PCDART START-UP GUIDE

Transcription

1 DRMS DAIRY RECORDS MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS PCDART START-UP GUIDE DRMS provides support to Service Affiliate DHIA personnel, and they provide local support along with other services for their members. Contact your DHIA for support since many support issues need to be coordinated with local staff. Contact DRMS if the issue is critical and local staff cannot be reached. Installing PCDART... 2 Preparing to open PCDART for the first time... 2 Opening PCDART for the first time... 2 Herd Manager (Techs & Consultants Only)... 3 PCDART Help... 3 Management Options Settings... 3 Data Entry Methods... 4 User Reports and Standard Reports... 5 Viewing and Printing Reports... 5 Edit Existing or Create New User Reports... 6 Organizing Reports into Sets... 6 PocketDairy... 6 Herd and Cow Graphs... 7 What to Do on Test Day... 8 What to Do after Test Day... 8 Program Updates for PCDART... 9 Troubleshooting / What to Do When Printed in USA April 2006

2 2 Installing PCDART 1) Insert the PCDART CD. If the installation screen does not display within a few minutes after putting the CD in, click START, RUN and type D:\CDINST (if D is the CDROM drive letter). 2) If you d like to install PCDART in English, click Yes to continue. If you d like to install PCDART in Spanish, choose the spanish version you want and click Sí to continue. 3) Click Install PCDART or Instala PCDART. Follow the prompts. 4) Click Install Database or Instala el dato de hato. Follow the prompts. 5) (Optional) Click Install HDCM (Hundred Day Contract) or Installa HDCM. HDCM is an analysis tool for evaluating reproductive performance. When HDC is installed, there is a 15-day demo. After this expires, the cost to register is $75 for two years of use. 6) Close the PCDART Installation screen. Preparing to Open PCDART for the First Time Determine the communication port for your modem: Win 98, ME: Click Start, Settings, Control Panel, Modems. Note what type of modem is installed. Click the Diagnostics tab. Note your modem s COM Port. Win XP: Click Start, Control Panel, Printers and Other Hardware, Phone and Modem Options. Click the MODEMS tab. Note your modem s COM Port. Opening PCDART for the first time Open PCDART by double clicking the PCDART icon on your desktop. PCDART will ask for the following information only once: Producer: 8 digit herdcode (no dashes or spaces) RAC (Remote Access Code) - your 4 digit password COM port number PCDART opens to the Overview screen. You are ready to start using PCDART. Technician: Technician Number Service Affiliate Number COM port number PCDART opens to the Herd Manager (see info.on page 3) Q: Can I install PCDART on a second computer? A: Yes, contact your DHI Service Affiliate or DRMS for help. Q: I am trying to exchange files with my technician, it is asking for disk 2, but there isn t a disk 2. A: Producers and Technicians occasionally experience difficulty importing and exporting files using 3.5 diskettes. The most reliable method to correct this problem is to format the diskette on the computer that is having problems reading from or writing to the diskette. After formatting, repeat the exchange process using the newly formatted diskette. A more reliable removable media is a jump drive or flash card. They are relatively inexpensive,have a large storage capacity, and easily connect to your computer s USB port (if you are running Me or higher). Q: I bought a new computer and it doesn t have a 3.5 floppy diskette drive. What do I do now? A: The best choice is to purchase a jump drive or flash card. You will need to check with your DHI technician to be sure they have the ability do an exchange on test day with the jump drive. Please contact your service affiliate representative or DRMS for advice in buying these devices. Q: How do I transfer cows bought from another DHI herd? A: Click New Cow and enter the index of the new animal. Click check box for Transfer credits from another herd. Enter the cow s barn name, DHIA ID and breed. Farm ID is optional. Enter the old herdcode and old index in the fields provided. Birth date, parentage and any lactation data available will be transferred during your next test day. Q: How should Canadian or internationally identified animals be entered? A: Registration numbers of animals with international ID must be entered with their 3 digit country code, followed by an * (asterisk) and their registration number. Corrent ID is entered as CAN* (for a Canadian female). A bull from the Netherlands would be NLD* Visit for a complete listing of 3 digit country codes. 11

