User's Guide QuickTalk & QuickLook PDF

Users Guide
QuickTalk
& QuickLook
Communications Software
for Altus Recorder Systems
Document 302208
August 1997
Trademarks
This manual copyright Kinemetrics, Inc., 1997. All rights reserved.
Kinemetrics products are covered by U.S. and foreign patents, issued and
pending. Printed in the U.S.A.
The following trademarks, registered or not, are used in this manual:
Kinemetrics, QuickTalk, QuickLook, Altus, Mt. Whitney, K2,
Etna.
International Business Machines, IBM PC.
Microsoft, MS-DOS, Windows, Windows 95.
Contacting Kinemetrics
Contact Kinemetrics for technical support or further product information at
one of the following addresses.
Kinemetrics, Inc., 222 Vista Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91107 USA
Telephone: 1 (626) 795-2220
Fax: 1 (626) 795-0868
Email: services@kmi.com
Kinemetrics SA, Le Tresi 3, 1028 Preverenges, Switzerland
Telephone: 21.803.2829
Fax: 21.803.2895
Email: kmi_sa@bluewin.ch
Website: www.kinemetrics.com
Safety
Symbols & Terms

The following terms might appear in this manual, or on Kinemetrics
equipment:
Note:
A statement identified as a note offers specific information about

the instruction or choice at hand.
Caution! A caution statement identifies conditions or actions that could

result in damage to the equipment, to the software, to the data, or other
property.
WARNING! A warning statement identifies conditions or practices that
could result in bodily injury or loss of life.
Contents
1. Getting Started
Overview ...........................................................................................1-1
QuickTalk Features ...........................................................................1-1
Manual Organization.........................................................................1-2
Related Manuals................................................................................1-3
Manual Conventions .........................................................................1-3
Installing the Software ......................................................................1-5
Running QuickTalk for the First Time .............................................1-5
Setting the Altus Recorder Password ...............................................1-8
Formatting Altus Recorder Drives....................................................1-9
Configuring Real-Time Streaming Serial Data................................1-10
Turning Off Real-Time Streaming Serial Data...........................1-10
2. Using QuickTalk
Starting & Exiting QuickTalk ...........................................................2-1
If You Have Trouble Establishing a Connection
with the Recorder....................................................................2-1
Connecting to the Recorder with a Modem................................2-1
Ending a Recorder Modem Connection......................................2-1
QuickTalk Windows & Icons............................................................2-2
Sending a Password to the Altus Recorder.......................................2-3
Refreshing All Display Windows .....................................................2-3
Stopping or Restarting Data Acquisition..........................................2-4
Using the Keyboard Trigger .............................................................2-4
Running a Functional Test ................................................................2-4
Changing COM Port and Baud Rate Settings..................................2-5
QuickTalk & QuickLook Software Users Guide
Using an Alternate Communication Parameters File.......................2-6

Using an Alternate .qtw File ........................................................2-6
Setting PC Modem Parameters.........................................................2-6
Setting Sensor Properties ..................................................................2-8
Viewing Altus Recorder Messages...................................................2-9
Copying the Contents of the Messages Window ........................2-9
Checking Altus Recorder Status .......................................................2-10
Changing the Update Interval......................................................2-10
Changing the Recorder Date & Time..........................................2-11
Refreshing the Status Display......................................................2-11
Resetting the Alarm......................................................................2-11
Viewing Altus Recorder Directories.................................................2-11
Displaying the Contents of the Recorder Drives ........................2-12
Refreshing the Directory Display................................................2-12
Sorting the Directory Display......................................................2-12
Retrieving Event Files .................................................................2-12
Deleting an Event File or a Directory .........................................2-12
Managing Recorder Disk Space..................................................2-13
Formatting Recorder Drives ........................................................2-13
Viewing Real-Time Streaming Serial Data ......................................2-13
Turning Off the Real-Time Streaming Data Display..................2-13
3. Using the QuickTalk

Parameter Editor
Overview ...........................................................................................3-1
Configuring an Altus Recorder....................................................3-1
Starting the QuickTalk Parameter Editor .........................................3-1
Default Parameter Settings ...............................................................3-3
Setting Station Parameters ................................................................3-5
Setting Modem Parameters...............................................................3-7
Enabling the Autocall Feature .....................................................3-9
Setting Stream Parameters ................................................................3-9
Setting Timing Parameters................................................................3-13
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Kinemetrics
Contents
Setting Channel Parameters ..............................................................3-14

Trigger Thresholds.......................................................................3-15
Setting Digital Field Station Parameters ..........................................3-17
Setting Real-Time Streaming Serial Data Parameters .....................3-18
4. Using QuickLook & Viewing

Retrieved Files
Overview ...........................................................................................4-1
QuickLook Screen Resolution Limits.........................................4-1
Starting & Exiting QuickLook..........................................................4-1
Opening an Event File.......................................................................4-2
Changing the Path........................................................................4-2
Adding Files to the List ...............................................................4-2
Removing Files from the List......................................................4-2
Viewing an Event File .................................................................4-2
The QuickLook Window ..................................................................4-3
Upper Window .............................................................................4-3
Using the Zoom Box....................................................................4-3
Lower Window.............................................................................4-4
Using the Zoom Cursor ...............................................................4-4
Time Box......................................................................................4-5
Channel Information Box ............................................................4-5
Screen Information Box...............................................................4-6
Using the QuickLook Mouse............................................................4-6
Left Mouse Button: Zoom Box & Zoom Cursor Control ..........4-6
Right Mouse Button: Copying Data to the Clipboard................4-7
Using QuickLook Display Features .................................................4-8
Toggling the Autoscale Feature...................................................4-8
Toggling Relative Display ...........................................................4-9
Toggling Digital-to-Analog Display ...........................................4-9
Toggling VeryFast Display .........................................................4-10
Printing the QuickLook Window......................................................4-10
Creating a Summary File in QuickLook ..........................................4-11
iii
Creating a Header File in QuickLook ..............................................4-11
5. Using the Terminal Window

Overview ...........................................................................................5-1
Monitor Mode and Block Mode..................................................5-1
Opening & Closing the Terminal Window.......................................5-1
Dialing Out on the PC Modem .........................................................5-2
Setting PC Modem Parameters.........................................................5-2
Sending a Break to the Altus Recorder.............................................5-3
Sending a File to the Altus Recorder ................................................5-4
Retrieving an Event File ...................................................................5-4
Setting or Changing the Recorder Password....................................5-4
Removing the Password ..............................................................5-5
If You Forget the Password..........................................................5-5
Opening & Closing the Log File ......................................................5-5
Ending the PC Modem Connection..................................................5-5
Terminal Window Commands ..........................................................5-6
Main Commands..........................................................................5-6
Parameter Editor Commands.......................................................5-10
Diagnostic Commands.................................................................5-16
6. Troubleshooting
Potential Problems & Solutions........................................................6-1
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Kinemetrics
Contents
1. Getting Started
Overview
QuickTalk for Windows is a communications program designed for use with
the Kinemetrics Altus recorder. Use QuickTalk to establish a
communications connection with the recorder, either directly through an
RS-232 cable, or through two modems (one at a PC and one at the recorder)
and a telecommunications carrier. QuickTalk transfers files between the
recorder and the PC, and enables you to view recorder status and messages;
and to set and change Altus recorder parameters. QuickTalk also enables
access to a command-line interface with the recorder via the Terminal
window.
Use QuickLook for Windows to view retrieved event files in a variety of
ways, and to print and save event file data. (Retrieved event files should be
deleted from the recorder to conserve disk space.)
QuickTalk Features
QuickTalk Release 2.08 includes the following features and improvements:
It's easier to establish a communications link between a PC and the Altus
recorder.
Improved window design, including Quick Help for the toolbar icons.
QuickTalk automatically indicates which COM ports on the PC are
available for use by QuickTalk.
Data acquisition is now automatically stopped and restarted when recorder
parameters are changed or when the time is set in Block Mode.
A Suggested Settings button on the Modem, Channel, Timing, and Stream
Parameters windows automatically returns all parameters to their defaults.
The Directory window now includes a Retrieve File button. When
retrieving an event file from the recorder to the PC, the Directory window
displays the time remaining for the transfer.
The Terminal window now includes a log file option.
Retrieve event files from the Altus recorder to the PC with two different
Block sizes: X Modem or X Modem 1K. The latter option is three times
faster.
1-1
Add and Remove buttons make it easier to open event files in QuickLook.
Use the keyboard arrow keys to move the QuickLook Zoom Cursor.
Dialog boxes have been added to the QuickTalk Parameter Editor. The
Channel Parameters dialog box now supports a new header file format,
and the Stream Parameters dialog box now supports seismological triggers
and filtering.
Manual Organization
This manual is organized as follows:
1. Getting Started
The current chapter. How to install the QuickTalk software and what to do
when running the software for the first time.
2. Using QuickTalk
How to do the following:
Send a password to the Altus recorder.
Refresh the display.
Use the Status, Directory, and Message windows.
Set PC modem parameters.
Set sensor parameters.
Stop and restart data acquisition.
Use an alternate communication parameters file.
Use the keyboard trigger or run a functional test.
3. Using QuickLook
How to use the QuickLook window and QuickLook display features to view
event files; print the window; and save or print event file header and
summary information.
4. Using the Parameter Editor
How to use the QuickTalk Parameter Editor to change Altus recorder
parameter settings.
How to use the Terminal window to do the following:
Dial out from the Altus recorder modem.
Disconnect the phone.
Send a break to the Altus recorder modem.
Set PC modem parameters
Send files to the Altus recorder.
1-2
Kinemetrics
Getting Started
Retrieve event files.

Set or change the recorder password.
Use Terminal window commands, including parameter editor and
diagnostic commands.
6. Troubleshooting
How to solve common QuickTalk problems.
Appendix
Quick reference to the QuickLook accelerator keys.
Related Manuals
The following documents refer to the QuickTalk & QuickLook Software
User's Guide:
The Altus K2 High Dynamic Range Accelerograph Manual (Doc.
302200).
The Altus Mt. Whitney High Dynamic Range Accelerograph Central
Recording System Manual (Doc. 302220).
The Altus Etna High Dynamic Range Accelerograph Manual (Doc.
302230).
The Altus Etna-SI Installation & Startup Manual (Doc. 302270), the EtnaSI Operator's Guide (Doc. 302271), and the Etna-SI Technical Reference
Manual (Doc. 302272).
The Altus GPS Timing Systems User's Guide, for the Etna, K2, and Mt.
Whitney instruments (Doc. 302205).
Altus Gain Board Operation Instructions (Doc. 302206).
Manual Conventions
This manual includes the following usage conventions:
Enter means to type the indicated text and then press the key labeled
Enter or Return on the keyboard.
Click means to press then immediately release the left mouse button
without moving the mouse; double-click means the press the left mouse
button twice quickly without moving the mouse.
Select means to move the mouse over the indicated item on the pulldown menu, then to select additional indicated items underneath it.
Table 1-1 explains the formatting conventions used in this manual.
1-3
Table 1-1: Formatting conventions

Formatting convention
Type of information
SMALL CAPS
Keys on the computer keyboard. For example,

press the ENTER key means press the key labeled
Enter or Return.
Key combinations on the computer keyboard. For
example, press ALT + B means hold down the key
labeled ALT, then press the B key.
Bold type
Words or characters to type. For example, if the

manuals says to type FOR A, type the letters
FOR followed by a space and then A.
Menu items to select. For example, select File and
Open means select File from the menu bar, then
Open on pull-down menu underneath.
Buttons to click. For example, if the manual says to
click on Save All, click the mouse on the button
labeled Save All.
The mandatory portion of a command. For
example, ABORT means to type the letters ABO
to use the abbreviation for the ABORT command.
Italic type
Placeholders for items you must supply with

commands, such as filenames. For example, if the
manual says to enter PW current password, type
the letters PW followed by a space and the
current recorder password.
Fields on a window or dialog box. For example,
enter a channel number in the Channel field
means enter the number of a channel in the field on
the window or dialog box labeled Channel.
Terminal window commands. For example, use
the FORMAT command.
Sections within chapters. For example, refer to the
Running QuickTalk for the First Time section in
Chapter 1.
Manual titles. For example, refer to the QuickTalk
& QuickLook Software Users Guide.
[ square brackets ]
1-4
Kinemetrics
Variable parameters entered with a command. For

example, if the manual says the command format is
TX filename [ H T K ], type TX followed by a
space, then a filename. Optionally, you can press
the spacebar again and type H, T, or K
variables.
Getting Started
Formatting convention
Type of information
Monospaced font
Messages and prompts displayed by the computer.

For example, the message Password
protected appears in the Message window.
Initial Caps
Label which appears at the top of a window or

dialog box. For example, the Open window
appears.
Installing the Software

Refer to the Altus recorder hardware manual for specific hardware
installation instructions. Install the PC modem (and an external recorder
modem, if applicable to your installation) according to the modem
manufacturer's instructions.
To install the QuickTalk software, insert the Installation diskette into the
PC's floppy drive. Use the Windows File Manager (for Windows 3.1) or
Windows Explorer (for Windows 95 or NT) to view the contents of the
diskette, and double-click on the filename install.exe to start the installation
procedure. Follow the instructions that appear on the screen; the software
installs automatically.
Running QuickTalk for the First

Time
As explained in the Altus recorder hardware manual, it is important to
complete a test installation of the Altus recorder in the laboratory or office
before installing the instrument in the field.
When running the QuickTalk software for the first time, do the following:
Set the COM port and baud rate with which the PC communicates with the
recorder. The PC baud rate setting must match the recorder baud rate
setting.
Set the recorder time (not necessary if the recorder includes the GPS
timing option).
Run a functional test (or use the keyboard trigger) to make sure that
everything is working properly.
Complete these steps as follows:
1. Set up the Altus recorder according to the instructions in the recorder
manual.
1-5
2. Turn on the unit. In the case of K2 and Mt. Whitney recorders, the
lower-left LED flashes to indicate that the Boot Block is running. The
number of LEDs which flash during the boot sequence indicate the
recorder's baud rate setting as shown in Table 2-1. The LEDs are
located on the front panel of a K2 recorder, or on the inside of a Mt.
Whitney recorder.
Note:
The LED display does not indicate the baud rate of setting of an
Etna or an Etna-SI recorder, though Etna or Etna-SI users can use
the auto-baud rate sequence to reset the baud rate setting as
described below in Step 8 if it is necessary to change the default.
Table 1-2: K2 and Mt. Whitney Boot Sequence LEDs
Lit LEDs
Baud Rate Setting
1200 (baud or error)
2400
4800
9600
19200 (default)
38400
57600
115200
3. Connect the recorder to the PC with the Kinemetrics RS-232 cable

(P/N 109475) via the RS-232 port on the front of the instrument.
4. Double-click on the QuickTalk icon to start QuickTalk. The
Communications Setup window opens; specify the COM port and the
baud rate the PC will use to communicate with the recorder. (OK
displays next to the COM ports available for use by QuickTalk.)
Note:
Communications parameters for Altus recorders are factory-set to

