Fluke Process Instruments

This quick guide discusses the Staff Call functionality available on the Irisys Vector units and how to configure it. A full understanding of the below settings is essential in order to ensure high accuracy that the Vector 4D devices are capable of.

Counting Settings

Once you are connected to your Vector, the Counting settings are accessed via the ‘Settings’ tab, then ‘Counting’:

If connected to a Vector via an Estate Manager connection, make sure you select the ‘Live View’ option to make changes

Staff Call Basics

Enabling Staff Call involves adding a Staff Call Register. This provides two configurable areas on the ground plane which work together to provide the functionality. One is labeled ‘Tagged’ and the other ‘Un-tagged’.

People who stand in the ‘Un-tagged’ zone for long enough (a configurable length of time, see below), will generate a count increment on the register if a staff member wearing an Irisys staff lanyard is not present in the ‘Tagged’ area during the "long enough" timeframe.

To make use of the Staff Call function, the change in value of the Staff Call register needs to be recognised in software, in order to drive other events. I.e. triggering a tannoy announcement or other mechanism to alert that a customer is waiting for assistance from staff. 

A common application of the Staff Call function is to use an Irisys USB IO module to send out a relay pulse at each increment of the register. This may be a more appropriate method of driving external events like the announcement or pager system.

See notes on correct placement of ‘Tagged’ and ‘Un-tagged’ zones below…

Instructions

Simply click and drag the various points, with additional ‘drag’ points created by clicking on the smaller circles in the middle of a straight-line segment. In this way, complex arrangements can be made as required.

Typically the ‘Tagged’ zone would be placed behind a table, or cash register with the ‘Un-tagged’ zone placed in front, but where clear staff/customer standing positions do not exist, it is common to place the ‘Tagged’ and ‘Un-tagged’ areas directly on top of each other in the same location.

Click the plus symbol (+) on the Register dialog window, choose the ‘Staff Call’ type register, and click ‘Next’.
Enter a suitable name for your new Staff Call register and click ‘Next’.
Enter a ‘Customer Dwell’ Duration. The Dwell Duration setting is how long a person must be present in the zone before they are acknowledged. Make sure that the Dwell Duration setting is not too low, otherwise people simply walking through the zone will generate count increments. Click ‘Next’.
Click the ‘Add Register’ button to finish:
Switch from ‘Video View Mode’, to ‘Line Edit Mode’, in order to move and shape the count zone.
Simply click and drag the various points, with additional ‘drag’ points created by clicking on the smaller circles in the middle of a straight-line segment. In this way, complex arrangements can be made as required.
Typically the ‘Tagged’ zone would be placed behind a table, or cash register with the ‘Un-tagged’ zone placed in front, but where clear staff/customer standing positions do not exist, it is common to place the ‘Tagged’ and ‘Un-tagged’ areas directly on top of each other in the same location. Make sure that count zones are only placed over the floor where people can physically stand/walk. Always switch between ‘Video View Mode’ and ‘Line Edit Mode’ to ensure that your zone edge positions are suitable and are only mapped across the floor.

Additional Notes

The Staff Call register is typically of use in retail situations as it will indicate when a member of staff is required to attend to a waiting customer.

The Staff Call register can be interfaced with third party equipment via the optional USB-IO module if required. The USB-IO modules relay output can be configured to pulse on each Staff Call register increment which can then be used to trigger an automatic paging system, buzzer, or similar method of notification.

Typically, the Staff Call register is used in conjunction with the ‘Staff Attend’ register as a complimentary register type. The Staff Attend register is able to confirm that a staff member has arrived after being called.