TOOLS MENU FUNCTIONALITY

The Tools menu in the menu bar contains commands for conducting various calculations, manipulating RAD8 and RAD7 Data files, and installing and disabling the RAD7's RADLINK communications software. Note that several of these features require a Capture Pro license. These features are explained in this section.

The Event-Driven Actions command in the Tools menu is used to configure Capture to respond in a variety of ways to specified occurrences. For example, when a RAD7 reports a high radon concentration, Capture can sound an alarm or send an email. For more information, see the Event-Driven Actions section.

The Concentration Unit Converter command in the Tools menu is used to convert a user-supplied radon concentration value between four different concentration units: Bq/L, Bq/m3, Dpm/L, and pCi/L. Enter a concentration value and specify a unit, and the converted values will be displayed as shown in Figure 1, below.

The Sensitivity Unit Converter command in the Tools menu is used to convert a user-supplied RAD7 sensitivity value between four different sensitivity units: cpm/(Bq/L), cpm/(Bq/m3), cpm/(Dpm/L), and cpm/(pCi/L). Enter a sensitivity value and specify a unit, and the converted values will be displayed as shown in Figure 2, below.

The RAD8 and RAD7 operate less efficiently when there is a high level of humidity in the air path, and consequently the instruments underreport the radon concentrations in such conditions. This can normally be avoided through the use of desiccant and/or the Durridge DRYSTIK ADS-3. However when these drying accessories are unavailable, the Humidity Correction Calculator command in the Tools menu may be used to correct a stated radon concentration with respect to known temperature and humidity values. When a radon concentration, temperature, and relative humidity are specified, the corrected radon concentration will be calculated as shown in Figure 3, below. The humidity correction algorithms for the RAD8 and RAD7 differ, so it is necessary to specify the device type as well. Note that humidity correction can also be applied to data in a Graph Window, as described in the Graph Controls Panel section.

The Radon In Water Calculator command in the Tools menu is used to calculate a Radon In Water concentration based on a user-supplied Radon In Air value obtained using either the RAD AQUA, Water Probe, or RAD H2O. It is possible to calculate a Radon In Water concentration for a RAD H₂O test that was conducted using the wrong protocol (for example Sniff protocol instead of WAT-250 protocol).

RAD AQUA and Water Probe calculations require specifying not only the Radon in Air concentration, but also the Water Temperature and Water Type. If the water type is set to Saline Water, it is necessary to specify the salinity in parts per thousand.

The calculated Radon In Water Concentration is displayed at the bottom of the window, along with the ratio of Radon in Air to Radon in Water, as shown in Figure 4, below.

To combine two or more RAD8 or RAD7 Data files into a single file, choose the Combine Radon Data Files... command from the Tools menu, and select either the Combine RAD7 Data Files... or Combine RAD8 Data Files... option from the submenu. A Combine Data Files window will appear as shown below.

This window lets you assemble a list of RAD8 or RAD7 data files to be combined. The data files may be added or removed from the list using the Plus and Minus buttons. It is also possible to drag one or more data files (as well as folders containing data files) into the list from the desktop. When combining RAD8 data files, a "Desired Cycle Time" menu will be present, allowing you to specify the number of minutes between data points. This value may be any multiple of 5 minutes. When combining RAD7 data files, a "Minimum permitted record separation" field is used to specify the threshold under which records from different files will be merged and averaged into single records.

The Graph Combined Data and Save Combined Data to Disk checkboxes are used to specify whether the new combined data set will be displayed in a Graph Window and/or saved to the computer. At least one of these options must be chosen, and at least two radon data files must be added to the list in before the combining process can proceed. If the combined radon data is to be saved to disk, use the Select Location button to specify a name and location for the resulting data file.

Once the desired settings have been chosen, click Continue to complete the combining process. If there are any problems with the files being combined, the Errors Window will appear explaining the issue in detail. Only severe data formatting problems will prevent the combining process from being completed successfully. More information on data errors is available in the RAD7 Data Errors section.

The RAD8 records radon data at 5-minute intervals, and one or more 5-minute "data slices" comprise a cycle, which is represented as a point on a graph. The data can be refectored, such that the duration of each cycle can be any multiple of 5 minutes. Likewise RAD7 data can be resampled, however the options for RAD7 data are more limited.

As an example, if a RAD8 or RAD7 is measuring a low concentration of radon and the instrument has been configured to record cycles at frequent intervals, an unreasonably low number of radon detection events may occur during a given cycle, and each data point may therefore have an excessively high uncertainty value, resulting in a "noisy" record set, in which individual data points are statistically meaningless. In many such cases a longer cycle time could have produced statistically meaningful data points.

By downsampling a radon data file, it is possible to retroactively achieve the benefits of longer cycle times after the data has already been recorded. During a downsampling operation the raw count data from a series of successive cycles are averaged to synthesize a set of combined data points. The resulting data set will consist of fewer data points than the original file, and each of the new data points will have a comparatively longer Live Time, a greater number of total counts, and a correspondingly lower uncertainty value.