19.2 Kb, 8 bits, no parity.
If you change the PC baud rate from the default setting of 19200, you
must also change the recorder baud rate in the Terminal window with
the BAUDRATE command as described below.
5. Click on OK. Then select File and Save to save the parameter settings
to the default communications parameters file qtw.qtw. Does recorder
information display in the Status and Directory windows?
Yes
The PC is communicating with the recorder. Go on to Step 13 to set
recorder time.
No
If the QuickTalk windows remain blank, it means there is no
1-6
Kinemetrics
Getting Started
connection between the Altus recorder and the PC. Establish a

connection as follows:
6. Open the Terminal window (select Window and Terminal Window).
7. Enter \\\ (three backslash characters followed by the ENTER key) until
the * prompt appears. Enter \\\ more than once if necessary. Has the *
prompt appeared?
Yes
The PC is communicating with the recorder. Go on to Step 13 to set
recorder time.
No
If the QuickTalk windows remain blank, or if the Terminal window
displays garbage, reset the baud rate as follows:
8. Use the auto-baud rate sequence to temporarily reset the recorders
baud rate setting to match the PCs baud rate setting. In QuickTalk,
press CTRL+B twice within five seconds to send two break characters
to the recorder. This starts the auto-baud rate sequence and cycles the
recorder's baud rate to the next lowest rate. The recorder sends a baud
rate message to the Terminal window.
9. If the recorder does not respond, or if the Terminal window displays
garbage, press CTRL+B at 4 second intervals until the message in the
Terminal window is legible. (Nine breaks will cycle through all
possible baud rates.)
10. When the message is legible, enter \\\\ (four backslash characters
followed by the ENTER key) until the * prompt appears.
11. The recorder and PC baud rates are now only temporarily matched;
the recorder baud rate will return to its original setting after an hour of
inactivity. To permanently set the recorder baud rate, enter BAU rate,
where rate is the baud rate set on the Communications Setup dialog
box in Step 5 (115200, 57600, 38400, 19200, 9600, 4800, 2400, or
1400).
The QuickTalk baud rate setting displays in the lower right corner of
the main window.
12. If PCMCIA cards were purchased from Kinemetrics along with the
recorder, they have already been formatted correctly; close the
Terminal window and go on to the next step.
If the PCMCIA cards were not purchased from Kinemetrics, format
them now according to the instructions in the Formatting Altus
Recorder Drives section in this chapter. Then close the Terminal
window.
13. Recorder information should display in the QuickTalk windows.
Click anywhere in the Status window to activate the window, then
click on the Set Time button. The Set Time window opens.
1-7
14. Set the date and time (or click on the PC Time button to synchronize
the recorder time with the PC clock), and then click on OK.
(QuickTalk stops and restarts data acquisition automatically.) Go on
to the next step.
15. Select Recorder and Acquisition Control. The Acquisition Control
window opens. Does the recorder have an FBA sensor?
Yes
Click on Functional Test. The Message window indicates that the
recorder is running a functional test. Note the name of the file. When
the functional test is complete, the event file is closed and moved
from the \tmp directory.
No
Click on Keyboard Trigger to generate an event file containing only
noise. The Message window indicates when the event file is closed.
Note the name of the file and click on Keyboard Detrigger to stop
the keyboard trigger.
16. Click anywhere on the Directory window to activate the window.
Click on the A: and B: buttons to view the contents of the Altus
recorders storage devices and double-click on the directory name
\evt.
This directory should contain a subdirectory named after the current
date. For example, for events recorded on December 15, 1997, the
recorder creates a subdirectory named \971215. Double-click on the
subdirectory to view its contents.
17. Select the name of the event file created in Step 15 (it should have a
.evt extension). Click on the Retrieve File button, or double-click on
the selected filename. The Retrieve and Save As window opens. Click
on OK to retrieve the event file to the PC.
Refer to Chapter 4 in this manual for information on using QuickLook to
view the results of your functional test.
To set a recorder password, follow the instructions in the next section,
Setting the Altus Recorder Password.
Setting the Altus Recorder

Password
There is no password on the recorder until you set one. If the recorder is in a
remote location, consider whether to password-protect the recorder at all; it
might be preferable to secure the PC through which the recorder is accessed
instead.
If the recorder is password protected, users who do not provide the
password can view but not change system settings (the message Password
1-8
Kinemetrics
Getting Started
protected appears in the Message window if the user tries to change

password-protected settings). After sending a password to the recorder ,
password protection starts again after one hour of system inactivity. To start
password protection immediately, send an incorrect password.
Set the initial password on the recorder as follows:
1. Open the Terminal window by selecting Window and Terminal
Window.
Note:
If the Terminal window prompt does not appear, it means that there
is no connection between the recorder and the PC. To establish a
connection, enter \\\ (three backslash characters followed by the
ENTER key) until the * prompt appears. Enter \\\ more than once if
necessary.
2. The initial password setting is blank. To enter a new password, enter

PAS NEW.
3. The software asks for the old password. Press ENTER. The software
asks for the new password
4. Enter a password up to eight characters long.
Note:
Be sure to make a note of the password you set. The password is

required to change system settings on the recorder. If you forget the
password, you must physically remove the PCMCIA cards from the
recorder to reset the recorder password to nothing.
Formatting Altus Recorder Drives

Additional PCMCIA cards, or those not purchased directly from
Kinemetrics, must be formatted in the recorder with the FORMAT
command. (PCMCIA cards purchased from Kinemetrics with a new
recorder are already formatted.) Open the Terminal window and enter
FORMAT at the Terminal window prompt. Always format new PCMCIA
cards in the recorder, rather than on a PC, to ensure that the drive is
formatted correctly.
Note:
Use the FORMAT command from the main Terminal window, not
the FORMAT command from the Terminal window Diagnostics
Editor. It is not necessary to use this second form of the command,
which takes a long time to complete, to format a new PCMCIA
drive.
The Altus recorder line uses a non-standard but valid PC format that
increases throughput. All of the information necessary to read the format is
found in the PCMCIA cards Card Information Structure (CIS).
Unfortunately, some PCMCIA drivers do not make use of all of this data
and cannot read the card. (CardTalk and IBM drivers work well with the
1-9
Kinemetrics format.) The Kinemetrics website provides information on

downloading new drivers for your PC.
Configuring Real-Time Streaming

Serial Data
In order to send real-time streaming serial data from the recorder to the PC,
the recorder must be configured as follows in the QuickTalk Parameter
Editor. (Refer to Chapter 3 for instructions on how to use the QuickTalk
Parameter Editor.)
Note:
Real-time streaming serial data is available only on K2 and Mt.

Whitney units with firmware version 2.20 and later. (Use the
VERSION command in the Terminal window to check the firmware
version number.)
The Streaming Window is currently under development. Mode 1 support is

fully implemented in Release 2.08 of the QuickTalk software.
On the Streams Parameters dialog box, set the Recording Sample Rate to
100 samples per second.
On the Serial Data Streams dialog box, set the Transmit Sample Rate to
100. The parameters defined on the Serial Data Streams dialog box should
correspond with a user-created communication program to process
streaming data. Or, they can be used in conjunction with the Stream Data
window in QuickTalk.
On the Serial Data Streams dialog box, set the Transmit Data Channels
field according to the speed of the baud rate setting you will use to
communicate with the recorder. The default setting is channel 1 through 6
(or 1 through 4, if the recorder only supports 4 channels), which will
transmit in timely fashion at a baud rate of 19200 or higher. If the recorder
is set to a baud rate of 9600 or below, do not select more than one or two
channels for transmission in the data stream, because the data stream will
run very slowly.
When the streaming data feature is configured correctly, you can open the
Streaming Data window as described in the next section.
Turning Off Real-Time Streaming Serial Data

To turn off streaming data transmission, set the Transmit Sample Rate on
the Serial Data Streams dialog box to 0.
1-10
Kinemetrics
Getting Started
2. Using QuickTalk
Starting & Exiting QuickTalk

To start QuickTalk, find the Altus group in Windows, then double-click on
the QuickTalk icon. Exit QuickTalk as you would any other Windows
programs: double-click in the upper left-hand corner of the window, or
select File and Exit.
If You Have Trouble Establishing a Connection with the

Recorder
If recorder information does not appear in the Status and Directory windows
when QuickTalk is started, it means that there is no connection between the
recorder and the PC. To establish a connection, open the Terminal window
(select Window and Terminal Window) and enter \\\ (three backslash
characters followed by the ENTER key) until the * prompt appears. Enter \\\
more than once if necessary, then close the Terminal window.
Connecting to the Recorder with a Modem

To connect an Altus recorder via modem (actually via two modems: one at
the PC and one at the recorder), open the Terminal window and select
Phone and Dial Phone. Enter the number of the Altus recorder modem and
click on OK. The software takes a few moments to establish a connection
with the recorders modem. Once you see the modem connect message, type
a backslash to start communications with the recorder. You should get a *
prompt. Type another backslash if necessary to get the prompt. Close the
Terminal window to enter Block mode.
Ending a Recorder Modem Connection

Its most efficient to break a modem connection between the recorder and
the PC by breaking the connection on the recorder end first. To do this, open
the Terminal window and enter the ANSWERMODE command. (Or, if the
Autocall feature is enabled, enter the CALLMODE command.) The recorder
modem will hang up the line and immediately re-initialize; it will be ready
to receive incoming calls after 30 seconds. If the PC modem does not
automatically hang up the line is response, select Phone and Hangup to
break the PC modem connection.
If you hang up the PC modem without first hanging up at the recorder, the
recorder modem will timeout after 5 minutes. Wait at least 5 minutes before
2-1
calling the recorder modem again. The recorder modem will require an
additional 5 minutes to timeout each time it is called back before the 5minute timeout period elapses.
QuickTalk Windows
& Icons
The Status, Directory, and Message windows open automatically when the
QuickTalk software starts.
The QuickLook window, Streaming window and the Terminal window
remain closed until you open them.
Open any of these windows by clicking on the appropriate icon on the
toolbar, or by selecting them from the Window menu item.
Use the Window menu item on the QuickTalk toolbar for standard Windows
display options (Cascade, Tile, Arrange Icons) and to open any closed
QuickTalk windows. The following icons display on the QuickTalk toolbar:
New Parameter File
Open a Parameter File
Status Window
Directory Window
Terminal Window
Run QuickLook
Streaming Window
Refresh All
About QuickTalk
Note:
The Streaming Window is currently under development. Mode 1

support is fully implemented in Release 2.08 of the QuickTalk
software. (K2 and Mt. Whitney only.)
Use Quick Help to view icon labels by positioning the mouse pointer over
the icon without pressing any mouse buttons.
2-2
Kinemetrics
Using QuickTalk
Sending a Password to the Altus

Recorder
If a password has been set on the recorder (as described in Chapter 1 of this
manual), it is necessary to enter the password before changing system
settings.
Figure 2-1: Altus Password Dialog Box
The message Password protected appears in the Message window

when a user tries to change password-protected settings without first
entering a correct password. QuickTalk will prompt for the recorder
password. Send an existing password to the recorder as follows.
1. Select Recorder and Send Password. The Altus Password dialog box
appears, as shown in Figure 2-1.
2. Enter the password and click on OK.
The recorder password protects itself again after an hour of system
inactivity. To password-protect the recorder immediately, simply send an
incorrect password from the Terminal window.
Refer to the Setting, Changing, or Removing a Recorder Password section
in Chapter 5 for instructions on how to change or remove a recorder
password.
Refreshing All
Display Windows
Click on the Refresh All button on the QuickTalk toolbar to refresh the
display in the Message, Status, and Directory windows.
2-3
Stopping or Restarting Data

Acquisition
Caution: The recorder cannot record events when data acquisition is turned
off. Do not turn off data acquisition any longer than necessary.
Data acquisition is automatically stopped and restarted when recorder
parameters are changed or when the time is set in Block Mode.
To stop or restart data acquisition at any other time, select Recorder and
Acquisition Control. Then click on Stop Acquisition in the Acquisition
Control window to turn acquisition off. Click on Start Acquisition to restart
data acquisition. Refer to the Starting & Exiting QuickTalk section in this
chapter if you have trouble establishing a connection between the PC and
the recorder.
Using the
Keyboard Trigger
Select Recorder and Acquisition Control. Then click on Keyboard
Trigger in the Acquisition Control dialog box to start the keyboard trigger.
An event file containing only noise is generated.
Click on Keyboard Detrigger to stop the keyboard trigger. Use the
Directory window in QuickTalk to retrieve the event file, and use
QuickLook to view it.
Refer to the Starting & Exiting QuickTalk section in this chapter if you have
trouble establishing a connection between the PC and the recorder.
Running a
Functional Test
Click on Functional Test in the Acquisition Control dialog box. Retrieve
the event file created by the functional test from the Directory window, then
use QuickLook to view the event file.
Refer to the Starting & Exiting QuickTalk section in this chapter if you have
trouble establishing a connection between the PC and the recorder.
2-4
Kinemetrics
Using QuickTalk
Changing COM Port and Baud Rate

Settings
The default PC baud rate setting on the Communications Setup dialog box is
19200. If you change the PC baud rate setting, you must also change the
recorders baud rate setting on the Terminal window with the BAUDRATE
command as described here.
1. Select File, Comm Settings, and Communications in QuickTalk.
The Communications Setup dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 22.
2. Select the COM port and baud rate and click OK.
Figure 2-2: Communications Setup Dialog Box
3. Select Window and Terminal Window. The Terminal window

opens.
4. If the * prompt does not appear, enter \\\ (three backslash characters
followed by the ENTER key) to put the recorder in Monitor mode.
Enter \\\ more than once if necessary.
5. If the recorder doesn't respond, or if the Terminal window displays
garbage, use the auto-baud rate sequence to temporarily reset the
recorders baud rate setting to match the PCs baud rate setting. In
QuickTalk, press CTRL+B twice within five seconds to send two break
characters to the recorder. This starts the auto-baud rate sequence and
cycles the recorder's baud rate to the next lowest rate. The recorder
sends a baud rate message to the Terminal window.
6. If the recorder does not respond, or if the Terminal window displays
Terminal window is legible. (Nine breaks will cycle through all
possible baud rates.)
7. When the message is legible, enter \\\\ (four backslash characters
followed by the ENTER key) until the * prompt appears.
2-5
inactivity.
To permanently set the recorder baud rate, enter BAU rate in the
Terminal window, where rate is the baud rate set on the
Communications Setup dialog box in Step 2 (115200, 57600, 38400,
19200, 9600, 4800, 2400, or 1400).
The QuickTalk baud rate setting displays in the lower right corner of the
main window.
Using an Alternate Communication

Parameters File
The file qtw.qtw contains the COM port and baud rate settings that
QuickTalk uses to communicate with the Altus recorder. Optionally, you
can create additional .qtw files with alternate communications settings as
follows:
1. Select File, then Comm Settings and Communications. The
Communication Setup dialog box opens.
2. Change the modem and baud rate settings as desired and click on OK.
3. Select File and Save As. The Save File As dialog box opens.
4. Change the filename to something other than qtw.qtw. (The file must
still end with a .qtw extension.) Click on OK.
5. To communicate with the recorder, you must return the baud rate to
its original setting on the Communications Setup window, or change
the baud rate setting on the recorder as described in the Changing
COM Port and Baud Rate Settings section above.
Using an Alternate .qtw File

1. Select File and Close. The QuickTalk windows will close.
2. Select File and Open (or click on the Open Parameter File icon). The
Open File dialog box opens.
3. Double-click on the name of the alternate .qtw file.
Setting PC Modem Parameters

Unless the recorder and the PC are linked directly with an RS-232 cable,
your installation includes two modems: the external or internal PCMCIA
modem on the recorder, and an internal or external PC modem. The two
2-6
Kinemetrics
Using QuickTalk
modems connect via your telecommunications carrier to enable the recorder

and the PC to exchange data.
To edit PC modem parameters, select File, Comm Settings, and Modem.
(PC modem parameters can also be edited from the Terminal window; see
Chapter 5.) The PC Modem Parameters dialog box opens, as shown in
Figure 2-3.
To edit Altus recorder modem parameters, use the QuickTalk Parameter
Editor as described in Chapter 3.
This dialog box includes the following fields:
Initialization Command
Modem initialization command string. The recommended string for a
Hayes-compatible modem is ATE1Q0V1X4&C1&D2 S7=55 S11=55 S0=1.
This string does the following:
Enables character echo.
Returns result codes in verbose form.
Tracks the presence of the data carrier.
Hangs up when DTR changes from on to off.
Waits for up to 55 seconds for a dial tone.
Uses 55-millisecond tone/spacing duration.
Answers the phone on the first ring.
Note:
These parameters can be used with other programs besides

QuickTalk to receive calls from the recorder. Make sure to include
S0=1 in the PCs modem initialization string to enable the PC
modem to answer incoming calls from the recorder.
Figure 2-3: PC Modem Parameters Dialog Box
Dialing Prefix
Modem dialing prefix command string up to 15 characters long.
2-7
Dialing Suffix
Modem dialing suffix command string up to 15 characters long.
Hangup Command
Modem hangup command string up to 15 characters long.
Auto Answer On Command
Modem automatic answer enable command string.
Auto Answer Off Command
Modem automatic answer disable command string.
Wait For Connection
Time in seconds to wait for the recorder modem to respond. The maximum
setting is 255 seconds.
Pause Between Calls
Amount of time between redialing attempts. The maximum is 255 seconds.
Maximum Dial Attempts
Number of redial attempts before giving up. The maximum is 255 attempts.
Setting Sensor Properties

Use QuickTalk to set sensor parameters for each channel on the recorder.
Select Utility and Sensor to set sensor parameters. The Sensor Parameters
dialog box opens, as shown in Figure 2-4 (entries on this dialog box appear
in read-only fields in the QuickTalk Parameter Editor).
Note:
Do not change the settings for an internal FBA sensor unless it has
been re-calibrated from the original factory settings.

