DLC LCD’s

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ABSTRACT:
The “new” DLC LCD Network Boards are no longer new, but there are still a significant quantity of older network boards operating in the field that we are encouraging everyone to upgrade as newer software will not find the network boards in the same method.  Software upgrades as always are free, and inevitable, and if you find yourself in a situation where you have an older DLC-Network Board with a newer software you could run into Dome Light communication problems.  This week’s tech bulletin is an overview of how the program works on the DLC-LCD network boards.
TECH SUPPORT SUMMARY:
Old Nic Cards required a scanning tool that newer software doesn’t use due to the fact that the newer DLC-LCD’s that we now sell cannot be discovered in this manner.  Virtually all the programming is done manually from the actual DLC-LCD interface now instead of the server web interface
 
Step 1:  Check your jumpers
A) Set to 7.5V (Upper).  Must be 7.5, do not use 15V or else you
will blow the power supply or the Logic Power Supply Fuse
B) Start in DHCP (Lower) to minimize manual changes
C) Keep JP 2 default (Upper).  This allows IP changes to be made
Step 2:  Using the navigator
A) Press In to modify Network Information.  Look for cursor to
know you’re in edit mode
B) Hold navigator button in the up or down position to change
value
C) Press left to move navigator cursor to next section of IP
address

D) Press In to complete

E) Interface will ask if you want to save, Up for Yes, No for No
F) Change Netmask and Gateway accordingly as well
G) After you exit, it will still display current unchanged IP address
H) Change J1 from DHCP to Static, then Power Cycle the device
Option 2:  Web Interface
A) Power on and plug DHCP IP address into web interface
B) Change configuration
C) Username: rcare / Password:  R3sp0ns3

D) Save Changes

E) Change J1 from DHCP to Static, then Power Cycle the device
 
CONCLUSION:
Part of the new design allows for this to be more user friend and have more control over programming of these devices.  This DLC-LCD makes troubleshooting much easier.  These steps don’t cover power, data connections, or how to program into the server as these steps are more or less identical to the previous model of DLC network board.  This board simply requires you to check your jumpers and follow the steps above to change IP information.

CC900 Power

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ABSTRACT:
We have recently begun rolling out the CC900 caregiver console to replace the CC800.  For those facilities with RCare Mobile the home screen will look very similar.  The manual for the CC900 can be found on the Distributors log-in on the main webpage.  In this week’s tech bulletin, we will only be discussing the two different power options available.
TECH SUPPORT SUMMARY:
 
Option 1:  POE+ which requires POE + injector seen below.
1) CC900 Requires POE Plus (Response Care does not provide
these) for power and Ethernet Connection
2) Solid Link light for POE Plus Connector
3) “Data In” goes to back of CC900
4) “Data Out” goes to Network Switch
5) Power Button on Lower Right hand side
6) Top LED Light off when idle, activates when call coming
through
Option 2:  Separate Power and Ethernet.
1) 19VDC Power Supply (Provided)
2) 6 Ft Power Supply Cable (Provided)
3) 10 ft Power Supply Cable (Not Provided);
Recommended Mouser Electronics Part# 173-21113E

4) Cat5/Cat5E/Cat6 Ethernet Cable (Not Provided)
 
CONCLUSION:
These two options, which are fairly basic, are what installers will need to be aware of before they get on site.  Regular POE will not suffice; it needs to be a POE+ injector if this is the route you decide.  There’s not much worse than being at an install with a tight schedule only to find out you need equipment you can’t purchase easily at a local hardware store.

Hard Drive Replacements

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ABSTRACT:
Changing out a bad hard drive is not as complex as a task as it may appear when you first open up a server.  Nonetheless, even if you’ve replaced them in the past the error message that you receive for a failed hard drive doesn’t come with a large neon sign saying “This One” when you open up the server.  This tech bulletin will not contain neon, but it will contain instructions and images for identifying the correct hard-drive that needs to be replaced and the steps you should take in replacing them.
TECH SUPPORT SUMMARY:
  • Most likely a failed hard drive will be out of warranty, so when you get a degraded array email you’ll either need to order a replacement or request an RMA if it is within the one-year warranty.
  • Before you take the cube with the bad hard drive offline it is critical that you call us.  We need to delete a file before you swap the hard drives out or else your IP information will never carry over.  At that point it would be monitor and keyboard time.
  • Next, you’ll need to learn how to identify which hard drive is bad.  This requires two parts.  The first is identifying whether or not the lower or higher numbered hard drive is the one that has failed.  The second is identifying which is actually the lower and higher numbered hard dive on the physical cube.
  • Important, 1 does not always equal 1.  Sda1 does not necessarily mean port 1.  It could be port 0, or it could be port 5.  Just identify higher and lower.  Notice in the example below that md1 is the detected failure, but is the higher of the two hard drives.  Md0 is actually hard drive 1 in this case, not md1; md1 is actually the higher drive corresponding to sda2.
  • After you know whether you’re dealing with the higher or lower numbered hard drive you ‘ll need to find that hard drive on the mother board.  Each type of cube varies so please look at the images below for numbering.
  • (F) or [_U] are your indications both in the email and in the diagnostics report of your failed HD.  [UU] indicates a properly functioning hard drive.
  • After the hard drive is replaced Response Care will need to reconfigure both hard drives.
Sample Email:
This is an automatically generated mail message from mdadm

running on <facility name>

A DegradedArray event had been detected on md device /dev/md/1.

