File Type option as All Files
11. Save the file as name Sxxxx.DWN where xxxx is the Serial Number of the Autoclave
12. Press RETURN to save.
The Memory Stick is now ready to receive data log files form the Autoclave.
File transfer instructions
Retrieving a file:
To retrieve the current settings out of the Tactrol control system (ptc file), the flash drive should be
attached to the USB port and power to the Autoclave must be ON.
Transfer and connection will be indicated to the user via the blue cooling LED on the main
display panel. This will flash whilst the data is transferred.
Note: This operation cannot be started whilst a cycle is in progress. If the USB flash drive
is plugged in whilst a program is running it will need to be removed and re-inserted when the
program has completed and the unit is idle.
On successful reception of the data from the unit, the PTC file will be created and saved on to the flash
drive with the file name Sxxxx.bak, where the serial number of the unit will be saved in the file name
(marked xxxx).
The date and time for the file will be retrieved from the main card on-board real time clock and
therefore the time and date can be checked by looking at the file time/date.
Note: Previous Sxxxx.bak files stored on the memory stick will be overwritten.
Updating the Autoclave Settings:
In order to update the unit settings the current setting are first retrieved as described above. This will
always occur and any Sxxxx.bak file already in existence on the USB drive will be overwritten.
The data to upload to the unit should be saved on the memory stick as a file named with the serial
number of the unit to which the setting will pertain. For example, if the unit to be updated is Serial
number: 1234, the file should be called S1234.ptc
Simply insert the memory stick into the socket and the new ptc file will automatically upload as
indicated by the flashing blue LED. When the LED is extinguished, the uploading has been completed.
Downloading the units log data:
Note that, due to potential file sized, it can take several minutes to download log files.
To download the logged data the following file should be set-up on the memory stick:
Sxxxx.dwn, where xxxx represent the units serial number. This is originally set up as a txt file.
If the reception is successful, the following files will be created on the memory stick:
1. Sxxxx.txt (normal text file readable in any program such as notepad or imported as a tab
separated file into Excel)
2. Sxxxx.enc (encoded log file that can be read by the Tactrol Log reader program or Tactrol
tools log reading mechanism)
Erasing the internal log from the main card:
The internal log stored in the memory on the main card can be erased by the use of a file on the
memory stick.
The following file should be present on the memory device in order to erase the log:
Sxxxx.ers
Inside this file the following text should be present: ERASE=Sxxxx as follows:
Note: no other text should be present within this file. If other text is present the erase will not
be carried out.
It is possible to erase the log without downloading it; it is also possible to download the log without
erasing it afterwards. However, if the log is to be downloaded then erased both files should be present.
A log will always be downloaded prior to it being erased when both files are present on the memory
device.
On successful erasing of the internal log, the string LOG ERASED will be appended to the Sxxx.ers file.
Therefore an erased file will look as follows:
ERASE=Sxxxx LOG ERASED
Once this string is appended it will not erase any further logs until the LOG ERASED text is removed
from the file.