Edit Channel
Click on Next or Previous to select the channel to edit, or use the pull-down
arrow to select a channel number.
Type
Sensor name and type; the default entry is factory-set. Possible entries are
Unknown (acceleration), Unknown (velocity), FBA11, 4gFBA, 2gFBA,
1gFBA, 0.5gFBA, 0.25gFBA, 0.1gFBA, FBA23, and WR1.
Serial Number
Sensor serial number (read-only); the default entry is factory-set. This is a
value between 1 and 65535.
Gain
Amount of amplification applied to a signal; this value must be set to 1
unless the recorder is equipped with a gain board.
Full Scale
Full scale value in volts; the default factory setting is 2.5V.
2-8
Kinemetrics
Using QuickTalk
Figure 2-4: Sensor Parameters Dialog Box
Sensitivity
Sensor motion sensitivity. This is factory-set in volts per g for force balance
accelerometers (FBAs). 1g FBA equals 2.5V, 2g FBA = 1.25V, and so on.
Natural Frequency
Sensor natural frequency in Hz; the default entry is factory-set between
0.0000 and 100.0000.
Damping
Sensor damping value. In the case of an internal sensor, the default entry is
factory-set between 0.0 and 1.0.
Viewing Altus Recorder Messages

The Message window displays information messages from the Altus
recorder, as shown in Figure 2-5.
The Message window opens automatically when your start QuickTalk. If
this window is closed, reopen it by selecting Window and Message
Window. Click anywhere in the Message window to make it active.
Copying the Contents of the Messages Window

Select Edit and Open Log File to open a log file to record the contents of
the Messages window. The default filename is c:\altus\qtw.log.
2-9
Select Edit and Close Log File to close the log file before viewing its
contents with a text editor.
Figure 2-5: Message Window
Checking Altus Recorder Status

The Status window displays the real-time status of the Altus recorder. It
opens automatically when QuickTalk starts, as shown in Figure 2-6.
If this window is closed, reopen it by selecting Window and Status
Window. Click anywhere in the Status window to make it active.
Check this window to see if the alarm has been triggered. If it has, it means
that the alarm trigger threshold on the recorder has been exceeded. Reset the
alarm and retrieve event files from the Altus to the PC as described below.
(Or, retrieve event files from the Terminal window.)
Figure 2-6: Status Window
Changing the Update Interval

Recorder status information is updated at set intervals; the default update
interval is 5 seconds. To adjust the update interval, click on the Update
Interval button in the Status window.
2-10
Kinemetrics
Using QuickTalk
Note:
Keep in mind that if the update interval is shortened, the PC takes

longer to transfer files to and from the recorder because the system
must pause repeatedly to update the display in the Status window.
Changing the Recorder Date & Time

Click on the Set Time button in the Status window. The Status Setup
window opens. Enter the date and time, or click on the PC Time button to
synchronize the recorder with the PC clock. Then click on OK.
Note:
Data acquisition is automatically stopped and restarted when you

set recorder time.
Refreshing the Status Display

Recorder status information can be updated immediately by clicking on the
Refresh button in the Status window, or by selecting Window and Refresh
Status.
Resetting the Alarm

Click on the Reset Alarm button in the Status window to reset the alarm
after an event. The entry in the Alarm field changes to Alarm not
triggered (this button is grayed out until the alarm is triggered).
Viewing Altus Recorder Directories

Use the Directory Window to display and retrieve files on the Altus
recorder, as shown in Figure 2-7. It opens automatically when the
QuickTalk software is started.
Figure 2-7: Directory Window
If this window is closed, select Window and Directory Window to reopen

it. Click anywhere in the Directory window to make it active; the Directory
menu item will become active on the QuickTalk toolbar. Click the right
mouse button in the Directory window to display the options available under
this menu item.
2-11
Displaying the Contents of the Recorder Drives

Click on the A: or B: button in the Directory window to select the Altus
drive to display.
The recorders directory structure is similar to the one used by a PC. Each
drive has two main directories: \tmp for internal use, and \evt. Event files are
saved in the \evt directory, which contains subdirectories for each date on
which events are recorded, unless the drive uses a flat file system (specified
on the Terminal window with the AQ FILE command). Subdirectory names
are based on the date. For example, the subdirectory name for events
recorded on December 15, 1997 would be \971215.
Double-click on the name of a directory entry to view its contents. An
upper-case A displays after the names of event files which have not yet been
retrieved to the PC.
Refreshing the Directory Display

Click on the Refresh button in the Directory window to update the directory
display.
Sorting the Directory Display

Select Directory and any of the following:
Sort by Date
Sort by Size
Sort by Name
Reverse Sort Order
Retrieving Event Files

There are several ways to retrieve an event file from the Altus recorder to a
PC:
Select the name of the event file to retrieve in the Directory window and
click on the Retrieve File button.
Or, select the name of the event file to retrieve in the Directory window,
then select Directory and Retrieve File.
Or, double-click on the filename in the Directory window.
As in other Windows programs, use the SHIFT or CONTROL key to select
multiple files. The Directory window shows the amount of time remaining
for the file transfer.
Deleting an Event File or a Directory

Select the filename, then select Directory and Delete File, or press the
DELETE key. Use the SHIFT or CONTROL key to select multiple files. An
empty directory can be deleted.
2-12
Kinemetrics
Using QuickTalk
Managing Recorder Disk Space

You should regularly delete all event files on the recorder after retrieving
the files to a PC. This will conserve disk space on the recorders PCMCIA
card or cards. New events cannot be recorded if the PCMCIA cards become
full.
Formatting Recorder Drives

Additional PCMCIA cards, or those not purchased directly from
Kinemetrics, must be formatted in the recorder with the FORMAT
command. (PCMCIA cards purchased from Kinemetrics with a new
recorder are already formatted.) Refer to the Formatting Altus Recorder
Drives section in Chapter 1.
Viewing Real-Time Streaming

Serial Data
Real-time streaming serial data can be viewed with a user-created
communications program, or with the Steaming window in QuickTalk, as
described here. Refer to the Configuring Streaming Data section in Chapter
1 of this manual for additional requirements.
Note:
Real-time streaming serial data is available only on K2 and Mt.

Whitney units with firmware version 2.20 and later.
The Streaming Window toolbar button, as well as the Streaming window

item on the pull-down menu, is under development. Mode 1 support is fully
implemented in Release 2.08 of the QuickTalk software.
Click on the Streaming Window icon ( ) on the toolbar, or select Recorder
and Streaming Data Control. The Streaming Data Control dialog box opens.
4. Put a check in the Graphic Display box, and a check next to On in the
On/Off field. Then click on OK.
The Streaming window opens and displays the data stream (the number of
channels displayed is configured on the Serial Data Streams dialog box as
described in Chapter 3 of this manual.
Turning Off the Real-Time Streaming Data Display

To turn off the streaming data display, close the Streaming window. The
recorder will still transmit the data stream even if it isnt displayed. Refer to
the Configuring Streaming Data section in Chapter 1 of this manual for
instructions on how to turn off the data stream.
2-13
3. Using the QuickTalk

Parameter Editor
Overview
Use the QuickTalk Parameter Editor to edit parameter settings on the Altus
recorder. Data acquisition is automatically stopped and restarted when
recorder parameters are changed using the QuickTalk Parameter Editor.
You can also use the Parameter Editor via the command-line interface in the
Terminal window as described in the Parameter Editor Commands section
in Chapter 5. Use the AQ OFF and AQ ON commands to stop and restart
data acquisition.
To edit sensor parameters, use the Sensor Parameters dialog box as
described in the Editing Sensor Parameters section in Chapter 2.
Configuring an Altus Recorder

The manner in which an Altus recorder is configured is determined by siteand application-specific considerations. Refer to the recorders hardware
installation manual for more information about these considerations.
Starting the QuickTalk Parameter

Editor
Edit recorder parameters as follows:
1. If you haven't already done so, select Recorder and Send Password.
Enter the recorder password and click OK. (Skip this step if there is
no password set on the recorder).
2. From within QuickTalk, select Recorder and Acquisition Control.
The Acquisition Control dialog box appears.
3. Click on Edit Parameters. The Edit Parameters dialog box appears,
as shown in Figure 3-1.
4. In the Read/Receive field, click on From Recorder to read the
existing parameters file from the Altus recorder, or click on From
3-1
Disk to edit a parameters file that has been saved to a disk (if you
select From Disk, the Open File dialog box appears).
Figure 3-1: Edit Parameters Dialog Box
5. Click on any of the following:

Station
Modem
Streams
Timing
Channels
Digital Field Station
Serial Data Streams Transmission
The appropriate dialog box opens. Refer to the information provided
for each dialog box in the following sections in this chapter. (A
yellow dot will appear on the associated button when changes are
made.)
6. When finished, click on the To Recorder button on the Edit
Parameters dialog box to save changes to the recorder parameters file,
or click on To Disk to save changes to a parameters file on disk. (If
you select To Disk, the Save dialog box opens.)
7. Then click on OK to save your changes, or click on Cancel to close
the Edit Parameters dialog box without saving your changes. (If To
Recorder is selected, data acquisition stops automatically and then
restarts when the parameters file is updated on the recorder.)
8. Click on Close to close the dialog box.
3-2
Kinemetrics
Editing Parameters
Default Parameter Settings

Table 3-1 shows Altus recorder default parameter settings. Change these
settings with the QuickTalk Parameter Editor (or from the Terminal window
Parameter Editor).
To return all Altus parameters settings to these factory defaults, use the
DEFAULT command in the Terminal window.
Table 3-1: Altus Recorder Default Parameter Settings
Parameters
Default Setting
Change Settings on
Dialog Box
Station ID
Blank.
Station
Serial Number
Factory-set; read-only.
Station
Channel Selection
1-3
Station
Number of Channels
Station
Location
Latitude: 0
Longitude: 0
Elevation: 0
Station
IRIG Type
IRIG Type: IRIG-E
Station
Comment
Default parameters
Station
User Codes
Station
AT&FEO&C1SO=1
Modem
Dialing Prefix
ATDT
Modem
Dialing Suffix
Blank.
Modem
Hangup Command
ATHO
Modem
Auto Answer On
ATSO=1
Modem
Auto Answer Off
ATSO=0
Modem
Primary Phone Number
None.
Modem
Secondary Phone
Number
None.
Modem
Wait for Connection
45 seconds
Modem
Pause Between Calls
10 seconds
Modem
2 attempts
Modem
Autocall Mode
Disabled.
Modem
Stream Properties
Pre-event time: 10
seconds
Post-event time: 10
seconds
Minimum run time: 0
Streams
3-3
Parameters
Default Setting
Change Settings on
Dialog Box
Primary Storage
PCMCIA A:
Streams
Secondary Storage
PCMCIA A:
Streams
Sampling Rate
200 samples per second
Streams
Final Anti-Alias Filter
Non-causal
Streams
Stream Trigger Sources

& Weights
Channels 1-4: 1
Network: 1
Keyboard: 1
External: 1
Trigger weights: 1
Detrigger weights: 1
Streams
UTC Offset
0 hours
Timing
GPS Power-On Interval
30 minutes
Timing
GPS Maximum PowerOn Duration
30 minutes
Timing
Sensor ID*
Blank; this is set on the

Sensor Parameters dialog
box.
Channels
Sensor Type*
Read-only.
Channels
Sensor Serial Number*
0 (Read-only.)
Channels
Sensor Gain*
1(Read-only.)
Channels
Sensor Full Scale*
2.5 (Read-only.)
Channels
Sensor Damping*
0.0 (Read-only.)
Channels
Sensor Sensitivity*
1.25V (Read-only.)
Channels
Sensor Natural
Frequency*
0.0 Hz (Read-only.)
Channels
*Default values are read from the internal FBA deck, if installed, or from the software.
3-4
Sensor Relative Position
North: 0
East: 0
Up: 0
Altitude: 0
Azimuth: 0
Channels
Threshold Trigger
2 % of full scale
Channels
Threshold Detrigger
2% of full scale
Channels
Alarm Trigger
2% of full scale
Channels
Trigger Filter
Strong Motion
Channels
Trigger Type
Threshold
Channels
STA Length
1.0 (only if STA/LTA
Channels
Kinemetrics
Editing Parameters
Parameters
Default Setting
Change Settings on
Dialog Box
filter is selected)
LTA Length
60 (only if STA/LTA filter

is selected)
Channels
STA/LTA Trigger Ratio
4 (only if STA/LTA filter

is selected)
Channels
STA/LTA Detrigger
Ratio
40% (only if STA/LTA

filter is selected)
Channels
Note:
Not all instruments support STA/LTA capability and real-time

streaming serial data. These features are available on K2 and Mt.
Whitney units with application firmware revisions 2.20 and later.
If the recorder does not support STA/LTA triggering, related selections
are disabled within QuickTalk.
Output Data Channels
None selected
Baud Rate/DFS Off
Off
Output Protocol
CRLF: 16-bit, up to 3
channels
Mode
Mode 1 (continuous data

stream, only mode
supported by QuickTalk)
Serial Data Streams

Transmission
Data Format
Uncompressed data
(24-bit)
Serial Data Streams

Transmission
Transmit Data Channels
1-6 (or 1-4, depending on

capacity of the instrument.)
Serial Data Streams

Transmission
Buffer Size
64
Serial Data Streams

Transmission
Transmit Sample Rate
100 samples per second
Serial Data Streams

Transmission
Transmit Samples Per

Block
100 (Read-only)
Serial Data Streams

Transmission
Mode 2 Configuration
64
Serial Data Streams

Transmission
Setting Station Parameters

Use the Station Parameter window to edit general station parameters. Select
Recorder and Acquisition Control, then click on Edit Parameters. The
Edit Parameters dialog box appears; click on From Recorder or From Disk
to specify the source of the parameter file to edit. Then click on Station.
The Station Parameter dialog box is shown in Figure 3-2.
3-5
Figure 3-2: Station Parameters Dialog Box

Station ID
A unique string of up to four alphanumeric characters used to identify the
recorder.
Serial Number
Recorder serial number (read-only), a value from 100 to 65535; the default
is factory-set.
Channels
Physical channels to record. Put a check mark next to each channel to
record. (Linked to the Number of Channels field.)
Number of Channels
Physical channels to record. Selection starts sequentially with Channel 1.
(Linked to Channels check boxes.)
Latitude
Latitude of the recorder in degrees north 90.0000 .
Longitude
Longitude of the recorder in degrees east 180.0000 .
Elevation
Elevation of the recorder 32000 meters above sea level.
IRIG Type
Serial time code generated by the recorder.
Comment
Enter a comment up to 32 characters long.
3-6
Kinemetrics
Editing Parameters
User Codes
Enter your own codes here. This must be an integer between -32768 and
32767.
Setting Modem Parameters

Use the Modem Parameter dialog box to edit recorder modem parameters
(edit PC modem parameters as described in the Setting PC Modem
Parameters section in Chapter 2).
Note:
The Modem Parameter dialog box includes a Suggested Settings

button that automatically returns all parameters to their default
settings.
Set modem parameters as follows:

1. Select Recorder and Acquisition Control.
2. Click on Edit Parameters. The Edit Parameters dialog box appears.
3. Click on From Recorder or From Disk to specify the source of the
parameter file to edit.
4. Click on Modem. The Altus Modem Parameters dialog box is shown
in Figure 3-3.
Figure 3-3: Altus Modem Parameters
3-7
Modem initialization command string. The recommended string for a Hayes
compatible modem is AT&F E0&C1 S0=1. This string does the following:
Restores hardware handshaking (factory default).
Disables command mode echo.
Tracks the presence of the data carrier.
Answers the phone on the first ring.
Caution: Make sure to include E0 and S0=1 in the modem's initialization
string. E0 disables echo. If echo is left on, the recorder and modem can enter
a state where the modem will not answer the phone. S0=1 enables the
modem to automatically answer incoming calls. If it is not included, the
modem cannot answer the phone. You will have to visit the recorder site and
connect a PC directly to the modem with an RS-232 cable in order to reset
modem parameters.
Dialing Prefix
Modem dialing prefix command string up to 15 characters long.
Dialing Suffix
Modem dialing suffix command string up to 15 characters long.
Hangup Command
Modem hang up command string up to 15 characters long.
Auto Answer On Command
Modem automatic answer enable command string.
Auto Answer Off Command
Modem automatic answer disable command string.
Primary Phone Number
Telephone number to call when the recorders alarm is triggered. (The
Autocall feature must be enabled; see below.) The number can have up to 23
digits.
Secondary Phone Number
Telephone number to call if the primary phone is busy. The number can
have up to 23 digits.
Wait For Connection
Time in seconds to wait for the PC modem to respond. The maximum
setting is 255 seconds.
Pause Between Calls
Amount of time between redialing attempts. The maximum is 255 seconds.
Number of redial attempts before giving up. The maximum is 255 attempts.
3-8
Kinemetrics
Editing Parameters
Enabling the Autocall Feature

