Key ViewTrak DT-500 system features are:
The DT-500 software and hardware is designed to collect data about individual carcasses in the challenging slaughterhouse environment. It's designed to meet the specific needs of meat packers.
Inside DT-500 terminals there are no internal moving parts and uses a proven mission critical operating system. The system is stable and reliable.
When plants want to collect new types of data they can easily customize the software by creating 'soft' data collection buttons for the DT-500 touch screen.
Information from the kill floor is available in real time at remote locations and companies with multiple plants can easily monitor important production data from different locations.
While the system is very sophisticated, it is designed to be stable, and easy to install and operate.
In the event that a terminal is severed from the DT-500 Host each terminal can continue to collect data for 35,000 carcasses.
The DT-500 is designed to provide a company's existing software with data collected on the kill floor. There is no need to change existing software.
DT-500 system is a state-of-the-art electronic data collection system designed specifically for slaughterhouse kill floor data collection. DT-500 system has been successfully installed and is in operation at eleven slaughterhouses across North America.
These facilities range in size from plants processing 1200 carcasses per hour over an 8-hour shift to small plants processing 250 carcasses per day. ViewTrak system can be fully integrated into a plant's MIS system and is presently operating in stand-alone systems as well as part of a cross-Canada Wide Area Network, integrating 3 processing plants to a central head office data warehouse.
ViewTrak's DT-500 Data Collection System is designed to collect data about individual carcasses in a harsh operating environment.
The Canadian Cattle Identification Agency is working closely with Anitech to implement a new program of national cattle identification. Under the program all cattle must have an individual ear tag with a unique bar code or microchip number. Scanners are attached to ViewTrak DT-500 terminals in the plant to collect ear tag numbers.
Our system creates an electronic file for each carcass and the data collected by the DT-500 system is then supplied to the packer's management software. Our system is designed to easily fit into almost any existing computer system.
All the data on each carcass is accessible at authorized remote locations in real time through an internal company network or an Internet connection.
Viewtrak's Software
Viewtrak's DT-500 software operates under the world's leading real time operating system - QNX (derivative of UNIX). QNX is a true 32-bit operating system, which is used in the world's most demanding real time applications.
Viewtrak's DT-500 applications, both on the Host and Terminals, make extensive use of QNX's Send-Receive-Reply (SSR) technology through which the application is made up of a number of independent co-operating processes (programs) communicating synchronously with each other through SSR. The use of SSR allows for extremely small, lightning fast, robust programs that can achieve response times not available with non real time, traditional operating systems. The DT-500 network is standard 10Mbit Ethernet, providing users with standard, "off the shelf " components, i.e. hubs, routers etc.
Viewtrak's a pplication (Host and Terminal) is split into three distinct groups, data handlers, device drivers, and graphic user interface (GUI).
Data Handlers
Terminal side Data Handlers are independent programs responsible for collecting and passing data to the host, or if the terminal is offline for storing this data locally. Host side Data Handlers receive data from terminals and are responsible for storing this data on the host and providing this data to any connected back office systems. Data Handlers also provide data, in real time to the GUI as required but are independent programs, they are fully functional with or without the existence of the GUI.
Device Drivers
Device drivers are responsible for interfacing the DT-500 terminal with external transducers such as scales, printers, ID readers etc. The hardware layer for these programs is RS-232. Device drivers are fully user configurable through the GUI.
Graphic User Interface
Viewtrak's DT-500 terminal graphic user interface provides the operator with a graphical representation of the line they are working on. Bright colored icons are used to represent each carcass. Viewtrak's GUI employs a "stop light" system to allow the operator to determine, in a single glance the state of each carcass on the DT-500 screen. A red carcass icon indicates the carcass has no data collected for it. The carcass color changes to yellow once at least one piece of data has been associated with that carcass. Once all required data has been collected for a carcass, its color changes to green. Through this color code, each DT-500 operator can quickly and easily determine the state of the process in front of him or her.
Through the GUI, operators can collect and edit data on up to ten carcasses as the line moves forward. This allows operators to ensure the data collected is accurate and complete.
The Host computer GUI allows for full control of the data collection process. All system configuration is normally done from the host GUI . The host GUI displays real time data as it is being collected and even allows the viewing the operator interface of any DT-500 terminal in the network.
Below is a sample layout of a DT-500 Data Collection system at a beef plant installation:
A DT-500 terminal can be located in the packer's receiving barn so that the driver's shipping manifest can be entered directly into the DT-500 software. The manifest would indicate the producer ID number, and, in the case of individual animal ID tags those numbers as well.
While it is not essential to have a terminal in the receiving barn it does facilitate the process of data collection.
The first piece of data that is typically collected is a producer's tattoo number, an ear tag number, or an electronic ID tag. A tattoo or ear tag number is entered using a numeric key pad attached to the DT-500 terminal.
