NetGuardian LT Video: Custom Online Voice Wizard

This new online wizard in MyDPS allows you to customize the voice output from your NetGuardian LT. When the NetGuardian calls you with an important alarm notification, it will speak the text you've typed in for the alarm point or play a recording of your own voice.

To see the full review mentioned in the video, watch this full NetGuardian LT review video.

Custom Voice Wizard Video Review

This is Andrew again with DPS TV. Two weeks ago I showed you the NetGuardian LT. It's a compact voice capable alarm remote that will call you if there's a problem at one of your remote sites.

[example voice output]

Today I'm going to show you a new wizard on the DPS website that allows you to customize the NetGuardian's voice output. You can either type what you want the NetGuardian to say, or you can upload recordings of your own voice.

To get started, I'll simply visit the DPS Telecom website at dpstele.com. and I'll scroll down to the bottom of the screen here where there's a link to MyDPS. So here's the MyDPS logon screen. If you don't have an account, you can easily create one using this form at the bottom of the screen. But I already do have an account set up for myself. So I'll type in my email address and my password and click login.

Ok. On this first screen I have lots of different options for things I can do inside MyDPS. I can look at any current proposals I have from the sales department or any projects I'm working on. I can download user manuals, I can get notifications of firmware and software, I can download firmware and software. But Custom RTU Voice Wizard is the newest option I'm going to be looking at today.

So here we are at the wizard. You can see that there are two options. "I have my own XML config file" is a more advanced option. Today we're going to be looking at the quickest way, which is "I want to use the latest default config file".

Once you select that option, you'll only have to chose which product you want. And NetGuardian LT is the only one on the list right now. There will be more on the list shortly. Click next.

Now I'm presented with the listing of all the things I might want to customize the voice for on the NetGuardian LT. So I can set up a custom site name, point descriptions for the various alarm points. How I want to set the alarm set and alarm clear, so you can see standing and clear are the defaults. relay controls (operated and released), and analog sensors, internal temp, and external temp.

So lets go back up to the top. For site name, in this case this particular NetGuardian LT is at DPS Telecom headquarters. So I'll type "DPS Telecom HQ". In your cases you might want to type in "site 152". You can type "western mountain site". Whatever's going to help you identify this particular NetGuardian from your others.

I'll click play to hear a preview to make sure it sounds nice. [DPS Telecom HQ]. And I think that'll work. So that's DPS Telecom HQ.

So that's typing in custom text-to-speech text. I also have the option to upload a custom WAV file of my own voice. So to record that, I'll use a program that has been included in every Windows since Windows 95 or 98. So you should have no trouble getting access to it. It's under Start, Programs, Accessories, Entertainment, Sound Recorder. It's a very simple interface. I've got my PC microphone set up and I'll just hit record.

[Critical Alarm]

All right. So I've got my recording. I need to save that as a WAV file. And I'll call it critical_alarm.wav. Ok. So now its saved, I can close Sound Recorder.

And, back in the wizard, I'll click Upload Custom WAV file for this particular point. As you can see I can mix and match. For some points I can do text-to-speech if I want, for some I can do custom WAV files. It's all up to you.

So I'll browse now for that WAV file I created. There it is critical_alarm. So I can use that same method to customize all the remaining points. And then down at the bottom here, I can click BUILD. It only takes about 10 to 20 seconds to build a file in most cases.

I'll right-click Product_Config.zip and Save As. I'll save it in the same folder I've been using. So it comes down as package.zip. Ok. And I'll open that up. You'll see I have NetGuardianLT.bin. I'm going to extract all the files here out to a regular folder so they're no longer zip. That's better. So now I've got NetGuardianLT.bin.

Now I just upload this to my NetGuardian LT. So I'm going to a new browser window. I'll type in the IP address of the NetGuardian LT to access the web browser interface. I'll login to the LT. I can access the update screen by clicking the web version. You can see a grey box around it. And I challenge you to get lost on this screen. It's very easy to figure out. I'll just browse for the file I just saved from the website, and I'll upload. This will take a little under a minute. Ok. That was about 47 seconds. So now my NetGuardian is updated, I've got my custom voice.

So that's really all there is to it. In just 5 to 10 minutes you can have the NetGuardian saying exactly what you want it to.

So if you like the LT, give DPS a call at 1-800-693-0351. You can also visit us on the web at www.dpstele.com/rtus.