Put a check mark next to Enable Auto-Call Mode on the Altus Modem
Parameters dialog box to enable Auto-Answer Mode. This enables the
recorder to answer incoming calls.
Put a check mark next to the following Autocall items if you want the
recorder to call out to the PC if the specified condition occurs:
A new event is detected.
Battery voltage falls below 12 volts.
Loss of DC power input.
The GPS (global positioning system) fails to lock within the specified time
limit.
The temperature falls below -20C or rises above 60C.
If the Autocall feature is enabled, the system enters Autocall mode during
system start-up or after five minutes of inactivity. Enter the CALLMODE or
ANSWERMODE command from the Terminal window to enter Autocall
mode whether the Autocall feature is enabled or not.
Setting Stream Parameters

A stream is a group of channels with common properties. Use the Stream
Parameter window to edit stream-related parameters.
Note:
Currently, Altus recorders support a single data stream only.
To edit stream-related parameters:

4. Click on Streams. The Stream Parameters dialog box is shown in
Figure 3-4.
Click on the Suggested Settings button on this dialog box to automatically
return all parameters to their default settings. This dialog box includes the
following fields:
Pre-event Time
Amount of buffered data recorded prior to a trigger. The maximum setting is
65000 seconds, but is limited by the number of channels selected, the size of
the MCU board memory (KMI P/N 109445), and the sample-per-second
rate. Refer to Table 3-2 for K2 and Mt. Whitney pre-event time guidelines.
Table 3-3 shows Etna pre-event time guidelines.
3-9
Note:
K2 units can be installed with either P/N 109445-01 or P/N

109445-02. Mt. Whitney units use P/N 109445-02 only. Etna and
Etna-SI units are installed with P/N 109850.
Figure 3-4: Stream Parameters Dialog Box
Post-event Time
Amount of time between detrigger and when the recorder stops recording.
The maximum setting is 65000 seconds.
Minimum Run Time:
Minimum duration of an event file. The maximum setting is 65000 seconds.
Primary Storage
PCMCIA device to save events. This parameter is required for data
recording. Specify drive A: or drive B:.
Secondary Storage
Backup PCMCIA device to save events. Specify drive A: or drive B:.
Sampling Rate
Sampling rate in samples per second. Possible settings are 100, 200 (the
default), and 250.
Note:
The Sampling Rate must be set to 100 samples per second in order
for real-time streaming serial data transmission to work properly.
Final Anti-Alias Filter

FIR filter for digitized data. Select Non-causal for an FIR filter with a
symmetrical impulse response and ringing before the onset of a signal.
3-10
Kinemetrics
Editing Parameters
Select Causal for an FIR filter with an asymmetrical impulse and no ringing
before the signal, but more ringing after the onset.
Table 3-2: K2 and Mt. Whitney Pre-Event Time Guidelines
No. of
Channels
Selected
109445-01Maximum Pre-Event Times

(seconds)
109445-02Maximum Pre-Event Times

(seconds)
Scan Rate (samples per second)
100
200
250
100
200
250
200
131
111
623
416
356
131
75
61
416
247
205
96
50
40
311
174
142
75
37
28
247
133
107
61
28
21
205
107
85
50
22
16
174
89
70
43
17
12
151
75
59
37
14
133
65
51
32
11
119
57
44
10
28
107
51
39
11
25
97
45
34
12
22
89
41
31
13
82
37
28
14
75
34
25
15
70
31
22
16
65
28
20
17
61
26
19
18
57
24
17
Stream Trigger Sources and Weights

Votes counted towards the stream trigger threshold. When the individual
source votes total equals or exceeds the stream trigger threshold, the
recorder begins to record the event.
Once triggered, a source's votes are counted toward the stream detrigger
threshold while the filtered signal is greater than its specified percent of full
scale. When the total of the individual source votes drops below the stream
detrigger threshold, the recorder stops recording after the assigned Postevent Time.
Network
Not currently implemented.
3-11
Table 3-3: Etna and Etna-SI Pre-Event Time Guidelines

No. of Channels
Selected
109850 Maximum Pre-Event Times

(seconds)
100
200
250
200
131
111
131
75
61
96
50
40
Keyboard
Votes assigned to the keyboard trigger. To trigger the recorder from the
keyboard alone, the votes specified here must be greater than the stream
trigger threshold. A keyboard detrigger is assigned the same number of
votes. The range is -100 to 100.
External
Votes assigned to the external trigger input signal. To trigger the recorder
the external trigger alone, the votes specified here must be equal to or
greater than the stream trigger threshold. The same number of votes are
assigned to the signal for a trigger (signal asserted) as to a detrigger (signal
not asserted). The range is -100 to 100.
Detrigger Weight
Total votes to detrigger. The recorder stops recording when the sum of
weighted votes from the selected detrigger source falls below this value, and
the Post-event Time elapses. The range is 1 to 10000. This value should be
less than or equal to the Trigger Weight.
Trigger Weight
Total votes to trigger; the recorder starts recording when the sum of
weighted votes from the selected trigger sources equals or exceeds this
value. The range is 1 to 10000.
Note:
Trigger and Detrigger Thresholds are defined on the Channel

Parameters dialog box.
Total Weight
Read-only field that displays the current number of votes needed to trigger.
Consider the following two trigger voting examples:
Example 1
Assign one vote to channels 1, 2, 3, and the external source. Assign one vote
in the Trigger Weight field. Any one source of the four will trigger the
system.
3-12
Kinemetrics
Editing Parameters
Example 2
Assign one vote to channels 1, 2, and 3 respectively, and 2 votes to the
keyboard. Assign two votes in the Trigger Weight field. Any combination of
two channels will trigger the system, or the keyboard alone will trigger it.
Setting Timing Parameters

The Altus recorder keeps time in its internal real-time clock. If the recorder
has a GPS board, the date and time can also be set via a GPS receiver. Use
the Timing Parameters dialog box to edit timing-related parameters.
Note:
Changes to the GPS parameters take effect when the GPS receiver
is next powered up, or during the next system reset.
To edit timing-related parameters:

4. Click on Timing. The Timing Parameters dialog box is shown in
Figure 3-5.
Figure 3-5: Timing Parameters Dialog Box
Click on the Suggested Settings button to return all parameters to their

default settings. This dialog box includes the following fields:
UTC Offset
Number of hours the recorder clock is set ahead of (positive offset) or
behind (negative offset) the Universal Time Clock. The range is -24 to 24.
Power On Interval
Maximum number of minutes the recorder will wait after a GPS update
cycle before repowering the GPS receiver. If this value is set to zero and the
3-13
Maximum Power On Duration is greater than zero, the GPS receiver is

powered continuously. The maximum setting is 255 minutes.
Maximum Power-On Duration
Maximum number of minutes the GPS receiver is given to lock with a valid
time signal. Normally, the GPS acquires the time and the recorder
resynchronizes its clock, then powers down automatically.
If the GPS receiver cannot lock before exceeding the Maximum Power-On
Duration, the recorder powers down the GPS receiver and a Failure to
Lock error appears in the Message window. Set this parameter to zero to
prevent the GPS receiver from powering up. The maximum setting is 255
minutes.
Setting Channel Parameters

Use the Channel Parameters dialog box to edit channel-related parameters.
Edit channel-related parameters as follows:
4. Click on Channels. The Channel Parameters dialog box appears, as
shown in Figure 3-6.
Figure 3-6: Channel Parameters Dialog Box
3-14
Kinemetrics
Editing Parameters
Note:
STA/LTA triggering is available only on K2 and Mt. Whitney units

with firmware version 2.20 and later. (Use the VERSION command
in the Terminal window to check the firmware version number.) If
the recorder does not support STA/LTA triggering, related
selections are disabled within QuickTalk.

default settings. Sensor property parameters are all set on the Sensor
Parameters dialog box described in the Setting Sensor Properties section in
Chapter 2. Default parameters are read from the internal FBA deck, if
installed, or from the software.
Edit Channel
Click on Next or Previous to select the channel to edit, or use the pull-down
arrow to select a channel number.
ID
Channel identification string of up to 4 alphanumeric characters.
North
Northward sensor displacement relative to the Altus recorder. This value is
32000 meters.
East
Eastward sensor displacement relative to the Altus recorder. This value is
32000 meters.
Up
Upward sensor displacement relative to the Altus recorder. This value is
32000 meters.
Altitude
Zenith = +90 , horizontal = 0 , nadir = -90. This indicates the sensitive axis
of the channel in the vertical plane.
Azimuth
Degree of differentiation from north, a value between 0 and 359, clockwise
from north. This indicates the sensitive axis of the channel in the horizontal
plane.
Trigger Thresholds
Trigger thresholds are a percentage of full scale (Threshold Trigger only).
Event Trigger
Channel trigger threshold. A channel is triggered if the filtered signal
exceeds this value. Enter this value as a percent of full scale, 0.001% to
100.0000% (Threshold Trigger only).
Event Detrigger
Channel detrigger threshold. After the channel triggers, it stays triggered
until the filtered signal falls below this value. Enter this value as a percent of
full scale, 0.001% to 100.0000% (Threshold Trigger only).
3-15
Alarm Trigger
Channel alarm trigger threshold; the alarm is triggered when the filtered
signal exceeds this value. Enter this value as a percent of full scale, 0.001%
to 100.0000% (Threshold Trigger only).
Filter
Type of trigger used by the recorder to determine when to begin recording.
Choices are Threshold (user-defined percent of full scale) and STA/LTA
(Short-Term Average/Long-Term Average; systems which support
STA/LTA triggering only).
Note:
Not all instruments support STA/LTA capability. It is available on

K2 and Mt. Whitney units with application firmware revisions 2.20
and later. (Use the VERSION command in the Terminal window to
check the firmware version number.) If the recorder does not
support STA/LTA triggering, related selections are disabled within
QuickTalk.
Type
Type of filter used by the instrument to determine the area of data used for
triggering purposes. Choices include IIR-A, Classic Strong Motion
Bandpass Filter (the default), and IIR-C. See Table 3-4 for more
information. Refer to your recorder hardware manual for more information
about selecting the filter type.
Table 3-4: Trigger Filter Bandwidth Table (in Hz)
Recording Sample Rate ( in Bytes Per Second)
Filter Type
100
200
250
IIR-A
0.6-10
1.2-20
1.5-25
Classic StrongMotion Bandpass

Filter
0.05-6.25
0.1-12.5
0.125-15
IIR-C
1-20
2-40
2.5-50
STA Length
Length of the Short-Term Average used in trigger calculation (STA/LTA
Filter only).
LTA Length
Length of the Long-Term Average used in trigger calculation (STA/LTA
Filter only).
STA/LTA Trig Ratio
System triggers when the current STA/LTA ratio is greater than the set
STA/LTA trigger ratio.
STA/LTA Detrig Ratio
System detriggers when the current STA/LTA ratio is less than the product
of the set trigger ratio multiplied by the set detrigger ratio percentage.
3-16
Kinemetrics
Editing Parameters
Setting Digital Field Station

Parameters
Use the Digital Field Station Parameters dialog box to edit digital field
station parameters (not all options may appear, depending on your MCU
software version). One version of that dialog box appears in Figure 3-7
below.
Edit digital field station parameters as follows:
4. Click on Digital Field Station.
Figure 3-7: Digital Field Station Dialog Box
The Digital Field Station Parameters dialog box can include the following
fields:
Output Data Channels
Check the channels sent to the auxiliary RS-232 connection.
System Sample Rate
System sample rate (read-only).
Baud Rate/DFS Off
Select the baud rate for the auxiliary RS-232 connection, or turn it off.
Output Protocol
Auxiliary RS-232 output data format. The default is CRLF, 16-bit, up to
three channels. The other option is n-channel, 10 Hz, 15-bit unfiltered data.
3-17
Setting Real-Time Streaming Serial

Data Parameters
Use the Serial Data Streams Transmission dialog box to specify parameters
for real-time streaming serial data transmission from the recorder to the PC.
The parameters defined here must correspond with a user-created
communications program to process streaming data. (Or, view streaming
Data in the Streaming window in QuickTalk.)
Note:
For real-time streaming serial data transmission to work, the

Transmit Sample Rate must be set to 100 on the Serial Data
Streams Transmission dialog box, and the Recording Sample Rate
must be set to 100 samples per second on the Streams Parameters
dialog box.
Figure 3-8: Serial Data Streams Transmission Dialog Box
Specify parameters for streaming data transmission from the recorder to the
PC as follows:
4. Click on Serial Data. The Serial Data Streams Transmission dialog
box appears, as shown in Figure 3-8.
3-18
Kinemetrics
Editing Parameters

Mode
Protocol definition for the serial data stream. Mode 1: Data is sent in a
continuous stream (the default). Mode 2: A CONTINUE command is
required from the user communication program at a user-defined interval.
Mode 3: A command is required from the user communication program for
each packet of data. Mode 1 is the only mode currently supported by
QuickTalk.
Mode 2 Configuration
Frequency with which the communications program from the host will need
to send a CONTINUE command to keep the stream transmitting.
Data Format
Packet data format: Select either 24-bit uncompressed (the default), or
Difference data compression.
Transmit Data Channels
Channels transmitted in the data stream, in ascending order. The default is
1-4 (if your recorder supports only four channels), or 1-6.
Note:
Set the Transmit Data Channels field according to the speed of the
baud rate the PC uses to communicate with the recorder. Channels
1 through 6 (the default setting) transmit in a timely fashion if the
PC and the recorder are set to a baud rate of 19200 or higher. At
baud rates of 9600 and below, do not select more than one or two
channels for transmission in the data stream, because the system
will run very slowly.
Buffer Size
Size of the buffer file on the recorder which buffers packets before
transmission (the default is 64, or approximately 1 Mg).
Transmit Sample Rate
Rate at which transmission samples are sent from the recorder to the PC.
This must be set to 100 samples per second in order for streaming data
transmission to work. Or, set this to 0 to turn off streaming data.
Transmit Samples Per Block
Number of data samples included in each packet sent from the recorder to
the PC. This is always set to 100.
3-19
3-20
Kinemetrics
Editing Parameters
4. Using QuickLook &

Viewing Retrieved Files
Overview
This chapter explains how to start the QuickLook software, and how to view
event files retrieved from an Altus recorder. Use QuickTalk to retrieve event
files from the recorder before viewing them with QuickLook.
QuickLook Screen Resolution Limits

The maximum number of channels that can display at one time with full
channel-label information is limited by the number of data channels in the
event file, or by the resolution of your PC screen.
Note:
QuickLook is intended for use on a full screen to make use of the

maximum number of pixels for display.
Screen resolution limits in QuickLook are shown in Table 4-1.