In the case of electronic ID, the RFID or bar code reader is attached to the DT-500 terminal and carcass ID is automatic. Also, Viewtrak installs simple switches on the rail wherever a data collection station is located to enable the system to monitor carcasses on a sequential basis.
The next station might be a scale station where the carcass is weighed. Generally, the scale is connected directly to the DT-500 and scale weight is entered against each carcass in sequence. As scale weight is entered the color of the subject carcass changes to reflect the new data.
If the carcass color does not change then the operator knows there is a problem with the scale and a supervisor should be notified. Alternatively, the operator can enter correct data where the line speed allows.
The operator can see where he is in relation to the carcasses on the touch screen by a 'box' around the carcass that identifies the operator's location on the line.
The next station might be a grading station. If the grade of the carcass is measured by an electronic device (e.g. Viewtrak's PG-100 Electronic Pork Grader, any other pork grader, or, an ultrasound system) then that device is attached to the DT-500 and the data is entered automatically.
If the grading is being done in person then the grade of the carcass can be entered directly on the touch screen or an attached numeric keypad.
Typically the next station will be a held rail where carcasses are moved off the main processing line for inspection by veterinarians or regulators. Veterinarians can enter their analysis of the carcass using the DT-500 touch screen. The screen is configured with a number of soft buttons that indicate both location on the animal and the symptom being recorded.
The veterinarian or inspector just touches the screen buttons to enter the data for a particular carcass. These touch screen buttons can also be linked to a sub-category of buttons related to that particular condition and all buttons can be re-configured in minutes by management.
In beef plants a second DT-500 terminal is often located at the 'cold' scale to collect data relate to shrinkage. The system also accommodates a beef packer's need for dealing with splits.
Viewtrak's software is very flexible thereby allowing the plant to collect any type of data it so chooses simply by adding new buttons.
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If the plant uses a trolley tracking system, the tracking system can be attached directly to the DT-500 terminals. Otherwise we use a sequential system that employs switches placed on the trolley track.
Our data collection software is designed to accommodate the way individual plants operate.
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All the data being collected on the kill floor is being collected in real time.
When users 'touch' individual carcasses on the screen the individual carcass data file 'explodes' to reveal the animal's data record.
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If the DT-500 terminals are severed from the DT-500 Host computer DT-500 terminals can continue to collect data on 35,000 carcasses without any connection to the DT-500 Host.
A signal on the terminal indicates that the connection has been cut and that a supervisor should be notified. When the connections are re-attached the data is transferred to the DT-500 Host.
Purchase decisions can be made in real time based on the qualitative analysis of the animals in production. Every piece of data is date and time stamped to help deal with problems should they arise due to discrepancies in the identification process. |
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DT-500 data is provided in a format that allows plants to import data into their existing management software. They can then manipulate the data into reports using their own software.
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DT-500 terminals are attached to the DT-500 Host using standard TCP/IP Cat 5 cable. The terminals are 13" square, 2" high on the front and 5" high on the back. They're designed to fit into plants with ease.
While called terminals, our hardware devices are full PC's housed in a NEMA 4X chassis designed specifically for kill floor use. The terminal is fully enclosed and gasketed. To prevent moisture from entering the terminal there are no openings in the chassis. And, since high humidity levels on a kill floor would cause problems for a hard drive even in a sealed unit, we use a solid state flash disk instead of a hard drive. |
All connections to the DT-500 terminal are made through fully sealed Canon bayonet connectors, which meet MIL STD 105-D.The DT-500 terminal features a 10.5 inch full color TFT liquid crystal display. Operator input/output is through a fully integrated touch screen and for more intensive operator data entry each DT-500 comes complete with a gasketed full travel keypad.
Specifications of the DT-500 terminal's processing power include: a Mobile Intel Pentium MMX processor operating at 166Mhz, 16 MB SDRAM, 15 MB Solid State Flash Disk, 8 RS-232 IO ports, and, Integrated 10Mb Ethernet port.
For the DT-500 Host that sits off the kill floor we use only Tier 1 name brand computers. In most installations, we employ a 300 Mhz Compaq Deskpro computer configured with single or mirrored hard disk drives.
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Plants can easily personalize the DT-500 to collect whatever information is of interest to the plant by adding new buttons to the software.
It takes just a few minutes to make personal touch screen buttons. These buttons can be activated at the discretion of management. |
Viewtrak has been making and servicing kill floor data collection systems since 1984 and our systems are used in plants across North America.
We service our DT-500 software directly from our offices through an Internet connection. Viewtrak's hardware can be serviced by your plant staff or shipped to Anitech's offices by courier and serviced by our experienced personnel.
Viewtrak's system provides a flexible, scaleable and proven solutionÝfor theÝdata collection needs of individual meat packingÝplants. In most plants, the DT-500 system can be installed and staff trained in just three days.
With Viewtrak's DT-500 Data Collection System you can realize an immediateÝreturn on your investment through dramatically improved and simplified real-time data collection.
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