3 4 9 Data Entry Methods Input can be accessed from Quick Entry, Cowpage or Input Desk. You can enter data by using keyboard commands or mouse clicks. You can also customize the name of the status event you are inputting for Quick Entry (click Overview, File, Configuration, Procedure Name Management). To speed your input with cows and heifers with the same index number, select only the type of animal needed for input with Input Filter Buttons. Your selection also controls which animals are displayedon Input Desk Pick Lists. If All is selected, you can either specify a heifer by typing a period (.) or dash (-) before the name or number or specify a cow by typing a plus sign (+) before the name or number. 1. Quick Entry Display a cow or heifer page - type in the barn name, index or eartag of the animal and press Enter. Input status event - enter common terms (such as Calved, Bred) or enter Procedure Codes (P1, P4,). Type Bred and press Enter or type Bred plus an animal number (Bred 325) and press Enter or type P4 325 and press Enter to open a breeding screen. Chain input events: Type breed vet group 234 to access the breeding screen, then the vet check screen, then the group change screen for cow 234. View or print reports - type View or Print followed by the report number (for example, View 110 or Print 110) 2. Cowpage Click Input, then select event. Type ALT-I to access the Input menu, then type the underlined letter to open the input screen for that event. Type CTRL-shortcut letter. (for example, CTRL-C for Calved). The right-hand side of the Input menu lists the shortcut key for each event. 3. Input Desk Access all input events by clicking the appropriate button. Choose from two entry methods - Enter Animal Number/Name on Input Form or Select Animal(s) Before Showing Input Form (accesses the pick list) Set up and store up to six (6) chained events. Program Updates for PCDART PCDART programs continue to be updated as new features are added. There are several different ways to get a program update: BBS/Net Transfer (Technicians and Consultants) - From Herd Manager, click Tasks, Program Update. PCDART will close and the program update will proceed. BBS/Net Transfer (Producers) - From Overview, click Tasks, Program Update. PCDART will close and the program update will proceed. DRMS web site (Producers)- visit click Downloads, then choose Producers: Download or update PCDART for Producers. You will need your 8 digit herdcode and 4 digit RAC. DRMS web site (Consultants)- visit click Downloads, then choose Consultants: Download or update PCDART for Consultants. You will need your DRMS account number (OTH###) and password. Obtain a PCDART CD-ROM by calling your local DHI service affiliate, or contacting DRMS.

4 10 Troubleshooting / What to do when: Q: I am trying to update after test day or send the test day file and my modem won t dial. A: If you do not have internet access, you can use RAS (Remote Access Server). To set up RAS in Windows XP or Windows 2000: click File, Program Setup, Communications tab, change Communication method to Net Transfer (RAS). Proceed as normal in PCDART. PCDART will now use dial-up-networking connection to send and receive data. To set up RAS in Windows 98 or Windows ME: click File, Program Setup, Communications tab, click Run ISETUP button (one time only). This will add a dial-up-networking connection to DRMS. Change Communication Method to NetTransfer (Internet). Connect to RAS. Proceed as normal in PCDART, PCDART will now use a dial-upnetworking connection to send and receive data. If you have internet access, you can use NetTransfer. To set up NetTransfer: click File, Program Setup, Communications tab, change Communication Method to NetTransfer (Internet). Connect to the internet. Proceed as normal in PCDART, PCDART will now use the internet to send and receive data. Q: I am trying to print from the DOS version of PCDART, but nothing actually prints. A: If your printer has a USB cable or is a Windows only printer, you must print using PCDART 7. If you cannot print from PCDART 7, make sure the printer is installed in Windows. To verify, click Start, Settings, Printers (Win98). Make sure the printer is installed and set as the default printer. If it is not, click the printer to highlight, then click File and make sure Set as Default has a check mark next to it. Consultant: DRMS Account Number (OTH###, DRMS####) DRMS Password (use all CAPITALS) COM port number PCDART opens to the Herd Manager. See below for more information. Herd Manager (Techs and Consultants only) Herd Manager allows navigation to herds and performs herd update, backup and restore. After a herd is opened, the Overview screen for the herd is displayed. Click File, New Herd to add herds to your herd manager. RAC (Remote Access Code) is the 4 digit password for each herd Download Type - select Full Replacement and Include Herd History records PCDART Help For more in-depth information about a topic, click Help, Open PCDART Help. Management Options Settings Click File, Management Options to view options that can be customized. Archiving Calf # Days to Prep Index / Barn Info Panel ME 2X 3X Milking Machine Timed AI Upload Health Heifer Fee Schedule 3 For WinXP, click Start, Printers and Faxes. Make sure the printer is installed and set as the default printer. If it is not, click the printer to highlight, then click File and make sure Set as Default has a check mark next to it.

