Smart Clock Users
Daylight Saving Time Update             
03/09/2008 11/02/2008

IMPORTANT NOTICE  PLEASE READ

The federal government enacted the Energy Act of 2005 in an effort to reduce the amount of energy used in the United States. This has changed the dates for Daylight Saving Time since 2007. 

How will this affect your Smart Clock?  Smart Clock versions below 3.93 (you can verify your version by unplugging your Smart Clock’s power supply, plugging it back in and looking at the first screen that appears as the clock performs its self tests) contain a 100-year time clock chip that was programmed before the above legislation.  Therefore, you have two options to accommodate the new dates. 

Option 1

1) Download our update for Daylight Saving Time (unless you already downloaded and installed it for a past Daylight Saving Time change; in which case, check the programs in your Windows Start Menu for the Auto DST Update for Smart Clocks program group) from this link: DST setup program

The DST update program is intended as a stand-alone software executable and is not to be copied into any other Coastal Data program folders.

2) Disable the daylight saving time option on the main menu of the clock.  To enter the menu mode, press and hold the MENU button on the back of the clock continuously for 20 seconds or more until the display prompts with the message SETUP MODE. Then release the MENU button. The ENTER button advances through the menu options.  Press ENTER until you find the DAYLIGHT option.   The ADVANCE button is used to change the setting for the menu options. Press ADVANCE to switch from enable to disable.  When the setting for Daylight Saving is set to DISABLE press the ENTER button to move to the next option and then press the MENU button to save the setting in the $mart Clock’s memory. (If you did this procedure during a past Daylight Saving Time change you do not have to do it again.)

3) Open the DST program by clicking on your Start button, looking in programs, finding the Auto DST Update for Smart Clocks program group and clicking on DST. Go to Browse, Communications Lines and add each communication line you have with its parameters. This information is found in the Out of the Box, Precious Time or Stand Alone Communication program you use to communicate with the clocks. (If you did this procedure during a past Daylight Saving Time change you do not have to do it again, unless you have added new lines since then.) 

4) Again under Browse, Clock Configurations, add each clock with its parameters. This information is found in the Out of the Box, Precious Time or Stand Alone Communication program you use to communicate with the clocks. (If you did this procedure during a past Daylight Saving Time change you do not have to do it again, unless you have added new Smart Clocks since then.)

5) Go to Setup, Daylight Saving and enter the dates and times for 2008 you want this program to change on all clocks you configured above. In order to avoid any conflict with your Windows' operating system changing the time on your PC, we recommend that you set the time to change a few minutes prior to 2:00am.

6) Although the official change is effective at 2:00 am on March 9, 2008 to “Spring forward” and November 2, 2008 to “Fall back”, you may enter a date and time other than that – as long as the scheduled event is before your first hourly employee clocks in after the DST change.

7) On the day you have scheduled the change, you must have the computer on, any Coastal Data program (OTBWIN, PRECIOUS TIME OR THE STAND ALONE COMMUNICATION program) closed and the update program open (it can be minimized) for the change to Smart Clock(s) to be made.

Option 2

1) Poll the clocks with the data and punches before the time change.

2) Disable the daylight saving time option on the main menu of the clock.  See detailed instructions above.

3) Do nothing until the last working day before the change or the first      working day after the change.  But, poll the clocks first to retrieve any data already in the clock.  Confirm that punches were recorded before DST.  If there are punches that were entered after 2:00 am, March 9 (November 2 in the fall), you must manually change them.

4) To change the $mart Clock's time, make sure your computer's time is correct and then download the PC’s time to the $mart Clock. If you have the Out of the Box Time and Attendance software, go to the main menu, click on Utility, Perform Clock I/O, select the clock, click "Connect" and then click on “Set Date/Time.” If you have the Stand Alone Communications Software, connect to the clock and then click on “Set Clock Date/Time.”  If you have the Precious Time program, click on Utility, Perform Clock I/O, select the clock, click "Connect to Clock" and then click on “Set Clock Date/Time.”

5) Make yourself a note to repeat this process in November.

Customers that own Smart Clock versions 3.93 or above have the ability to use the Daylight Saving option in the Perform Clock I/O window to download the start and end dates/times for Daylight Saving Time each year (please make sure you are using the latest version of our software which is available in the Upgrade section of this website). Once downloaded to the Smart Clock, it will adjust the time for you at those predetermined times without the need to change the time by hand or to use the DST update program from our website. Please refer to your manual or program's built-in Help system for details. You can download the latest versions of these documents from the Upgrade section of this website. Please note that the Daylight Saving Time settings must be downloaded to each clock every year in order for it to change the time on the appropriate dates. If you forget to set the new start and end dates next year the Smart Clock’s Daylight Saving feature will not work!

Please send any comments or questions to support@smartclock.com or steve@smartclock.com.