Faithfully yours, etc.

P.S. The /proc/mdstat file currently contains the following:

Personalities : [raid1]
md1 : active raid1 sda2[0](F) sdb2[1]

      974750881 blocks super 1.2 [2/1] [_U]

md0 : active raid1 sda1[0] sdb1[1]
      96244 blocks super 1.2 [2/2] [UU]
Steps to follow regardless of cube type
1) Trace hard drive connection to mother board to identify which port you are on.
2) Ports are numbered as is the image below.  Remember, 1 does not always equal 1; lower corresponds to lower, higher corresponds to higher.
 
HD Cubes
 
Bread Box (Stand Alone) Cubes
 
Rack Mount
 
CONCLUSION:
Hard drive crashes are rare, but as our facilities get older and older they are inevitable.  With three different types of servers and a complex numbering/naming convention on these motherboards it can get confusing.  When all else fails, if you can’t figure it out, you can always go with the trial and error method.  Test one, if the server comes up, you’ve selected the correct HD to replace.  If it gets stuck in starting up, you’ve selected the wrong one.  However, understanding what you are looking at in these degraded array emails or the diagnostics report can go a long way to addressing the issue in a quick and timely manner.

Communication

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ABSTRACT:
Tech Bulletins have been part of a larger process that we’ve been implementing to increase overall communication and education for our distributors, installers, and end users about RCare. This week’s bulletin will discuss several other methods and procedures that are now available.
TECH SUPPORT SUMMARY:
1) New Technical Support Email – support@rcareinc.com – This email can be used for specific questions related to technical support that report to members of multiple departments. Sometimes individual availability is limited and if multiple members of our team receive notifications we can provide more adequate response times.
2) E-Learning Tab Reminder – We have distributor, installers, and end user specific courses. Enrolling in the installers course gives access to these tech bulletins. Please advise your technicians and installers about the installers course so that they can obtain important technical information that may not be covered in the manual. This is the first thing all new installers and distributors should do to augment our documentation that can be found on our webpage. Encourage your end user to take these courses as well.
3) Contact Tab Feature –
A) Online Contact Form – This form is available online on our main website at mostly for potential sales inquiries and should not be used for technical support inquires as our response to emails sent via the website will be delayed. Some end users have used this in the past, and it is not recommended for technical support inquiries.
B) Social Media – RCare now has a strong presence across social media. Follow along as RCare travels the country during trade show season and catch up on any webinars you may have missed. Be sure to follow our various pages and stay up to date on the latest news or just stop by for a daily laugh. Not to mention, the occasional giveaway!
4) Constant Contact – There have been a number of people who have manually unsubscribed to these emails which contain not only Technical Support Bulletins, but also invaluable information on product development, trade shows, etc. If you unsubscribed, the only way to resubscribe is for you to manually do so.
The following link will let you resubscribe to the general mailing list.
In order to ensure that the proper people are seeing the Tech Bulletins; please contact RCare directly so we can have you added to that specific list. Tech Bulletins can also be viewed by logging in to the Distributor Area of the RCare website.
CONCLUSION:
Our product and support is heavily directed by customer feedback and all of these method of communication are designed to both educate distributors, installers, and end users. Feedback on these bulletins and via social media are strongly encouraged. More importantly, these tools are free and available for our distributors, installers, and end users to educate us so that we may continuously make improvement to our product and support.

Technology Purchasing in Senior Living Avoiding Expenses and Finding Investments

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August 4th, 2016 Rochester, NY– Certain things in Senior Living are expenses: the food, the medications, the personal care supplies. Other things are investments: a new addition, a renovation of the lobby, a new wellness plan. The difference is that your expenses are just required costs to running a business while investments create actual return on investment. The key to smart technology purchasing in senior living is to separate the expenses from the investments. Join us for 20 minutes to learn more about which technology platforms are creating maximum return on investment for leading communities.

About RCare:

RCare is a provider of UL 1069 tested wireless nurse call and personal emergency response systems for the entire spectrum of eldercare and senior living. RCare components integrate into a variety of healthcare communication systems to create efficient and verifiable responses to medical emergencies. RCare works together with distribution partners to build individualized, flexible and seamless systems to enhance professional caregiving teams and their residents.