Keypad, Software and Range Testing

Test Your Keypads' Battery Life, Software Connection, and Range

A great way to avoid technical hiccups is to quickly test the range and reliability of the keypads. First, plug your receiver into the USB port of your computer and look for blue lights to turn on. This indicates that your receiver is functioning normally and gets power from the computer. Then, start up the software you want to test with - you can use the PowerPoint plugin and use the EZ-VOTE (tab) --> Tools --> Base Manager --> Test Keypads mode.

Alternatively, follow these simple steps to run a test in TownVOTE, using the Participant Grid mode to ensure a smoother experience during your next voting session.

3 Essential Steps 

1) Test Keypad Batteries

Press any button on each keypad once to wake it up from sleep, and once again to send an input to the receiver. If the keypad and receiver are functioning properly, this will be indicated by a 'signal strength' icon (antenna with bars) displayed on the EZ-VOTE keypad. If the keypad does not respond, the batteries likely need to be replaced. It is also recommended to replace batteries for any low-battery keypads, shown by the battery indicator on the keypad screen.

If the low battery indicator is shown, depending on how often you use the clicker, it may still last anywhere from minutes to weeks. For example, if you vote every 10s, it may last around 60 minutes, but it you use it sporadically, it may still go for weeks.

- Low battery indicator shows the top of the display.

2) Test Keypads/Software Connection

Open TownVOTE and create an article with the Participant Grid enabled.  Change the grid size to your desired number of clickers and begin the vote. This will be your test vote. Push any button on your keypads and observe the voting grid. If the vote is received, you will see "OK" on the keypad display, and the grid position that corresponds to your keypad number will light up light blue (if "Delay Votes" toggle is turned ON in Settings).

- Test your clickers with a Participant Grid enabled and adjust the size of the grid to match the number of clickers you expect to use in the meeting.

3) Test Keypad Range

Once you have verified that your keypads are working with the receiver, the final step is to test the range of the keypads. Walk to each corner of the voting range and try to change your vote by pressing any button on the keypad. It is also helpful to try testing the keypads outside of your voting area, just to be safe. If your keypad is in range, your vote will be shown on the participant grid. If the grid fails to indicate any change in vote, try elevating the base receiver and moving it closer to your audience using an extension cable. If the grid still doesn’t recognize your vote, you may need to constrain your voting area to a smaller size or use a range extender.

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