Table 4-1: QuickLook Screen Resolution Limits
Screen Resolution
Channel Limit
VGA, 640 x 480
SVGA, 800 x 600
1024, 1024 x 768
Starting & Exiting QuickLook

To start QuickLook from within QuickTalk, select Window and
QuickLook Window, or double-click on the Run QuickLook icon ( ) on
the QuickTalk toolbar. The Run QuickLook dialog box opens, as shown in
Figure 4-1.
Exit QuickLook just as you would any other Windows programs: Doubleclick in the upper left-hand corner of the window, or select File and Exit.
4-1
Opening an Event File

When QuickLook starts, the Run QuickLook dialog box makes accessible
event files recently retrieved from the Altus recorder. In Figure 4-1, this is
an event file named if005.evt.
Use the Add button to add previously retrieved event files to the Select
Event File to View list.
Figure 4-1: Run QuickLook Dialog Box
Changing the Path

Click on the Path button to change the event file path. The default pathname
for event files retrieved to the PC from the recorder is c:\altus, but event
files can be stored anywhere on the PC.
Adding Files to the List

1. Click the Add button. The Open window appears and lists the event
files available in the specified path.
2. Double-click on the name of the event file to view.
Removing Files from the List

Select the name of the event file to remove from the list, then click the
Remove button. (The file is not deleted from the PC.)
Viewing an Event File

Select an event filename and click the View button. Or, double-click on the
filename. The QuickLook window opens displaying the trace, as shown in
Figure 4-2.
4-2
Kinemetrics
Using QuickLook
To open additional event files from within QuickLook, select File and
OpenNew. The Open dialog box appears.
The QuickLook Window

Figure 4-2 shows the QuickLook window and its components.
Figure 4-2: QuickLook Window
Screen Information
box
Upper Window
Zoom Box
Time Box
Lower window
Channel
Information box
Zoom Cursor
Upper Window
A single channel displays in the Upper Window; the default display is the
first channel. Select Channel and Display (or press CTRL+D) to select a
different channel to display. The Display dialog box opens; put a check
mark in the box next to the channel to display and click on OK.
The Upper Window displays all data points of the displayed channel. The
channel-data area condensation factor displays in the Screen Information
box the Cond field. The time code displays at the bottom of the Lower
Window.
When the number of data points exceeds the number of screen pixels
available, the display is condensed.
Using the Zoom Box

The Zoom Box is the movable rectangle in the Upper Window. It defines
the data points displayed in the Lower Window.
Move the Zoom Box with the LEFT ARROW and RIGHT ARROW on the
keyboard, or by clicking the left mouse button in the Upper Window. When
a file is opened the Zoom Box covers the entire file. Its size must be
decreased before it can be moved.
4-3
To open the Zoom Box and manipulate its size, select ZoomSize and any of
the following:
Out by 2. Doubles the size of the Zoom Box and the amount of data
displayed in the Lower Window. The Zoom Box expands from its center
point. (Or press CTRL+O.)
In by 2. Halves the size of the Zoom Box and the amount of data
displayed in the Lower Window. The Zoom Box decreases symmetrically
around its center point. (Or press CTRL+I.)
1:1. Displays the same number of data points as there are pixels in the
Lower Window. The Zoom Box moves to the beginning of the data. (Or
press CTRL+F1.)
Full File. Displays all data points in the Lower Window. (Or press
CTRL+F.)
To move the Zoom Box to the left of its current position, press the left
arrow key, or press CTRL+L, or click on the left arrow icon on the toolbar.
To move the Zoom Box to the right of its current position, press the right
arrow key, or press CTRL+R, or click on the right arrow icon on the toolbar.
Lower Window
The Lower Window displays the data points selected with the Zoom Box in
the Upper Window. When the data points selected exceed the number of
pixels available, the display is condensed; all data points still display on the
screen. The Zoom Box condensation factor displays in the Screen
Information box in the Zcond field.
The Lower Window can display more than one channel at a time. Select
Chan and Zoom (or press CTRL+M) to select the data channels to display in
the Lower Window. The Display Zoom dialog box opens; put a check mark
in the box next to the channels to display (or click All), then click on OK.
Using the Zoom Cursor

The Zoom Cursor is a temporary cursor in the Lower Window which
indicates the time and value of a particular data sample. Left-click the
mouse on the selected data point to display the time and value in the ZC
field of the Time Box. To move the Zoom Cursor, use the mouse to click on
the arrow icons on the toolbar, or press LEFT ARROW and RIGHT ARROW on
the keyboard.
Use the Zoom Cursor with the Digital-to-Analog (DAC) feature to
accurately determine the data value and time of a specific data point as
follows:
1. Reduce the size of the Zoom Box until the Zcond factor is less than
0.4:1.
2. Left-click the mouse on the flat part of the stair-step of the desired
data point.
4-4
Kinemetrics
Using QuickLook
3. Select Screen and Toggle DAC to toggle the DAC display feature to
on (a check mark appears next to this item on the pull-down menu if it
is turned on).
Note:
If the condensation factor is not less than 1.0:1, the data point value
is invalid and the time is approximate.
Time Box
The QuickLook Time box appears between the Upper and Lower Windows
and shows the Zoom Box beginning and ending times, the Zoom Cursor
time, and the duration of the event, as shown in Figure 4-3.
Figure 4-3: Time Box
Zoom Box
beginning time
Zoom Cursor Time
Zoom Box ending time
Upper Window ending

time
Channel Information Box

The vertical Channel Information box (on the right side of the screen)
contains information about the displayed channels (see Figure 4-4). Units
are in Volts.
When the number of selected channels is at or below the number determined
by the screen resolution, the channel labels contain the following
information about of the portion of the record displayed in the Upper
Window:
The channel number.
The channel ID.
Peak-to-peak voltage (the Vpp field).
Upper, center, and lower voltages (the Vmax, Vmd, and Vmin fields
respectively).
Figure 4-4: Channel Information Box
Maximum voltage.
Center voltage.
Minimum voltage.
Zoom Cursor voltage.

Peak-to-peak voltage.
4-5
When applicable, the dynamic Zoom Cursor voltage displays in green in the
Vzc field.
When the number of selected channels exceeds the screen resolution
number, the channel labels contain only the channel number and peak-topeak voltage. Each channel displays relative to the largest channel, noted at
the bottom of the Channel Information box. The upper, center, and lower
voltages for the largest channel display at the top of the Channel
Information box. The time code displays at the bottom of the Lower
Window; if no time code was recorded, a flat line displays.
Note:
The value of the Zoom Cursor data point is only valid if the DAC
feature is active and the condensation factor is less than 0.40.
Screen Information Box

Figure 4-5 shows the Screen Information box.
The status of the Autoscale, Relative, Digital-to-Analog, and VeryFast flags,
abbreviated as A, R, D, and V, are either on (1) or off (0).
Figure 4-5: Screen Information Box
Status of the display flags.
Condensation factor for data
in the Upper Window.
Maximum number of channels that

can be displayed with full channel
information labels/Number of
channels in the event file.
Condensation factor for data

in the lower window.
Using the
QuickLook Mouse
Left Mouse Button: Zoom Box & Zoom Cursor Control
Use the left mouse button to control the position of the Zoom Box in the
Upper Window, or to display the Zoom Cursor in the Lower Window.
Upper Window
Left-click the mouse in the Upper Window at the Zoom Box beginning
point. The display in the Lower Window changes to include only the points
inside the Zoom Box.
Lower Window
To activate the Zoom Cursor (a vertical line that highlights a particular data
point), left-click the mouse in the Lower Window. The time associated with
the point marked by the Zoom Cursor appears in the Time Box in the ZC
4-6
Kinemetrics
Using QuickLook
field. The data point value for each channel displays in the green Vzc field in
the Channel Information box (when the number of selected channels
exceeds the screen resolution number, only the Zoom Cursor time displays).
Note:
Time and data values are valid only if the Zcond factor is less than
0.4:1, the DAC feature is turned on, and you left-click the mouse in
the middle of the flat part of the stair-step display.
Right Mouse Button: Copying Data to the Clipboard

Use the right mouse button to capture a section of a window and copy it to
the Windows Clipboard.
The first click activates the cross-hair cursor (+). Move the mouse to the
upper left hand corner of the section of the area to capture, hold down the
right mouse button and drag the mouse to the lower right hand corner of the
screen. Then paste it into another application: for example, a Microsoft
Word document.
4-7
Using QuickLook Display Features

The following display features are available in the lower QuickLook
window. These display features are available on the toolbar under the
Screen menu item. The status of the Autoscale, Relative, Digital-to-Analog,
and VeryFast flags, abbreviated as A, R, D, and V in the Screen Information
box, are either on (1) or off (0).
Toggling the Autoscale Feature

When the Autoscale feature is enabled, as shown in Figure 4-6, each
channel of data is scaled to fill 97% of the available trace.
When the Autoscale feature is turned off, each of the traces in the Lower
Window are displayed in relative mode. Each channel is displayed on the
same scale as the largest amplitude trace (the Autoscale feature is ignored
when the Relative display feature is turned on).
Note:
When the number of channels selected for display in the zoom

window exceeds the screen resolution limit, the Autoscale feature is
ignored and traces display relative to the largest channel selected.
To toggle this feature, select Screen and Toggle Autoscale (or press
SHIFT+A).
Figure 4-6: Multiple Channels with Autoscale Display
4-8
Kinemetrics
Using QuickLook
Toggling Relative Display

The Relative display feature scales all of the data channels in the Lower
Window to the largest channel, as shown in Figure 4-7. If the Autoscale
feature is turned on, it is ignored.
When the number of channels selected for display exceeds the screen
resolution limit, the display is relative to the largest channel selected.
To toggle this feature, select Screen and Toggle Relative (or press
SHIFT+R).
Figure 4-7: Multiple Channels with Relative Display
Toggling Digital-to-Analog Display

When the Digital-to-Analog (DAC) feature is enabled and the condensation
factor is less than 1.0:1 (as shown in Figure 4-8), the display is a stair-step,
over and up, or over and down, for each voltage change of the data in the
zoom window. When the DAC feature is turned off, the regular data display
consists of a line drawn from one x,y data point to the next x,y data point as
a vector.
When the condensation factor is greater than 1.0:1, the display can use two
y values, a maximum and a minimum of the data points condensed, for each
x pixel; thus, all data are always displayed. The Upper Window
condensation factor appears in the Screen Information box in the Cond field.
The Lower Window condensation factor appears in the Zcond field.
4-9
Figure 4-8: Single Channel DAC Display Table
Note:
The DAC display is only valid when the number of data points to
be displayed is less than the number of screen pixels. When the
number of displayed data points exceeds the screen resolution limit,
data points are condensed.
To toggle this feature, select Screen and Toggle DAC (or press SHIFT+D).
Toggling VeryFast Display

When the VeryFast Display feature is enabled, QuickLook calculates which
data points would be plotted at the same x screen coordinates, saves the
minimum and maximum values in an array, and plots this array to the
screen.
Note:
This feature is only available when the condensation factor is

greater than 2:1.
To toggle this feature, select Screen and Toggle VeryFast (or press
SHIFT+V).
Printing the
QuickLook Window
To send the display to the selected Windows printer, select Screen and
Print (or press CTRL+P).
4-10
Kinemetrics
Using QuickLook
To capture a portion of the screen and copy it to the Clipboard, click and
drag the right mouse button.
Creating a Summary File in

QuickLook
To copy event statistics to a temporary file that will display in Windows
Notepad, select Screen and Stats (or press CTRL+S). If working in Notepad,
select File and Print to print the file, or File and Save As to rename it. The
statistics file includes the following information:
Number of channels.
Sample rate.
Duration.
Number of frames and scans.
Start time.
Trigger time.
Channel peaks, means and baseline connection information.
Source of last clock update.
Global positioning system (GPS) location.
State of the Autoscale, Relative, DAC, and VeryFast flags (0=Off; 1=On).
The file also includes the following information for each channel: maximum
peak; minimum peak; peak-to-peak; midpoint; mean; and baseline
correction (maximum minus mean and minimum minus mean). File size is
approximately 2 Kbytes.
Creating a Header File in

QuickLook
Select Header and Write (or press CTRL+W) to copy the complete header of
the current event file to a temporary file named qlwin.tmp displayed in the
Windows Notepad. When working in Notepad, select File and Print to print
the file, or File and Save As to rename it.
4-11
4-12
Kinemetrics
Using QuickLook
Overview
The Terminal window, accessed through QuickTalk, provides access to a
command-line interface with the Altus recorder.
Caution: Some Terminal window commands can permanently destroy
recorder data.
The Altus recorder has two communication modes: Block mode and
Monitor mode. When the Terminal window is open, the recorder is in
Monitor mode. QuickTalk returns to Block mode automatically when the
Terminal window is closed, or when you enter the BLOCKMODE
command.
Monitor Mode and Block Mode

Monitor mode (serial communications mode) allows commands to be typed
directly to the Altus recorder. In Block mode, the recorder uses an efficient
packet protocol to communicate to your PC. Since the packets are in a
binary format, they are unreadable. QuickTalk operates in Block mode when
the Terminal window is not open.
Opening & Closing

the Terminal Window
The Terminal window is closed until you open it. To open the Terminal
window from within QuickTalk, select Window and Terminal Window.
Or, click on the Terminal Window icon ( ) on the toolbar. The Terminal
window is shown in Figure 5-1.
The * prompt in the Terminal window indicates that the recorder is in
Monitor mode and is ready to receive terminal commands.
Note:
If this prompt does not appear when the Terminal window is

opened, or if the Terminal window displays the messages Modem
in Control and Inactive or Modem in Control
and Active, enter \\\\ (four backslash characters followed by the
ENTER key) to put the recorder into Monitor mode. Enter \\\ more
than once if necessary.
5-1
Figure 5-1: Terminal Window
To close the Terminal window, select File and Close Terminal Window, or
double-click on the upper left-hand corner of the window.
The QuickTalk toolbar is available when the Terminal window is open
(other QuickTalk windows are unavailable). The toolbar changes to include
the items Edit, Phone, and Transfer.
Dialing Out on
the PC Modem
If the PC and the recorder are communicating via a telecommunications
carrier, the PC modem must first establish a communications link with the
recorder modem.
Figure 5-2: Dial Out Dialog Box
Open the Terminal window and select Phone and Dial Phone. The Dial Out
dialog box opens, as shown in Figure 5-2. Enter the phone number to dial
from the Altus recorder, then click on OK.
Setting PC Modem Parameters

Unless the recorder and your PC are linked directly with an RS-232 cable,
an Altus recorder installation includes two modems: the external or internal
PCMCIA modem on the recorder, and an internal or external PC modem.
The two modems connect via a telecommunications carrier to enable the
recorder and the PC to exchange data.
5-2
Kinemetrics
Using the Terminal Window
To set PC modem parameters, open the Terminal window and select Phone
and Modem Setup. (Set recorder modem parameters from the Parameter
Editor in QuickTalk.) The PC Modem Parameters dialog box opens.
default settings.
To edit recorder modem parameters, use the QuickTalk Parameter Editor as
described in Chapter 3.
PC modem parameters are as follows:
Initialization String. The default is ATE1Q0V1X4&C1&d2 S7=55 S11=55
S0=1.
Dialing Prefix. The default is ATDT.
Dialing Suffix. The default is none.
Auto Answer On Command. The default is ATS0=1.
Auto Answer Off Command. The default is ATS0=0.
Wait for connection. The default is 45 seconds.
Pause between calls. The default is 10 seconds.
Max Dial Attempts. The default is 10.
Note:
These parameters can be used with other programs besides

QuickTalk to receive calls from the recorder. Make sure to include
S0=1 in the PCs modem initialization string to enable the PC
modem to answer incoming calls from the recorder.
Sending a Break
to the Altus Recorder
The Altus recorder uses break characters for automatic baud rate detection.
Use the auto-baud rate sequence to temporarily reset the recorders baud
rate setting to match the PCs baud rate setting. In QuickTalk, press CTRL+B
twice within five seconds to send two break characters to the recorder. This
starts the auto-baud rate sequence and cycles the recorder's baud rate to the
next lowest rate. The recorder sends a baud rate message to the Terminal
window.
If the recorder does not respond, or if the Terminal window displays
Terminal window is legible. (Nine breaks will cycle through all possible
baud rates.). Then enter \\\\ (four backslashes followed by the ENTER key).
The recorder and PC baud rates are now only temporarily matched; the
recorder baud rate will return to its original setting after an hour of
inactivity. To permanently set the correct baud rate on the Altus recorder,
5-3
enter BAU rate, where rate is the recorder baud rate setting (115200, 57600,
38400, 19200, 9600, 4800, 2400, or 1200).
Note:
A 115200 baud rate might or might not work, depending on your

computer. The Altus family of products does not support this baud
rate.
For the recorder and the PC to communicate, the value set with the
BAUDRATE command must match the baud rate setting supplied on the
Communications Setup dialog box in QuickTalk (select File, Comm
Settings, and Communications).
Sending a File
to the Altus Recorder
Open the Terminal window and use the RX command to instruct the
recorder to prepare to receive a file. Then select Transfer and XMODEM
Send... to select a file to send from the PC to the recorder using the
XMODEM CRC protocol. The XMODEM Transmit window opens; specify
the name and location of the par file to send.
Retrieving an Event File

Open the Terminal window and use the TX command to instruct the recorder
to prepare to send a file to the PC using the XMODEM CRC protocol.
Select Transfer and XMODEM Receive to retrieve a file in 128-byte
blocks. Or use the K parameter with the TX command and select Transfer
and XMODEM Receive (1K) to retrieve a file in 1K blocks. (The latter
option is up to three times faster.)
The Save As dialog box opens; specify a name and location for the .evt file
on the PC. (Make sure the file retains its .evt extension.) When the file
transfer is started, the Directory window displays the amount of time
remaining.
Setting or Changing the Recorder

Password
The Altus recorder has no password until you set one from the Terminal
window. Set or change the password as follows:
1. Enter PAS NEW at the * prompt in the Terminal window.
2. Enter the current password. If there is no existing password, just press
ENTER.
5-4
Kinemetrics
3. Enter the new password.

