Data Recovery After Reset or Battery Failure - Electrocorder
When the battery in the Electrocorder goes flat or is replaced, the unit will 'suffer' a reset; as the clock in the Electrocorder stops counting when it has no power. The unit will not return any stored data (this is a security feature, to ensure that data which could be corrupt or inaccurate does not 'knowingly' be returned to you). See also the advice on Battery Replacement.
A logger reset is signified by both red and green led's lighting when the logger is powered from mains voltage, or a 12Vdc PSU in the case of a current only logger. When you attempt to download the logger with Electrosoft, there are two other symptoms of reset or battery failure:-
a) Electrosoft reports that the logger was set up but contains no data, in this case the battery appears to be serviceable as the logger can communicate, but it has suffered a reset. You can continue to "Data Recovery".
b) Electrosoft cannot communicate with the logger, here the battery is either flat or is dislodged. You must replace the battery prior to "Data Recovery".
Data Recovery
To recover the data from the logger, first make sure the logger is NOT connected to any voltage inputs. Within Electrosoft use the option in the Tools Menu "Data Recovery". You will be asked for a password, which is your "Registration Key" a four or five digit number which you got when you registered the product for free online at www.electrocorder.com. Your Registration Key appears in the Help, About window of the program Electrosoft.
Connect the Electrocorder to your PC with the serial or USB lead and follow the steps on screen. Step one will advise you to remove and replace the battery, this is only necessary if the battery is flat (discharged), however we would advise you to check to make sure the battery has not become dislodged. Ensure the battery is serviceable (8 Volts or above) and click the button in step two. Once the logger has been fully reset, click the button in step six and use the normal "Read Logger" button within Electrosoft to obtain the data.
We would advise that you compare the data recovered to the previous data recorded by that logger. Electrocorders work by recording new data over the old, so if the logger has had a reset (has had its battery dislodged or discharged) on the way to the customer, prior to logging 'new data', then when it returns you and you recover the data, the data obtained will be the data from the previous logging survey, 'old data'. The data graph will therefore be exactly the same as the previous data, except that the date and times will be different. The profile of the graph will be exactly the same. If the logger has had its reset, that is, its battery dislodged or discharged after logging, on its return to you, then the data recovered will be 'new data', that is data from the most recent survey.