Information Best Practices for Downloading data from ATOMs

This is for customers of the ATOM 1C and ATOM 3C seismographs (“ATOMs”) and is intended to provide guidance on ways to improve the download behavior via Wi-Fi.

The ATOMs should be removed from any enclosure and positioned with the metal base plate down and relatively close to the Access Point (AP), which will increase the signal strength available to both the Atom’s and the AP.   

The RF environment during data download can impact whether the ATOMs can connect and on how fast they download data. Other RF devices in the vicinity (i.e., Bluetooth, wireless cameras, other APs, etc.), can cause slower download time. If there is a microwave oven operating nearby, this can disrupt communication between the ATOMs and the AP.

If you are having trouble getting the ATOMs to connect and download, try setting up the AP and laptop and then turning on the ATOMs one-by-one waiting for it to connect before turning on the next unit.

Another thing that will improve download performance is connecting the laptop directly to the AP with an Ethernet cable. This eliminates all of the RF traffic between the laptop and AP.

Summary:

         *Choose a location with the least amount of RF traffic.

         *Remove all ATOMs from any enclosure and place each ATOM on its aluminum bottom base plate. This is the best position for the internal antenna.

         *When possible, everything should at least be on the same level, off the ground, on a desk or table. The AP can even be placed higher than the ATOMs.

         *Each ATOM should have at least a foot of space around it and be within 10 to 12 ft. of the Access Point. Being too close to the AP is also not ideal.

         *The ATOMs and AP should be in the same space or room with the AP being centrally located.

         *Connect the Access Point directly to the Laptop with an Ethernet cable rather than using a WiFi connection between the laptop and AP.

         *The Access Point can connect up to 30 devices at once, but it is advisable to connect 24 or fewer.

The time it takes to connect will vary from ATOM to ATOM. If after 1.5 minutes an ATOM is not found, restart the ATOM.  If after another 1.5 minutes an ATOM is still not connected, it could be a hardware issue. Contact [email protected]

Download time may also vary from ATOM to ATOM. If an ATOM disconnects or takes a much longer time than other ATOMs to download (>30 minutes) it could be a hardware issue. Contact [email protected]