The Altus recorder password-protects itself when it doesnt receive any
commands from the PC for an hour. To password-protect the recorder
immediately, enter the PASSWORD command with an incorrect password.
Removing the Password

To remove the recorder password, open the Terminal window and enter
PAS NEW and, when prompted, the current password. Press ENTER when
the software prompts for the new password.
If You Forget the Password...

If the password is forgotten, you must visit the recorder site and physically
remove both PCMCIA cards from the recorder to reset the recorder
password to nothing.
Opening & Closing

the Log File
Open the Terminal window and select Edit and Open Log File to begin
copying the contents of the Terminal window to a log file. The Save Log
File As window opens; specify a name and location for the contents of the
log file. The default filename is c:\altus\tmlog.txt.
Select Edit and Close Log File to stop copying the Terminal window
display to a log file before viewing the file contents.
Ending the PC Modem Connection

To hang up the line between the PC and the recorder, its more efficient to
break the connection on the recorder side first. To do this, enter the
ANSWER command in the Terminal window. This causes the recorder to
hang up the line and immediately reinitialize its modem. If the PC modem
does not automatically hang up in response, select Phone and Hangup
Phone. The recorder modem will be ready to receive additional incoming
calls after 20 seconds elapse.
Note:
If you end the modem connection between the PC and the recorder
without ending the recorder modem connection first, you must wait
at least 5 minutes before calling back the recorder modem in order
for the recorder modem to timeout. Calling back the recorder
modem before 5 minutes has elapsed will result in another 5-minute
delay.
5-5
Terminal Window Commands

Terminal mode commands on the Altus recorder can be shortened to the
first three characters of a command word. For example, enter the command
ALARM DURATION 2 as ALA DUR 2. (Mandatory characters are shown in
boldface type.)
Main Commands
Three Backslashes
Press the backslash character three times (\\\), and then press the ENTER key.
This puts the recorder in Monitor mode (character serial communications)
instead of the usual Block mode (binary packet communications). To return
to Block mode, use the BLOCKMODE command, or close the Terminal
window.
A: or B:
Change the default drive.
ALARM ON
ALARM OFF
Turn the alarm on or off.
ALARM DURATION seconds
Set the alarm duration for 1 to 5 seconds. Or, enter 0 to set a triggered alarm
until cleared with the CLEAR ALARM or ALARM OFF command (or with
the Reset Alarm button in the Status window).
ANSWERMODE
Enter Answer mode; this is the same as the CALLMODE command. If an
internal or external modem is connected to the Altus recorder, it will hang
up the line and re-initialize; the modem can accept incoming calls after 30
seconds. (The recorder modem must be configured correctly via the Modem
Parameters dialog box in the QuickTalk Parameter Editor for this command
to work.)
AQ ON
AQ OFF
Enable or disable data acquisition.
Note:
The recorder cannot record information when data acquisition is

turned off. To turn off data acquisition when entering Terminal
window commands (for example, in the Parameter Editor), be sure
to turn data acquisition on again as quickly as possible.
AQ DEBUG
Toggle acquisition debug mode. If enabled, recording activity displays in
the Message window. If the recorder is shut down, it will restart in
debugging mode. This setting is saved in non-volatile memory.
AQ DIAGNOSTICS
Toggles a flag that controls the display of diagnostic information.
5-6
Kinemetrics
AQ DVM
Display channel input signals when data acquisition is turned on.
AQ FILE file system type
Change file system format on the recorders PCMCIA drives. The file
system type is either 0 for a tree system, in which the \evt directory contains
subdirectories labeled by date, or 1 for a flat file system without
subdirectories. The default setting is 0.
AQ FT
Run a functional test. (Trigger parameters must be configured correctly on
the Channel Parameters dialog box in the Parameter Editor for the
functional test to run.)
AQ PEAK
Display maximum channel peaks of an event while the event file is open.
AQ SRT
Perform a sensor response test. Turn off data acquisition before using this
command.
AQ TRIGGER
When data acquisition is turned on, this command starts recording a
keyboard event.
AQ DETRIGGER
When data acquisition is turned on, this command ends the recording of a
keyboard event.
AUTOBAUD
Enable/disable the automatic baud rate sequence. If disabled, the recorder
baud rate cannot be rest by breaks sent from the PC.
BAUDRATE rate
Change the recorders baud rate setting. Possible settings are 115200 (this
setting will not work with most PC hardware), 57600, 38400, 19200, 9600,
4800, 2400, and 1200.
Note:
When using this command to change the recorder's baud rate from
the default setting of 19200, you must also change the baud rate
setting from within QuickTalk. Select File, Comm Settings, and
Communications. The PC baud rate set within QuickTalk must
match the recorder baud rate set with the BAUDRATE command.
BLOCKMODE
Exit Monitor mode (character serial communications) and enter Block mode
(binary packet communications). Enter \\\ to return to Monitor mode.
CALLMODE
Enter Answer mode and enable the Autocall feature. If an internal or
external modem is connected to the Altus recorder, it will hang up the line
and re-initialize; the modem can accept incoming calls after 30 seconds.
The recorder modem must be configured correctly and the Autocall feature
enabled via the Modem Parameters dialog box in the QuickTalk Parameter
5-7
Editor for this command to work, including a phone number for the recorder
modem to call (or, use the MODEM PHONENUMBER command in the
Terminal Window Parameter Editor).
CD pathname
CHDIR pathname
Change the current directory on the recorder.
CLEAR ALARM
Reset the alarm (same as ALARM OFF).
CLEAR ALL_LEDs
Reset all LEDs and the alarm.
CLEAR EVENT_LED
Reset the Event LED and the event count.
CLEAR TRIGGER_LED
Reset the Trigger LED.
COPY source filename destination filename
Copy a file to a new file.
DEL filename
Delete a recorder event file from the current directory (same as ERASE).
Wildcards are accepted.
DG
Enter Diagnostics mode. See the Diagnostic Commands section. Use
ABORT or QUIT to exit.
DIR pathname
Display directories for the specified path; omitting a path displays the root.
Wildcards are accepted.
DISPLAY BITMAP
Display channels selected for recording.
DISPLAY CHANNEL
Display sensor parameters and locations.
DISPLAY MODEM
Display current modem and cellular phone power control strings.
DISPLAY RWMISC
Display miscellaneous status information.
DISPLAY STREAM
Display stream, DFS, and serial data stream parameters.
EDIT
Enter the Terminal window Parameter Editor. Use ABORT or QUIT to exit.
ERASE filename
Erase an event file on the recorder (same as DELETE).
FORMAT drive
Erase and format a new PCMCIA card. The drivers for the storage media
5-8
Kinemetrics
have been modified to improve system throughput and compatibility with

the PC. Use this command to reformat all new disks on the recorder. A disk
formatted on a PC probably will not work properly.
HELP
List the main Terminal mode commands. (Select Edit and Copy All to copy
the display to the Clipboard.)
MD pathname
MKDIR pathname
Make a new directory.
PASSWORD current password
PW current password
Enter the password.
PASSWORD NEW current password
PW NEW current password
Set or change the password. (To disable password protection, press ENTER
when prompted for new password).
RENAME old filename new filename
Rename a file on the recorder.
RD pathname
RMDIR pathname
Delete a directory on the recorder. The directory must be empty.
RX filename
Receive a file from the PC using XMODEM CRC transfer. Use in
conjunction with Transfer and XMODEM Send.
STATUS
Display a status screen.
SUMMARY path filename
Display peak, trigger, and time information for the specified path or file. If
no path is specified, the current path is used. Wildcards in the filename are
accepted.
SYSTEM RESET
Reset the Altus recorder.
TIME year, month, date, hour, minutes, seconds
Set a new date and time; separate fields with commas. Enter the time several
seconds ahead and press any key to start. (First stop Acquisition.)
TX filename [H T K 1-18]
Transmit a file to the PC using XMODEM CRC transfer. Use this command
in conjunction with Transfer and XMODEM Receive. Transmission options
are as follows:
H to transmit the event file header only.
T to transmit the event file with data truncated to 16 bits (use this with the
channel list option).
5-9
K to transfer the file in 1K blocks rather than in 128-byte blocks. This

option can greatly improve transmission speeds, but requires
communication software that supports XMODEM-1K transfers.
Channel list option: List the number of channels from the event file to
transmit, separated by spaces. For example: TX filename 1 4 5 6 17.
VERSION
Display the software version numbers.
WIPEDISK drive
Erases the entire disk, including directories.
Parameter Editor Commands

Use the Terminal window Parameter Editor to edit Altus recorder parameter
settings. (Or, use the dialog boxes in the QuickTalk Parameter Editor.)
Enter EDIT at the * prompt in the Terminal window to start the Parameter
Editor. The Terminal window prompt changes to EDIT>.
Enter ABORT to exit without saving changes, or QUIT to exit and save
your changes to the Flash EEPROM. Separate command and arguments
with a space or with = (the equals sign), and separate arguments with a
space or a comma.
Use double quotation marks around strings which contain spaces or
punctuation ("?!").
Note:
Data acquisition must be turned off with the AQ ON/OFF

command before Parameter Editor commands are entered. Make
sure to turn data acquisition on again as quickly as possible; the
recorder cannot record events while acquisition is turned off.
ABORT
Exit the Parameter Editor without saving changes.
BITMAP channels
Set selected channels for recording. This differs from the NCHANNEL
command in that it allows the specified channels to be set. Separate channel
numbers with a space. Linked to NCHANNEL command.
CELLULAR DURATION minutes
Length of time the call-in window is enabled. Enter 1-127 to specify the
number of minutes the window is enabled starting at the time specified by
the CELLULAR ON command. Enter 0 (the default) to disable the call-in
window. Enter -1 to leave the call-in window on at all times.
CELLULAR ON window number hour minutes
Start times for the five available call-in windows. The window number is 15. The hour setting is 0-23; enter -1 to turn the window off. The minute
setting is 0-59. Enter CEL ON with no arguments to display all cellular on
times.
5-10
Kinemetrics
CELLULAR POWER_CONTROL
Toggles control of the front panel auxiliary I/O connector 1PPS line.
Disabled: 1PPS out. Enabled: cellular phone control out. (K2 only.)
CELLULAR WARMUP seconds
Time between when the cellular phone is enabled and when it calls out; this
enables the cellular phone to warm up. Possible entries are 0 (the default) to
255.
CHANNEL ALARM channel fraction
Set the alarm trigger threshold for the specified channel.The alarm is
triggered when the filtered signal exceeds this value. Enter this value as a
percent of full scale, 0.001% to 100.0000% (Threshold Trigger only).
CHANNEL CALIBRATION channel full scale sensitivity
natural frequency damping
Set the channel's calibration parameters. The full scale value is in volts (the
default factory setting is 2.5V). Sensor motion sensitivity is factory-set in
volts per g for force balance accelerometers (FBAs). The natural frequency
is a value from 0 to 100.00 Hz. Damping is a value from 0 to 1.00.
CHANNEL FILTER_TRIGGER_TYPE channel type
Trigger filter type. Options are as follows:
0 for an IIR-A filter.
1 for Classic Strong Motion Bandpass Filter (the default).
2 for an IIR-C filter.
CHANNEL GAIN channel gain
Set the channel gain. Channel gain is always 1 unless the recorder is fitted
with a gain board. Enter the value for each channel appropriate to your gain
board; this in an integer from 1 to 1000.
CHANNEL ID channel character string
Set an alphanumeric channel ID up to four characters long.
CHANNEL LOCATION channel meters north meters east meters up
altitude azimuth
Set the channel sensor location relative to the Altus recorder. Meters north,
east, and up are 32000. Altitude is determined as follows:
Zenith = +90.
Horizontal = 0.
Nadir = -90
Azimuth is 0-359, clockwise from north.
CHANNEL LTA channel average
Long Term Average. Possible entries are 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 (the default) ,
80, 100, or 120 seconds.
CHANNEL RATIOS channel trigger detrigger
Trigger and detrigger ratios. Trigger ratio values are 1.5, 2, 3, 4 (the
5-11
default), 6, 8, 10, 20, 30, 40, 60, 100, 200, 300, 400, 600, or 1000. Detrigger
percentages are 10, 15, 20, 40 (the default), 60, and 100 percent.
Table 5-1: FBA Types
FBA Type
Value to Enter
FBA 11
10
4g FBA
11
2g FBA
12
1g FBA
13
0.5g FBA
14
0.25g FBA
15
0.1g FBA
16
FBA 23
20
WR1
30
CHANNEL SENSOR channel type serial number

Set the channel sensor type and serial number. The sensor type is shown in
Table 5-1. The sensor serial number is a value between 1 and 65535.
CHANNEL STA channel average
Short Term Average. Possible entries are 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0,
1.2, 1.4, 1.8, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 5.0, or 10.0 seconds.
CHANNEL THRESHOLD channel trigger threshold detrigger
threshold
Set the channel trigger and detrigger thresholds. A channel is triggered if the
filtered signal exceeds the trigger threshold. After the channel triggers, it
stays triggered until the filtered signal falls below the detrigger threshold.
Enter thresholds as a percent of full scale, 0.001% to 100.000% (Threshold
Trigger only).
CHANNEL TRIGGER TYPE channel trigger type
Trigger type. Options are as follows:
0 for a Threshold Trigger.
1 for an STA/LTA Trigger.
Note:
Not all instruments support STA/LTA capability. It is available on

K2 and Mt. Whitney units with application firmware revisions 2.20
and later. (Use the VERSION command in the Terminal window to
check the firmware version number.) If the recorder does not
support STA/LTA triggering, related commands are disabled within
QuickTalk.
COMMENT comment string

Enter a comment string of up to 32 characters. Enclose non-alphanumeric
characters in double quotation marks. For example, "?!".
5-12
Kinemetrics
DEFAULT [FACTORY]
Return all recorder with default settings to their defaults, except for some
sensor parameters. The optional keyword FACTORY also resets the
following sensor parameters to their factory defaults:
Channel calibration parameters: damping, full scale, natural frequency,
and sensitivity.
Channel gain.
Channel sensor type and serial number.
DFS BAUDRATE code
Toggle Digital Field Station output and set the baud rate. Codes are as
follows: 0 = OFF, 1 = 4800 baud, 2 = 9600 baud, 3 = 19200 baud.
DFS PROTOCOL code
Set the digital field station output protocol. Enter 0 for CRLF (the default),
or enter 1 for KMI10Hz.
DFS SET channel
Set selected channels for output on the DFS port; separate channel numbers
with a space. Enter an asterisk (*) to output all available channels.
GPS update interval maximum on duration
Set the GPS power-on update interval and maximum on duration. Both these
values can be set between 0 and 255 minutes. GPS 0 1 is always on; GPS 1
0 is always off.
HELP
Display editor commands.
IRIG_TYPE code
Set the IRIG time code output type. Enter 1 for IRIG-E, or enter 2 for IRIGH.
LOAD filename
Load a new parameters file from disk. The filename must end with a .par
extension.
LOCATION latitude longitude elevation
The recorder location. Latitude is 90.0000 degrees north, longitude is
180.0000 degrees east, and elevation is 32000 meters above sea level.
MODEM ANSWER
Toggle the Auto Answer feature without setting any of the condition flags
associated with the Autocall feature. The modem will be able to answer to
phone, but will not call out.
MODEM AUTOCALL
Toggle the Autocall feature; the default setting is off. If Autocall is being
turned on, the system will prompt whether it should call out in the case of
each of the following conditions; press Y or N in response to each prompt.
Low battery.
Battery not charging.
5-13
Extreme temperatures.
An event.
A GPS lock failure.
MODEM CALLOUT_MSG character string
String (up to 45 characters) to transmit when the modem calls out. It is also
stored in the file header. Put the string in quotation marks.
MODEM HANGUP character string
Enter the string to hang up the recorder modem. The string can include up to
15 characters. Put the string in quotation marks.
MODEM INIT character string
Enter the string to initialize the recorder modem. The string can include up
to 53 characters. Put the string in quotation marks.
MODEM MAXDIAL redial attempts
Enter the number of times the Autocall feature will redial a phone number in
case of a busy signal. The maximum value is 255.
MODEM PAUSE seconds
Enter the number of seconds to pause between redial attempts. The
maximum value is 255 seconds.
MODEM PHONENUMBER [ I ] number
Enter the Autocall phone numbers. Enter I for Index, 1 for a primary
number, or 2 for a secondary number. The maximum entry is 23 digits long.
Leave the number field blank to erase the current number.
MODEM PREFIX character string
Enter the string for the recorder modem prefix. The string can include up to
MODEM SUFFIX character string
Enter the string for the recorder modem suffix. The string can contain up to
MODEM WAIT seconds
Enter the maximum wait time for a carrier connection. The maximum value
is 255 seconds.
NCHANNELS number
Enter the number of channels to record. The maximum is 12 channels (18
channels for the Mt. Whitney). Linked to BITMAP command.
Q/QUIT
Exit the Parameter Editor and save all changes to the Flash EEPROM.
SAVE filename
Save all changes to a disk file. (The filename should end with a .par
extension.)
SDSTREAM BITMAP channel [,channel]
Channels selected for the serial data stream. Select up to 6 channels and
5-14
Kinemetrics
separate channels numbers with commas or spaces. For example, 1 2 3 4 5 6

