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Setting up alerts on the XRS2i/XRS2 EID stick reader

Use the alerts feature on the XRS2i/XRS2 EID stick reader to receive alert messages for particular animals

Overview and video to watch

The alerts feature on the stick reader allows you to receive alert messages about particular animals as you scan their electronic ID (EID) tags.

You may want to set up alerts for:

  • Splitting your cows by their calving date (early, mid, late).

  • Identifying animals within a mob for health treatments.

  • Locating animals that are being sold or moved properties.

  • Identifying animals that aren't in your data management software.

Watch the video below to learn how to:

  • Create an alerts file with animal EIDs (and alert messages optionally) on your PC.

  • Transfer the alerts file on to the stick reader using Data Link PC software.

  • Enable Alerts on the stick reader.

After this, you will be ready to scan animals and receive alerts.

📝 In the video the XRS2 is used as the example. The accessories and set up is the same for the XRS2i.

Scenarios

There are three different ways in which alerts can be used. It is important to understand each of these, before you begin.

1: Stick Reader issues an alert when a particular EID is scanned

For example, you have four animals in your herd which you’d like to separate from the herd. You want to set up the stick reader to issue an alert when a particular EID is scanned.

To do this:

  1. Create an alerts file containing just the EIDs of the animals you would like to separate.

  2. Set up the stick reader to alert you to animals in the alerts file.

2: Stick Reader issues a specific alert when a particular EID is scanned

For example, you have some animals which you want to be seen by the vet and some others which you want to withhold. You want to set up the stick reader to issue an alert for animals which need to be seen by the vet and a different alert for animals which need withholding.

To do this:

  1. Create an alerts file containing a list of the EIDs of animals which need to be seen by the vet, together with a message ‘Vet’ and a list of the EIDs of animals which need withholding, together with a message ‘Withhold’.
    📝You can have multiple messages in the same alerts file. See page 2 for examples of different ways to create an alerts file.

  2. Set up the stick reader to alert you to animals in the alerts file.

3: Stick Reader issues an alert for animals not in the list of EIDs

For example, you are loading some animals that you have sold onto a truck and you want to identify animals which do not belong in the group (stray animals). You want to set up the stick reader to issue an alert for animals which are not in the list of EIDs.

To do this:

  1. Create an alerts file containing just the EIDs of animals in the sold group.

  2. Set up the stick reader to alert you to animals not in the alerts file.

Creating an alerts file

You can create an alerts file on a PC using MS Excel. Alternative methods or software may be used, as long as the resulting file is in .csv, .xls, xlsx or .txt format. The examples shown here have been created in MS Excel.

Examples of Alert files:

EIDs only

EIDs and two different messages

EIDs some with a message, some without

📝 If some of the EIDs in the alerts file have messages and other EIDs do not, Data Link will only transfer EIDs with messages.

Structure of alert files

An alerts file can be created in MS Excel or an equivalent spreadsheet program, or you may want to download a file with animal EID numbers from your preferred animal data base software.

An alerts file requires only two columns of data.

  • EID: Electronic ID of each animal you would like to alert on.

  • Alert: A message to appear on your stick reader when the animal's EID is scanned.

📝 EID is the only identification field that can be used to set up alerts, you can't use the visual ID or birth ID.

Display of long numbers

By default, MS Excel will display a long number (e.g. EIDs) in scientific notation (e.g. 9.85152E+15):

This may cause issues when the file is transferred to the stick reader.

To change this:

  1. select the column containing EIDs

  2. right-click, select Format Cells

  3. In the Number tab, select Number and set Decimal Places to 0.

The EIDs will now display normally:

Save the alerts file in a location on your computer that is easily accessible such as your Desktop.

You will upload this file to the stick reader.

EIDs and four different messages

Technical information about alerts files

A header row (e.g. containing headings such as EID and Alert) may be included, if desired. The file must only contain one or two columns of data (one column for EIDs and one for alert messages – optional).

  • The file must be formatted with EIDs in the first column and alert messages in the second.

  • The file must only contain letters and digits. It cannot contain any of the following characters [](){};,~^\|#”.

  • EIDs in the alerts file must be in one of these formats: Decimal (e.g. 964 155000012939, Decimal2 (e.g. 964155000012939) or Hexadecimal (e.g.8000F66416B8808B). This is regardless of the EID format setting in the stick reader itself. EIDs with the following formats cannot be included in the alerts file: ISO (e.g. 100000964155000012939) and ISO23 (e.g. A0000000964000000123456 - animal or R0000000964000000123456 - non-animal).

  • If using a txt file, fields must be separated by a comma (essentially, a .csv file).

  • Up to 10,000 alerts can be set.

  • There is no limit to the number of different alert messages used. Each animal can have a unique message, if desired.

  • An alert message can contain up to 32 letters or digits.

Transferring an alerts file on to the stick reader

Transfer the alerts file from the PC to the stick reader using Data Link for PC software.

  1. Connect the stick reader to a PC using the cable supplied.

  2. Launch Data Link for PC on your PC.

  3. Click to transfer data from the PC to the stick reader.

  4. Select Alerts file and click Next.

  5. Browse to find the alerts file and click Open.
    Data Link will confirm that the file has been successfully transferred to the stick reader.

  6. Click OK. A success message should appear once the alerts file has been uploaded.

📝 If alerts already exist on the stick reader, a dialogue box will ask you to confirm whether you want to clear existing alerts before uploading new alerts.

If you click Yes, existing alerts will be deleted and replaced by the new ones.

If you click No, the new alerts will be added to the existing ones. If there is an existing alert for an animal already on the stick reader and another alert is uploaded for the same animal, the new alert will replace the existing one.

💡 If you don't receive a success message, the alerts file may not have transferred. This could be due to the file being incorrectly formatted.

Checking the alerts are on the stick reader

You can check the alerts by selecting Alerts on Data Link PC software while the stick reader is still plugged in.

Enabling alerts on the stick reader

Decide whether you want alerts to be issued if the EID is in the alerts file or not in the alerts file (see page 1 for an explanation of the different ways in which alerts can be used).

  1. Press to turn on the stick reader.

  2. Press and select Settings.

  3. Select Alerts.

  4. Enable Alerts.

  5. Set alerts to be issued If EID is in alerts file OR If EID is not in alerts file, as required.

Scanning animals when alerts have been set up on the stick reader

  1. Scan an animal’s EID tag.

    If the animal has an alert set up against its EID, the stick reader will beep, the handle will vibrate and a message will appear on the display:

  2. Select Continue to acknowledge the alert.

    Once the alert has been acknowledged, you can continue recording data for that animal or scan another animal.

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