To resample a radon Data file, choose the Resample Radon Data File... command from the Tools menu. The Resample Radon Data File Window will appear as shown below. This window contains a control for specifying the minimum permitted record separation; records separated by fewer than the specified number of minutes will be averaged. Checkboxes are provided for specifying whether to graph and/or save the downsampled data. If the data is to be saved to disk, it will be necessary to specify the name and location of the downsampled data file.

The Shift Dates in Radon Data File command is used to modify the dates and times of the records in a RAD8 or RAD7 data file. This feature can be useful if it is discovered that the instrument's clock settings were incorrect when data was recorded. The record dates and times may be shifted either forwards or backwards, by a user-specified number of days, hours, and minutes. Once the specified time shift has been applied, a Save As dialog box appears, allowing the modified radon data file to be saved under a new name.

The Shift Dates in Temperature Data File command is used to modify the dates and times of the records in a temperature data file. This feature can be useful if it is discovered that a temperature probe's clock settings were incorrect when data was recorded. The temperature record dates and times may be shifted either forwards or backwards, by a user-specified number of days, hours, and minutes. First it is necessary to identify the format of the temperature data in the selected file by selecting a Temperature Data Profile. Once the format has been chosen the desired time shift may be applied, and the modified data can be assigned a new format based on any of the built-in Temperature Data Profiles. The Save As dialog box allows the modified temperature data file to be resaved under a new name.

The RADLINK Operations command opens the RADLINK Operations Window, which is used to install and disable the RAD7's communications software, known as RADLINK. This command is useful if a RAD7's RADLINK software is lost or if it needs to be updated to a newer version. RADLINK enables two-way communication between the RAD7 and a computer, and an up-to-date version of RADLINK is required for full communications functionality. The latest RADLINK update is recommended for all users.

Before installing or removing RADLINK, it is recommended that any radon test data present on the RAD7 first be downloaded and saved to the computer. Under normal circumstances RADLINK installation and removal operations do not erase the RAD7's radon test data, but nevertheless caution is advised.

RADLINK installation and removal operations require that the RAD7 be set to 1200 baud. If a version of RADLINK is already present on the RAD7, use the SetBaud command in the RAD7's Special menu to set the device's baud rate to 1200. If RADLINK is not present on the RAD7 this step is unnecessary, because the device will have already reverted to 1200 baud.

From the RADLINK Operations Window, choose Install RADLINK or Disable RADLINK as shown in Figure 9, below. If you wish to update RADLINK to a newer version, it is strongly advised to first disable the existing version. Use the radio buttons to specify whether to install or disable RADLINK, then click the Continue button.

If RADLINK is to be installed, specify the serial port of the connected RAD7 and its firmware version using the pop-up menus as shown in Figure 10, below. If RADLINK is to be disabled, it is necessary to specify only the serial port.

If you are unsure which serial port the RAD7 is connected to and there are multiple available options in the Serial Port pop-up menu, try unplugging the RAD7's USB data cable from the computer and then closing and reopening the RADLINK Operations Window and observing which option is no longer made available in the Serial Port menu.

When installing RADLINK, Capture will determine which version of RADLINK to install based on the specified firmware version. The RAD7's firmware version can be identified by observing the instrument's LCD display immediately after powering on the device. If the firmware version specified in the RADLINK Operations Window does not match the version present on the RAD7, the wrong version of RADLINK will be transferred and the installation procedure will have to be repeated.

After clicking Continue, a set of instructions will appear as shown in Figure 11, below. These instructions will remind the user to download any existing radon test data from the RAD7 before proceeding, in order to protect against unintentional data loss when installing or disabling RADLINK.

If RADLINK is being installed, use the device's keypad to navigate to the Special menu, and press the Enter key. If RADLINK is not present on the RAD7, its screen will display "Not installed. Install?" Use the RAD7's arrow keys to switch from "No" to "Yes", and then press the RAD7's Enter key again. Now the RAD7 is ready to receive the RADLINK software data from the computer.

If RADLINK is already on the RAD7 and you wish to disable it, navigate to the Special menu, press Enter, and press the right arrow button several times to select S-Load. Then press Enter again. The RAD7 will begin to await incoming RADLINK data.

Click Continue to begin the RADLINK installation or disabling procedure. Installing RADLINK takes a few minutes, and disabling RADLINK takes just a few seconds. The process can be monitored in the RADLINK Operation Window as shown in Figure 12, below.

When the RADLINK installation or disabling process has finished, you may close the RADLINK Operations Window. Capture will then offer to rescan for devices, and it will detect any RAD7s on which RADLINK has been installed. Capture will then offer to increase the speed of any newly discovered RADLINK-enabled RAD7 from 1200 baud to 9600 baud, making communication operations considerably faster.

The Terminal Window command in the Tools menu provides an interface for manually issuing serial commands to any device that communicates using a standard serial protocol, including the RAD8, RAD7, and DRYSTIK ADS-3. The Terminal Window is shown in Figure 13, below.

Use the Serial Port and Baud Rate pop-up menus to specify terminal connection settings, and then click Connect to begin. Enter a command using the command line at the bottom of the Terminal Window, and then click the Send button to issue the command. When a response is received it will be added to the large text area at the center of the window. When communicating with a device via the Terminal Window, other Capture features that involve device communication, such as the Chart Recorder, will be temporarily unavailable.