or 1,2,3,4,5,6.
SDSTREAM BLOCK SIZE size
Size of the data stream data block in samples. This must be set to 100
(default).
SDSTREAM BUFFER_SIZE size
Size of the serial data stream buffer in 16 kbyte blocks. This can be set to a
value between 1 and 65535; the default is 64 blocks (approximately 1 Meg).
SDSTREAM FORMAT format
Serial data stream data format. 0=uncompressed 24-bit data samples,
1=compressed (default).
SDSTREAM SAMPLE_RATE rate
Serial data sample rate. This must be set to 100 samples per second. Or, set
this parameter to 0 (default) to turn off the serial data stream.
SDSTREAM TIMEOUT seconds
Serial data stream timeout, in seconds. This can be set from -1 to 32767.
The default is 0 seconds; -1 disables the timeout.
SERIALNUMBER serial number
Enter the recorder serial number. This is a value between 0 and 65535.
Kinemetrics recommends against changing the recorder serial number
unless there is a valid reason for doing so (for example, inventory tracking).
SITEID character string
Site ID name up to 16 characters in length. It is transmitted when the unit
calls out. Put the string in quotation marks.
STNID character string
Enter the alphanumeric station ID name. The string can include up to 4
characters. Put the string in quotation marks.
STREAM APW seconds
Set the array propagation window (minimum trigger hold time) and extend
the external trigger signal to hold all of the units triggered as an event
crosses an array. This is used only with inter-connected units. The
maximum setting is 65000 seconds.
STREAM FILTER TYPE filter type
Anti-alias data filter type. Possible entries are 0 for non-causal filtering, or 1
for causal filtering.
STREAM FT [ON/OFF]
Set the Automatic Functional Test After an Event feature. The default
setting is Off.
Caution: Enabling the Automatic Functional Test After an Event feature
can result in the loss of data. If the first event is a foreshock, the main event
could be lost while the recorder runs a functional test.
5-15
STREAM MINRUNTIME seconds

Set the minimum run time. The maximum setting is 65000 seconds.
STREAM PREEVENT seconds
Set the pre-event duration. The maximum setting is 65000 seconds but is
limited by the number of channels selected, the size of the memory board
and the sample-per-second rate. Refer to the chart in the Setting Stream
Parameters section in Chapter 3 of this manual for more detailed
information.
STREAM POSTEVENT seconds
Set the post-event duration. The maximum setting is 65000 seconds.
STREAM SPS rate
Set the sampling rate per second. Possible settings are 100, 200, and 250.
STREAM STORAGE primary secondary
Set the primary and secondary storage devices. The choices are drives A:
and B:.
STREAM THRESHOLD trigger votes detrigger votes
Set the stream voting thresholds; this is the total number of votes to trigger
and detrigger. Possible values for each field are 1 through 10000.
STREAM VOTERS [K vote] [E vote] [C1 vote C18 vote]
Select sources for trigger votes and votes assigned. Possible source
parameters are as follows:
K for the keyboard.
E for an external signal.
C1 through C18 for channels 1 through 18.
The range for votes is -100 through 100. Separate the parameter from the
number of votes with a comma or a space.
Its possible to list a series of sources and votes on the same command line.
For example, the following command assigns one vote each to the keyboard,
the external signal, and channels 1 through 6: STR VOT K 1 E 1 C1 1 C2 1
C3 1 C4 1 C5 1 C6 1.
USERCODE code value
Set one to four user codes. This must be an integer between -32768 and
32767.
UTCOFFSET hours
Set the local time as number of hours from UTC time. If this value is not
zero, all times are local time. Possible hour settings are -24 to 24.
Diagnostic Commands
Enter DG at the * prompt in the Terminal window to enter diagnostic mode.
The diagnostic prompt is DG>.
ABORT
Return to the Terminal window prompt without saving changes.
5-16
Kinemetrics
ADC
Display system voltages and temperature. The eight values displayed are as
follows:
+12V SWITCHED, 0 - 20VDC
RAM BATT, 0 - 5VDC (not used)
TEMP, C, -39 C - +89 C
Hex Counts (not used)
CHARGER, 0 - 35VDC
INT BATT, 0 - 20VDC
EXT BATT, 0 - 20VDC
(Reserved), 0 - 20VDC
Caution: The DAC command is intended for use by qualified personnel
only. Improper use of this command can affect system real-time clock
accuracy and desynchronize the GPS receiver.
DAC value
Set a new Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) value. The DAC controls
oscillator frequency. If a Global Positioning Station (GPS) board is used, the
DAC automatically adjusts to keep the oscillator in phase with GPS time.
Possible values are 0 through 4096. If this command is not followed by a
value, the current and EEPROM DAC settings, as well as the limit are
displayed. You are prompted to increment (+), decrement (-), or quit (Q).
DOS value
Display DOS disk information.
DUMP memory start address byte count
Display a section of memory.
DVM
Display channel input signals in real time. This command is only available
when data acquisition is turned on. (Same as the AQ DVM command.)
EEPROM
Start EEPROM diagnostics. Refer to the ID Bus Assignments appendix in
the recorder hardware manual for more information about using this
diagnostic command.
FORMAT
Format and check each disk sector. This command takes several hours to
complete.
GPIN
Read states of the 16 general purpose input bits several times per second and
display them on screen. Use this command to test input bit operation. Press
any key to end the test. (Mt. Whitney units only.)
5-17
GPOUT hex value

Set the 16 general purpose output bits to a hex value. Press any key to end
the test and restore the original value. (Mt. Whitney units only.)
GPS DIAGNOSTICS
Enter GPS diagnostic mode; a GPS board must be installed on the recorder.
GPS diagnostic mode commands are as follows:
H (health).
S (signal levels).
T (time).
Z (GPS status).
C (clock sync)
Q (quit).
GPS ON
Manually power up the GPS board.
GPS OFF
Manually power down the GPS board.
GPS STATUS
Display GPS status.
GPS SYNC
Synchronize system clocks. (Or enter the GPS DIAGNOSTIC command and
press C.)
HELP
List diagnostic commands.
INIT
Restore an unreadable disk drive. The INIT command writes the pattern 00h
into the disk drive partition sector. This command will destroy all data on
the disk drive and is intended for last-resort disaster recovery only. (Use the
FORMAT command described in the Main Commands section to re-format
the disk drive.)
LED DEBUG
Display LED actions on the monitor in text form.
LED SET LED value
Use this command to manually test the LEDs. LEDs are numbered
horizontally right to left as 0 through 4, and vertically from bottom to top as
5 through 7. Refer to Table 5-2 for the value to enter to test a particular
LED.
LED START
Restart the normal LED display. Use this command after using LED SET.
LED STOP
Stop the LED status display. Use this command before entering LED SET to
test the LED display.
5-18
Kinemetrics
Table 5-2: LED Values
LED Number
Enter Value
16
32
64
128
MEMTEST
Perform a memory test. This is the checksum of Flash EEPROM sections 0
through 15.
PCMCIA
(The PCMCIA commands).
PCMCIA ATA
Display contents of ATA registers.
PCMCIA CIS slot number
Display Card Information Structure for the specified slot. Enter 0 for Slot A,
1 for Slot B.
PCMCIA COR
Display contents fo the Configuration option registers.
PCMCIA STATUS
Display card status.
PCMCIA TERMINAL
Special mode to communicate directly with the PCMCIA modem. (Requires
a reboot to restore system operation).
PLL
Test the Phase Lock Loop. The test result is either Locked or Unlocked.
An Unlocked message indicates that corrective measures should be taken
immediately because there is a danger of data loss. A Locked message
does not guarantee that the PLL is functioning correctly; use test
instruments to check the PLL and oscillator.
QUIT
Return to the main command prompt.
RAM
Display the amount of available RAM in bytes.
5-19
STACK
The STACK commands are software debugging commands intended for use
by trained Kinemetrics personnel only.
STACK INIT
Fill unused stack space for each task with a fixed pattern. For use in
conjunction with the STACK TEST command. Intended for use by trained
Kinemetrics personnel only.
STACK TEST
Display the current state of each running test stack to determine whether a
particular task is running short of stack space. This command reports the
current stack free space and the minimum free space for each task. The
system restarts if a task exceeds the allocated amount of stack space.
Intended for use by trained Kinemetrics personnel only.
TIME
Display times of all internal clocks: GPS 1PPS, Heartbeat, 1kHz, 1Hz, and
RTC.
TRIGGER_OUT time channel
Send the filtered trigger stream recorded for the specified channel (the range
is 1 through 7) for the specified amount of time. Set the time to 0 to cancel
this command; set the channel to 7 to output trigger data for each channel.
5-20
Kinemetrics
6. Troubleshooting
Use this section if you encounter difficulties setting up or operating your
Altus recorder. If these solutions are not effective, contact Kinemetrics
Technical Support at the addresses supplied in the Contacting Kinemetrics
section in the front of this manual.
Potential Problems & Solutions

Problem #1: Unable to establish a connection with the
recorder. No information displays in the QuickTalk
windows.
Potential Cause #1: The PC is not initialized properly.
Possible Solution: Re-initialize the PC as follows:
1. Open the Terminal window (select Window and Terminal Window,
or click on the Terminal window icon). The Terminal window opens
and the Terminal window prompt (*) should appear.
2. If the Terminal window prompt does not appear, press the backslash
key (\\\) three times and then press ENTER to tell the recorder to go
into Monitor mode. Repeat if necessary.
3. When the Terminal window prompt appears, it means the PC is
communicating with the recorder.
Potential Cause #2: Incorrect baud rate or COM port settings.
Possible Solution: Check the COM port and baud rate settings as follows:
1. Select File, Comm Settings, and Communications. The
Communications Setup dialog box opens.
2. Select the COM port and baud rate to use. OK appear next to the
available COM ports; the default baud rate setting is 19200.
Note:
If the PC baud rate is set to something other than 19200, you must
also change the recorders baud rate setting with the BAUDRATE
command as described in Problem #2.
3. Click on OK to close the Communication Setup dialog box. The PC

will change the baud rate and the hardware serial port.
4. Open the Terminal window as described above to initialize a
connection between the PC and the recorder.
6-1
5. When exiting QuickTalk, the program will ask whether it should save
the new communications parameters. Click on Yes to save the new
settings.
Potential Cause: Hardware not connected properly.
Possible Solution: Check all hardware connections.
Problem #2: Garbage displays on the Terminal window.
Potential Cause: The PC baud rate does not match the recorders baud rate
setting.
To check this:
1. Open the Terminal window and wait for the * prompt.
2. If it does not display, press the backslash key (\\\) three times and
press the ENTER key. Repeat this sequence several times.
If garbage still displays, it means that the baud rate setting on the Altus is
incorrect.
Possible Solution: Reset the recorder baud rate as follows:
1. Use the auto-baud rate sequence to temporarily reset the recorders
baud rate setting to match the PCs baud rate setting. In QuickTalk,
press CTRL+B twice within five seconds to send two break characters
to the recorder. This starts the auto-baud rate sequence and cycles the
recorders baud rate to the next lowest rate. The recorder sends a baud
rate message to the Terminal window.
2. If the recorder doesn't respond, or if the message is garbage, press
CTRL+B at 4 second intervals until the message in the Terminal
window is legible. (Nine breaks will cycle through all possible baud
rates.) Then enter \\\\ (four backslashes followed by the ENTER key).
inactivity. To permanently set the correct baud rate on the recorder,
enter BAU rate, where rate matches the baud rate setting on the PC
(115200, 57600, 38400, 19200, 9600, 4800, 2400, or 1400).
4. Select File, Comm Settings, and Communications. Set the PC baud
rate to match the recorder baud rate set in Step 3 above.
6-2
Kinemetrics
Troubleshooting
Appendix
QuickLook Accelerator Keys
Function
Accelerator Keys
Open Event File
CTRL+N
Select Upper Channel
CTRL+D
Channel Zoom
CTRL+M
Pan Left
CTRL+L
Pan Right
CTRL+R
ZoomSize: Out by 2
CTRL+O
ZoomSize: 1:1
CTRL+F1
ZoomSize: In by 2
CTRL+I
ZoomSize: Full File
CTRL+F
Toggle Autoscale
SHIFT+A
Toggle Relative
SHIFT+R
Toggle DAC
SHIFT+D
Toggle VeryFast
SHIFT+V
Print Graphic Display
CTRL+P
Write Header File
CTRL+W
Write Summary File
CTRL+S
Appendix 1
Index
.
.qtw File, 2-6
A
ABORT command, 5-10, 5-16
ADC command, 5-17
ALARM DURATION command, 5-6
ALARM ON/OFF command, 5-6
Alarm Trigger, 3-16
Alternate Communication Parameters File, 2-6
Altitude, 3-15
ANSWER MODE command, 5-6
AQ DEBUG command, 5-6
AQ DIAGNOSTICS command, 5-6
AQ DVM command, 5-7
AQ FILE command, 5-7
AQ FT command, 5-7
AQ ON/OFF command, 5-6
AQ PEAK command, 5-7
AQ SRT command, 5-7
AQ TRIGGER/DETRIGGER command, 5-7
AUTOBAUD command, 5-7
Autocall Feature, 3-9
Autoscale Feature in QuickLook, 4-8
Azimuth, 3-15
B
Baud Rate
Setting or Changing, 2-5
Baud Rate/DFS Off, 3-17
BAUDRATE command, 5-7
BITMAP command, 5-10
Block Mode, 5-1
BLOCKMODE command, 5-7
Break
Sending to the Recorder, 5-3
Breaking a Recorder Modem Connection, 2-1
Buffer Size, 3-19
C
CALLMODE command, 5-7
CD command, 5-8
CELLULAR DURATION command, 5-10
CELLULAR ON command, 5-10
CELLULAR POWER CONTROL command, 5-11
CELLULAR WARMUP command, 5-11
Changing
COM Port and Baud Rate Settings, 2-5
Recorder Data and Time, 2-11
Recorder Password, 5-4

Update Interval, 2-11
CHANNEL ALARM command, 5-11
CHANNEL CALIBRATION command, 5-11
CHANNEL FILTER command, 5-11
CHANNEL GAIN command, 5-11
Channel ID, 3-15
CHANNEL ID command, 5-11
Channel Information Box in QuickLook, 4-5
CHANNEL LOCATION command, 5-11
CHANNEL LTA command, 5-11
Channel Parameters
Setting, 3-14
CHANNEL RATIOS command, 5-11
CHANNEL SENSOR command, 5-12
CHANNEL STA command, 5-12
CHANNEL THRESHOLD command, 5-12
CHANNEL TRIGGER command, 5-12
Channels, 3-6
CHDIR command, 5-8
Checking Recorder Directories, 2-11
Checking Recorder Status, 2-10
CLEAR ALARM command, 5-8
CLEAR ALL LEDs command, 5-8
CLEAR EVENT LED command, 5-8
CLEAR TRIGGER LED command, 5-8
Closing
Recorder Modem Connection, 2-1
Terminal Window, 5-1
Terminal Window Log File, 5-5
COM Port Setting XE "QuickTalk:Changing COM Port and Baud
Rate Settings" XE "Changing:COM Port and Baud Rate
Settings" , Changing, 2-5
Comment, 3-6
COMMENT command, 5-12
Configuring
Altus Recorder, 3-1
Streaming Data, 1-10
Connecting to the Recorder with a Modem, 2-1
COPY command, 5-8
Creating a Header File in QuickLook, 4-11
Creating a Summary File in QuickLook, 4-11
D
DAC command, 5-17
DAC Display Feature in QuickLook, 4-9
Data Acquisition
Stopping and Restarting, 2-4
Data Format, 3-19
DEFAULT command, 5-13
Default Recorder Parameter Settings, 3-3
DEL command, 5-8
Deleting
Event Files, 2-13
Index 1