5 6 7 Edit Existing or Create New User Reports PCDART has hundreds of database items that can be displayed in reports. Reports can be sorted, filtered, and displayed in many ways. When editing existing reports or creating new reports, refer to PCDART Help for more details. Reports are Organized into Sets In addition to User and Standard sets, five (5) default sets are available: Genetics and Heifers, Health and Event Management, Herd Activity and Status, Milk Production and Udder Health and Reproductive Management. This feature allows you to build and print a series of reports. Using sets, you can enter all the reports you need to print and then do something else while the computer is printing the reports. The set and runtime subcommands will also be saved so the same reports can be reproduced for future use. Sets can be uniquely named and can contain any combination of reports: On certain days. For example a Vet Check Set might contain only reports used that day. By employee. For example herd manager Bob uses only heifer reports, while herd manager Joe uses only breeding reports. By group number. Multiple reports could be created for each group, then each group could be in its own set. Sets of reports can also be loaded to PocketDairy. PocketDairy PCDART contains all the programs for PocketDairy. The PocketDairy software operates on handheld computer. There is a one-time enrollment fee and a small ongoing support fee for this service. Contact your DHI Service Affiliate for details. In PCDART, the PocketDairy icon provides access to: 1) Install PocketDairy 2) HotSync Settings. Customize data in PocketDairy. Cows/Heifers: cows, heifers or both can be loaded. Health Events: current lactation, events per cow, event ranges or all health events can be loaded. No health events is also an option. Cow groups: all groups or selected groups can be loaded. Heifer groups: all groups or selected groups can be loaded. Custom Items: up to 6 database items can be loaded for display on second cow page. Health Remarks: a list of frequently used remarks can be loaded for ease of data-entry. Bull List: a list of service sire NAAB codes can be loaded for ease of data entry. Milk Weights: if PCDART is interfaced with automated milk recording equipment, the milk weight loaded can be either the most recent test day milk or the most recently recorded milk weight from the milk recording equipment. Identification: choose between index or barn name to identify animals on handheld. 3) HotSync Status. Monitor sync status, last export, and input from handheld. Herd and Cow Graphs Herd Graphs: Herd graphs are created as line graphs. Some variables may not have data unless the PCDART database came directly from the producer. Downloaded databases do not include all data variables that may exist in the farm database. Cow Graphs: Cow graphs are created as line/scatter graphs. On cow graphs, each point represents one animal. Clicking once on a point shows the cow number, X axis value and Y axis value. Double-clicking on a point brings up the animal s cow page. Filters and Partition By provide ways to further refine a graph. Both Herd & Cow Graphs have these characteristics: Predefined Graphs, designed by DRMS, are categorized by: Udder Health Production/Nutrition Reproduction Genetics Lactations User Defined Graphs: can be designed using database items and saved for future use.

6 8 What To Do On Test Day If a Technician s computer is used to complete test day Create an exchange disk for the technician to use. Follow these steps: 1. From Overview, click Tasks, Download Herd s Accounting. 2. From Overview, click Tasks, Import/Export, Create export files for tech. Follow the prompts. Give this export to the technician. Producer will be locked out of data entry until test day is complete and technician returns the disk. 3. To read this disk in after test day is complete, the producer must click Tasks, Import/Export, Import Files from Tech. See PCDART Help for more details. Owner Sampler or the Technician uses PRODUCER S computer to complete test day 1. From Overview, click Tasks, Download Herd s Accounting. 2. From Overview, click Test Day: Set Test Date to enter the date of test Follow the Test Day Tasks list to input feed, ID, options, handling instructions and milking times. Use Milk Weight Input to input milk weights, CAR s, batch numbers, string numbers, feed programs and concentrates fed Click $ Input and Calculate Bill to complete all billing entries. Click Scan herd: Prepare Upload Files to create upload files. 3. Click Tasks, Send Test Day Files to DRMS to upload your testday. What To Do After Test Day After the test day data has merged with lab data (if applicable) and processed at DRMS, the data is available to download into PCDART. Click Tasks, Update after Test Day to download your updated data. User Reports and Standard Reports User Reports: reports can be modified or deleted and new reports can be created. Standard Reports: reports cannot be modified or deleted, however, sub-command options can alter the output of the reports. Viewing & Printing Reports Preview: preview selected report on-screen. Print: print selected report. PDF: export selected report to Adobe Acrobat Reader format Edit: modify existing reports (not available for Standard Reports) New: create new reports (not available for Standard Reports) Grid View/CSV: preview selected report in grid format, sort on any item by clicking on column heading. The report can be printed in the same sort order that is displayed. Use Grid View to export the report in a comma delimited format. Not available for Standard Reports. Report output can be affected by subcommands. Subcommands are temporary settings that can alter the output of the report. When you select a report in the list, the right side of the screen provides the subcommand options. Subcommand settings are saved from one session to the next. Paper orientation, size, and font are also saved. 1. For User Reports, subcommands include: Averages: display Full Detail or Averages only Assign Temp Group and allow a maximum number of animals in the temp group Control report on Group, Temp Group, Breed, Status, or Lactation number and Permanent String Limit the number of animals displayed on the report based on a certain database item 2. For Standard Reports, subcommands vary per report. For example, you can specify the health code or range of codes to list, number of occurrences and a time frame on the Animal Health List (report 107). 5