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FanTestic Integrity software  calculates hold time calculation for Enclosure Integrity for users in the fire suppression market.

The leakage rate IS important because there is a direct correlation between leakage area and peak pressure.  If the leakage is small enough, every room will face destruction upon discharge. The reality is that most rooms are so leaky that the opposite is a problem. The agent typically leaks out so quickly that the enclosure doesn't pass the hold time requirements which means there is very little peak pressure. This is why many systems do not require venting. For most FM200 systems there is a leakage range where the enclosure is tight enough to maintain sufficient hold time but leaky enough not to require vents. You'll only know if you're in that zone by performing a door fan test according to Annex C of NFPA 2001. ISO has a near identical Annex E.

Both Standards require a peak pressure evaluation to determine whether or not the enclosure will be damaged upon discharge. Unfortunately neither standard provides the peak pressure formula. Traditionally, manufacturers of inert systems

When I am setting up for a multiple fan test, do I use a router or a switch and how do I configure the DM32 gauges and my control computer (settings and wiring)?.

Routers and switches are different kinds of networking equipment, and are not interchangeable.    

A switch will for the most part just pass the traffic through. Switches can be used for multiplexing so you can get multiple inputs onto one output.  They can also be used as signal boosters so you can extend the length of your data connection.

A router will dynamically generate IP addresses for devices connected to it.  The router will also multiplex and boost signal.

When networking, it is important to understand what piece of equipment is in charge of generating the IP address for each device.  If there is a router anywhere in the network to which you are connecting gauges, that router will provide the IP addresses. 

Gauges

There can be a number of things that can cause this issue to occur.

1. Check that the DM32 gauge is working properly.  Power it on and make sure everything functions manually.
2. Check that you have set the Network to the correct setting for your wiring (Network Status :Wired, Network Status: WiFi Create if you are using the DM32 hotspot, Network Status: WiFi Join if you are joining a different hotspot, Network:Disabled for use with USB)
3. If you are using WiFi Join, make sure that your computer's WiFi is also using the same network that the DM32 WiFi has joined.
4. USB Hardware:

• USB Cable:  The USB cable may not be working properly.  Try using another USB to see if the DM32 is now detected.
• USB Port:  The USB port may not be working properly or may not be providing enough power on your computer.  This is especially true in laptops and tablets.  Try to plug your DM32 into another USB port or into

Modular Panels are designed to be placed into doors that are not well sealed.  The panel leakage for the Modular Panel is about 14 square inches compared to about 3 square inches for the Aluminum Frame and Cloth and around 1 square inch of leakage for the upgraded Aluminum Frame with snap together corners.  These three panels represent three typical doorways: 

1. Poorly weather-stripped which would have an approximate 1/16 inch gap which equals about 14 square inches leakage;  
2. A well weather-stripped and adjusted door would be around 3 square inches or leakage; 
3. A super tight door could be as tight as 1 square inch of leakage and can even have less.

One rule of thumb is that all standards require the blower door panel to be leakier and never tighter than the existing door.  The Modular Panel qualifies here.  It is likely that the Aluminum Frame and Cloth are tighter than the existing door.  In either

NFPA and ISO do not certify any equipment or software directly. They are simply a standards writing body who takes input from the industry.  In the case of hold time calculation and peak pressure evaluation the input from the industry was primarily from Colin Genge the CEO of Retrotec who wrote the original NFPA Enclosure Integrity Procedure for NFPA in 1984 and has been the only force in making changes to the Standards ever since.  As a result, Retrotec training certification is accepted across all equipment manufacturers, end users in over 60 countries.

Colin Genge is used as a resource by Siemens, Tyco, Kidde, Ansul, Chemetron, Janus, Fike and 3M. If there is a question about enclosure hold time or peak pressure, he is the one who answers it. 

Uncertainties of results are affected by how "stable" or reproducible your measurements are, when all your data are analyzed collectively. They are determined through statistical analysis. If you would like to see these equations, you can look up the Standard you are testing to.

What FanTestic software does, is it graphs your measurements (technically speaking: on a Flow vs Induced Pressure, log-log axis) and a bestfit trendline is generated between these multiple points. The closer your measurements are to this trendline, the lower your uncertainties. The further away your measurements are from this trendline, the higher your uncertainties.

To minimize uncertainty, it is best to take more measurement points (both target and baseline points), minimize Baseline/Bias pressures (e.g. by dampening wind, etc), take target measurement points over a larger range of induced pressures, and take measurements on each target point for longer time.

I updated FanTestic software and now it cannot not find my DM-2 gauge anymore.

If you previously had to use the "ADMIN" shortcut to allow FanTestic to find your DM-2 then you need to make sure that the previous version of FanTestic and all shortcuts to it are removed from your computer.  Check here to find out if you need to use the ADMIN shortcut.

Uninstall FanTestic completely from your computer  using the Control Panel (choose the Remove from computer option, not the Revert to a previous version option if you are presented with a choice).  Uninstalling FanTestic will NOT uninstall the DM-2 USB driver.  You should still be able to see the Driver listed as installed

Consider the following:

1. Connection range lowers when the DM32 gauge is under low battery power. The voltage goes from 4.2V down to 3.3V and the signal strength output is slightly reduced. If you are having connection troubles and can only connect within a few feet, you should first check if the battery level is in the ‘red’; if so, charge the DM32.
2. You may have an older version of GaugeRemote installed  – make sure your Andriod or iOS device is updated to the latest. There have been improvements in the most recent versions to improve reconnection.
3. Some mobile platforms’ ROMS have issues with their WiFi connection (something Retrotec cannot control). For example, the recent iOS 8.0 had WiFi issues and Apple had to  push a fix out for 8.1, and then subsequently 8.1.1 for further patching. Go into the Settings of their mobile device, check its version number, and make sure it’s running

What is an extrapolated result? (e.g. Q4)

Why is an extrapolated result different in FanTestic than on a DM32?

Q4 is a Flow result that is extrapolated to 4 Pa. For extrapolation of what the result would be at 4 Pa, a best-fit line on a graph (with a known slope) is needed.

The slope value is different for different enclosures, since the slope is dependent on enclosure leakage. To generate a line on a graph, you will either need to:

1. Measure multiple points of data to compute a slope ('n' value), or you
2. Guess a slope ('n' value)

FanTestic performs #1, whereas your DM32 performs #2. 

In other words, FanTestic software records multiple measurements to create a graph