Detrigger Weight, 3-12
DFS BAUDRATE command, 5-13
DFS PROTOCOL command, 5-13
DFS SET command, 5-13
DG command, 5-8
Diagnostic Commands in the Terminal Window, 5-16
Dialing Out on the PC Modem, 5-2
Digital Field Station Parameters
Setting, 3-17
DIR command, 5-8
Directory Window
Deleting Event Files, 2-13
Managing Recorder Disk Space, 2-13
Refreshing the Display, 2-12
Sorting the Display, 2-12
Viewing, 2-11
Viewing Contents, 2-12
Disk Space on the Recorder
Managing, 2-13
DISPLAY BITMAP command, 5-8
DISPLAY CHANNEL command, 5-8
Display Features in QuickLook, 4-8
DISPLAY MODEM command, 5-8
DISPLAY RWMISC command, 5-8
DISPLAY STREAM command, 5-8
DOS command, 5-17
DUMP command, 5-17
DWM command, 5-17
E
East, 3-15
EDIT command, 5-8
EEPROM command, 5-17
Elevation, 3-6
Enabling the Autocall Feature, 3-9
Ending a Recorder Modem Connection, 2-1
Ending the PC Modem Connection, 5-5
ERASE command, 5-8
Event Detrigger, 3-15
Event File
Opening in QuickLook, 4-2
Event Files
Deleting, 2-13
Managing, 2-13
Retrieving, 2-12
Retrieving via the Terminal Window, 5-4
Event Trigger, 3-15
Exiting
QuickLook, 4-1
QuickTalk, 2-1
External Trigger, 3-12
F
Fina Anti-Alias Filter, 3-10
First-Time Software Use, 1-5
First-Time Use, 1-5
Forgotten Password, 5-5
FORMAT command, 5-8, 5-17
Formatting PCMCIA Drives, 1-9
Functional Test
Running, 2-4
Index 6-2
Kinemetrics
G
GPIN command, 5-17
GPOUT command, 5-18
GPS command, 5-13
GPS DIAGNOSTICS command, 5-18
GPS ON/OFF command, 5-18
GPS STATUS command, 5-18
GPS SYNC command, 5-18
H
Header File, Creating in QuickLook, 4-11
HELP command, 5-9, 5-13, 5-18
I
Icons, 2-2
INIT command, 5-18
Installing the Software, 1-5
IRIG Type, 3-6
IRIG_TYPE command, 5-13
K
Keyboard Trigger, 2-4, 3-12
L
Latitude, 3-6
LED DEBUG command, 5-18
LED SET command, 5-18
LED START/STOP command, 5-18
Left Mouse Button in QuickLook, 4-6
LOAD command, 5-13
LOCATION command, 5-13
Longitude, 3-6
Lower Window in QuickLook, 4-4
LTA Length, 3-16
M
Main Commands in the Terminal Window, 5-6
Manual
Conventions, 1-3
Organization, 1-2
Maximum Power-On Duration, 3-14
MD command, 5-9
MEMTEST command, 5-19
Message Window
Copying, 2-10
Viewing, 2-9
MKDIR command, 5-9
Mode, 3-19
Mode 2 Configuration, 3-19
Modem
Setting PC Modem Parameters, 2-6
Setting Recorder Modem Parameters, 3-7
MODEM ANSWER command, 5-13
MODEM AUTOCALL command, 5-13
MODEM CALLOUT command, 5-14
Index
MODEM HANGUP command, 5-14

MODEM INIT command, 5-14
MODEM MAXDIAL command, 5-14
Modem Parameters
Setting, 3-7
MODEM PAUSE command, 5-14
MODEM PHONENUMBER command, 5-14
MODEM PREFIX command, 5-14
MODEM SUFFIX command, 5-14
MODEM WAIT command, 5-14
Monitor Mode, 5-1
N
NCHANNELS command, 5-14
North, 3-15
Number of Channels, 3-6
O
Opening
Event File in QuickLook, 4-2
Terminal Window Log File, 5-5
Output Data Channels, 3-17
Output Protocol, 3-17
P
Parameter Editor Commands in the Terminal Window, 5-10
Parameter Settings, Default, 3-3
Password
Changing, 5-4
Removing, 5-5
Sending to the Recorder, 2-3
Setting on the Recorder, 1-8
PASSWORD command, 5-9
PASSWORD NEW command, 5-9
PC, 2-8
PC Modem
Auto Answer Off Command, 2-8
Auto Answer On Command, 2-8
Dialing Out, 5-2
Dialing Prefix, 2-7
Dialing Suffix, 2-8
Ending the Connection, 5-5
Initialization Command, 2-7
Maximum Dial Attempts, 2-8
Pause Between Calls, 2-8
Setting Parameters in QuickTalk, 2-6
Setting Parameters via the Terminal Window, 5-2
Wait for Connection, 2-8
PCMCIA ATA command, 5-19
PCMCIA CIS command, 5-19
PCMCIA command, 5-19
PCMCIA COR command, 5-19
PCMCIA Drives
Formatting, 1-9
PCMCIA STATUS command, 5-19
PCMCIA TERMINAL command, 5-19
PLL command, 5-19
Post-event Time, 3-10
Power On Interval, 3-13
Pre-event Time, 3-9
Primary Storage, 3-10

Printing the QuickLook Window, 4-10
PW command, 5-9
PW NEW command, 5-9
Q
QuickLook
Autoscale Feature, 4-8
Channel Information Box, 4-5
Creating a Header File, 4-11
Creating a Summary File, 4-11
DAC Display Feature, 4-9
Display Features, 4-8
Left Mouse Button, 4-6
Lower Window, 4-4
Opening an Event File, 4-2
Printing the Window, 4-10
Relative Display Feature, 4-9
Right Mouse Button, 4-7
Screen Information Box, 4-6
Screen Resolution Limits, 4-1
Starting and Exiting, 4-1
Time Box, 4-5
Upper Window, 4-3
VeryFast Display Feature, 4-10
Window, 4-3
Zoom Box, 4-3
Zoom Cursor, 4-4
QuickTalk
Changing COM Port and Baud Rate Settings, 2-5
Changing the Recorder Date and Time, 2-11
Changing the Update Interval, 2-11
Checking Recorder Status, 2-10
Configuring an Altus Recorder, 3-1
Configuring Streaming Data, 1-10
Connecting to the Recorder with a Modem, 2-1
Copying the Message Window, 2-10
Default Parameter Settings, 3-3
Deleting Event Files from the Recorder, 2-13
Enabling the Autocall Feature, 3-9
Exiting, 2-1
Features, 1-1
Formatting PCMCIA Drives, 1-9
Icons, 2-2
Installing, 1-5
Message Window, 2-9
Overview, 1-1
Parameter Editor, 3-1
Refreshing All Display Windows, 2-3
Refreshing the Directory Display, 2-12
Refreshing the Status Window, 2-11
Removing the Recorder Password, 5-5
Resetting the Status Window Alarm, 2-11
Running a Functional Test, 2-4
Running for the First Time, 1-5
Sending a Password to the Recorder, 2-3
Setting Channel Parameters, 3-14
Setting Digital Field Station Parameters, 3-17
Setting Modem Parameters, 3-7
Setting Real-Time Streaming Serial Data Parameters, 3-18
Index 6-3
Setting Station Parameters, 3-5

Setting Stream Parameters, 3-9
Setting the Recorder Password, 1-8
Setting Timing Parameters, 3-13
Sorting the Directory Display, 2-12
Starting, 2-1
Starting the Parameter Editor, 3-1
Stopping and Restarting Data Acquisition, 2-4
Troubleshooting, 6-1
Turning Off Streaming Data, 1-10
Using an Alternate Communication Parameters File, 2-6
Viewing Directory Contents, 2-11
Viewing Recorder Directories, 2-11
Viewing Recorder Directory Contents, 2-12
Viewing Streaming Data, 2-13
Windows, 2-2
QUIT command, 5-14, 5-19
R
RAM command, 5-19
RD command, 5-9
Real-Time Streaming Serial Data Parameters
Setting, 3-18
Recorder Date and Time, Changing, 2-11
Recorder Modem
Auto Answer On Command, 3-8
Autocall Feature, 3-9
Connecting from the PC, 2-1
Dialing Prefix, 3-8
Dialing Suffix, 3-8
Ending a Connection from the PC, 2-1
Hangup Command, 3-8
Initialization Command, 3-8
Maximum Dial Attempts, 3-8
Pause Between Calls, 3-8
Primary Phone Number, 3-8
Secondary Phone Number, 3-8
Wait for Connection, 3-8
Refreshing
All Display Windows, 2-3
Directory Display, 2-12
Status Display, 2-11
Related Manuals, 1-3
Relative Display Feature in QuickLook, 4-9
Removing the Recorder Password, 5-5
RENAME command, 5-9
Resetting the Status Window Alarm, 2-11
Restarting Data Acquisition, 2-4
Retrieving Event Files from the Recorder, 5-4
Right Mouse Button in QuickLook, 4-7
RMDIR command, 5-9
Running a Functional Test, 2-4
Running the Software for the First Time, 1-5
RX command, 5-9
S
Sampling Rate, 3-10
SAVE command, 5-14
Screen Information Box in QuickLook, 4-6
Screen Resolution Limits in QuickLook, 4-1
SDSTREAM BITMAP command, 5-14
Index 6-4
Kinemetrics
SDSTREAM BLOCK SIZE command, 5-15

SDSTREAM BUFFER SIZE command, 5-15
SDSTREAM FORMAT command, 5-15
SDSTREAM SAMPLE RATE command, 5-15
SDSTREAM TIMEOUT command, 5-15
Secondary Storage, 3-10
Selecting an Alternate Communication Parameters File, 2-6
Sending a Break to the Recorder, 5-3
Sending a File to the Recorder, 5-4
Sending a Password to the Recorder, 2-3
Sensor
Damping, 2-9
Full Scale, 2-8
Gain, 2-8
Natural Frequency, 2-9
Sensitivity, 2-9
Serial Number, 2-8
Type, 2-8
Sensor Properties
Setting, 2-8
Serial Number, 3-6
SERIALNUMBER command, 5-15
Setting
Channel Parameters, 3-14
Digital Field Station Parameters, 3-17
Modem Parameters, 3-7
PC Modem Parameters in QuickTalk, 2-6
PC Modem Parameters via the Terminal Window, 5-2
Real-Time Streaming Serial Data Parameters, 3-18
Sensor Properties, 2-8
Station Parameters, 3-5
Stream Parameters, 3-9
Timing Parameters, 3-13
SITEID command, 5-15
Sorting the Directory Display, 2-12
STA Length, 3-16
STA/LTA Trig Raio, 3-16
STACK command, 5-20
STACK INIT command, 5-20
STACK TEST command, 5-20
Starting
QuickLook, 4-1
QuickTalk, 2-1
QuickTalk Parameter Editor, 3-1
Station ID, 3-6
Station Parameters
Setting, 3-5
STATUS command, 5-9
Status Window
Changing the Recorder Date and Time, 2-11
Changing the Update Interval, 2-11
Refreshing the Display, 2-11
Resetting the Alarm, 2-11
Viewing, 2-10
STL/LTA Detrig Ratio (a percentage of the trigger ratio), 3-16
STNID command, 5-15
Stopping Data Acquisition, 2-4
STREAM APW command, 5-15, 5-17
STREAM FILTER command, 5-15
STREAM FT command, 5-15
STREAM MINRUNTIME command, 5-16
Stream Parameters
Setting, 3-9
Index
STREAM POSTEVENT command, 5-16

STREAM PREEVENT command, 5-16
STREAM SPS command, 5-16
STREAM STORAGE command, 5-16
STREAM THRESHOLD command, 5-16
Stream Trigger Sources and Weights, 3-11
STREAM VOTERS command, 5-16
Streaming Data
Turning Off, 1-10, 2-13
Viewing, 2-13
SUMMARY command, 5-9
Summary File, Creating in QuickLook, 4-11
SYSTEM RESET command, 5-9
System Sample Rate, 3-17
T
Terminal Window
Closing, 5-1
Closing the Log File, 5-5
Diagnostic Commands, 5-16
Dialing Out on the PC Modem, 5-2
Ending the PC Modem Connection, 5-5
Main Commands, 5-6
Opening, 5-1
Opening the Log File, 5-5
Parameter Editor Commands, 5-10
Retrieving Event Files from the Recorder, 5-4
Sending a Break to the Recorder, 5-3
Sending a File to the Recorder, 5-4
Time Box in QuickLook, 4-5
TIME command, 5-9, 5-20
Timing Parameters
Setting, 3-13
Total Weight, 3-12
Transmit
Data Channels, 3-19
Sample Rate, 3-19
Samples Per Block, 3-19
Trigger
External, 3-12
Filter, 3-16
Keyboard, 3-12
Threshold, 3-15
Type, 3-16
Weight, 3-12
TRIGGER OUT command, 5-20
Troubleshooting, 6-1
Turning Off Streaming Data, 1-10, 2-13
TX command, 5-9
U
Up, 3-15
Update Interval, Changing, 2-11
Upper Window in QuickLook, 4-3
User Codes, 3-7
USERCODE command, 5-16
UTC Offset, 3-13
UTCOFFSET command, 5-16
V
VERSION command, 5-10
VeryFast Display Feature in QuickLook, 4-10
Viewing
Recorder Directory Contents, 2-12
Recorder Messages, 2-9
Streaming Data, 2-13
W
Windows, 2-2
WIPEDISK command, 5-10
Z
Zoom Box in QuickLook, 4-3
Zoom Cursor in QuickLook, 4-4
Index 6-5

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Symbols & Terms

A statement identified as a note offers specific information about

Caution! A caution statement identifies conditions or actions that could

Using an Alternate Communication Parameters File.......................2-6

3. Using the QuickTalk

Setting Channel Parameters ..............................................................3-14

4. Using QuickLook & Viewing

Creating a Header File in QuickLook ..............................................4-11

5. Using the Terminal Window

Retrieve event files.

QuickTalk & QuickLook Software Users Guide

Table 1-1: Formatting conventions

Keys on the computer keyboard. For example,

Words or characters to type. For example, if the

Placeholders for items you must supply with

Variable parameters entered with a command. For

Messages and prompts displayed by the computer.

Label which appears at the top of a window or

Installing the Software

Running QuickTalk for the First

QuickTalk & QuickLook Software Users Guide

Baud Rate Setting

1200 (baud or error)

3. Connect the recorder to the PC with the Kinemetrics RS-232 cable

Communications parameters for Altus recorders are factory-set to

connection between the Altus recorder and the PC. Establish a

QuickTalk & QuickLook Software Users Guide

Setting the Altus Recorder

protected appears in the Message window if the user tries to change

2. The initial password setting is blank. To enter a new password, enter

Be sure to make a note of the password you set. The password is

Formatting Altus Recorder Drives

QuickTalk & QuickLook Software Users Guide

Kinemetrics format.) The Kinemetrics website provides information on

Configuring Real-Time Streaming

Real-time streaming serial data is available only on K2 and Mt.

The Streaming Window is currently under development. Mode 1 support is

Turning Off Real-Time Streaming Serial Data

Starting & Exiting QuickTalk

If You Have Trouble Establishing a Connection with the

Connecting to the Recorder with a Modem

Ending a Recorder Modem Connection

The Streaming Window is currently under development. Mode 1

Sending a Password to the Altus

The message Password protected appears in the Message window

QuickTalk & QuickLook Software Users Guide

Stopping or Restarting Data

Changing COM Port and Baud Rate

3. Select Window and Terminal Window. The Terminal window

QuickTalk & QuickLook Software Users Guide

Using an Alternate Communication

Using an Alternate .qtw File

Setting PC Modem Parameters

modems connect via your telecommunications carrier to enable the recorder

These parameters can be used with other programs besides

Setting Sensor Properties

This dialog box includes the following fields:

Figure 2-4: Sensor Parameters Dialog Box

Viewing Altus Recorder Messages

Copying the Contents of the Messages Window

Checking Altus Recorder Status

Changing the Update Interval