Vocera V5000 Release Notes

Version 5.0.6.34

Updated: June 2, 2022

Supported Versions of Vocera Voice Server and Messaging Server

Before installing this firmware, ensure that the following Vocera products are installed:

Prerequisites

Perform the following prerequisites before performing the installation instructions for the Vocera version 5.0.6.34 Firmware release.

Configure Vocera Smartbadge Using the Standalone BPE

Configure Vocera Smartbadge using the Standalone version of Badge Properties Editor (BPE) 5.6.0 or later, to reflect the 5.0.6.34 Firmware Release. If you do not have the standalone version of BPE, contact Vocera Customer support or open a case in the Support Portal.

Update Smartbadge Properties

The BPE is installed on both the configuration computer and the Vocera Voice Server computer. If you are performing initial badge configuration, use the Badge Properties Editor on the configuration computer.

To update the Smartbadge properties, perform the following tasks:

  1. Locate and double-click the Vocera BPE Launcher icon on the desktop to log in for the first time. For subsequent logins, access the Vocera BPE Launcher using the URL, http://127.0.0.1:8011/#!/, where 127.0.0.1 is the localhost, and 8011 is the Voice Server IP port for BPE.

    The Badge Properties Editor appears.

  2. Select Badges>V5000.

    The V5000 Smartbadge Properties Editor opens.

For specific instructions on how to configure your badge using BPE, refer to Vocera Device Configuration Guide.

Smartbadge Properties

Following are the properties required for the Badge Property Editor:

Mandatory Settings

Wireless Settings

Wireless settings are dependent on the configuration settings of your environment.

Custom Settings

There are settings to control specific functions that can be applied through the Customer Settings fields. For information on the custom setting appropriate for your environment, contact Vocera Technical Support.

Installing Vocera 5.0.6.34 Firmware

This section includes installation instructions for the Vocera version 5.0.6.34 Firmware release. This release applies to Vocera Smartbadge only.

Download the V5000_FWR_Update_5.0.6.34.exe installer by following the instructions included in the email you received from Vocera Customer Support.

Installing 5.0.6.34 Firmware on Smartbadge from a Standalone Vocera Server

To install, perform the following tasks:

  1. Shutdown the standalone server:
    1. In the Vocera Control Panel, choose Run>Shutdown.

      A confirmation dialog box appears.

    2. Click OK.

      The dialog box closes. Subsequently, the Control Panel also closes.

  2. Install Firmware on the standalone server:
    1. Click V5000_FWR_Update_5.0.6.34.exe at the location you have downloaded the installer to launch it.
    2. Follow the instructions on the installation pane workflow and select Yes to start the Vocera Services when prompted.

Result: The Firmware is automatically downloaded to the Smartbadge after the Smartbadge reconnects to the Vocera Server.

Installing 5.0.6.34 Firmware on Smartbadge in a Vocera cluster

To install in a cluster environment, perform the following tasks:

  1. Install on the Standby server
  2. Install on the Active server
This workflow is designed to reduce the downtime in your environment and update your Smartbadge quickly.

To install the firmware on Smartbadge in a Vocera cluster, perform the following tasks:

  1. Shut down the Standby server:
    1. Choose Run > Shutdown in the Vocera Control Panel.

      A confirmation dialog box appears.

    2. Click OK.

      The dialog box closes. Subsequently, the Control Panel also closes.

  2. Install on the Standby server:
    1. Click V5000_FWR_Update_5.0.6.34.exe at the location you have downloaded the installer to launch it.
    2. Follow the instructions on the installation pane workflow and, when prompted, select Yes to start the Vocera Services.
    3. Allow the remote restore to finish so that the server returns to standby status.
    Note: Do not proceed to the next step until the Standby server switches to standby state.
    Note: When the Standby server becomes active, and the Smartbadge connects to it, the firmware is automatically updated on the Smartbadge.
  3. Shut down the Active server:
    1. Choose Run > Shutdown in the Vocera Control Panel.

      A failover on the Active server is initiated to make it inactive and causes the Standby server to change to an active state.

  4. Perform the following tasks on the inactive server (that you shut down):
    1. Click V5000_FWR_Update_5.0.6.34.exe at the location you have downloaded the installer to launch it.
    2. Follow the instructions on the installation pane workflow and, when prompted, select Yes to start the Vocera Services.
    3. Allow the remote restore to finish so that the server returns to standby status.
Note: Vocera recommends that you reboot the Vocera Voice Server to remove the temporary font files that exist inside the firmware folders. The temporary font files can cause different master hash values between Voice Server cluster nodes to start infinite update loops.

Uninstalling 5.0.6.34 Firmware

To uninstall 5.0.6.34 firmware, perform the following tasks:

  1. Click V5000_FWR_Update_5.0.6.34.exe at the location you have downloaded the installer to launch it.
  2. Follow the instructions on the installation pane workflow and, when prompted, select Yes to start the Vocera Services.
  3. Allow the remote restore to finish.

    Firmwares from both active and standby servers are uninstalled.

What's New

The Vocera Smartbadge redefines healthcare communication by combining smartphone usability with hands-free freedom. Vocera Smartbadge represents a new category of wearable communication devices that enable clinician agility and accelerate patient care.

This section summarizes the new features in the Vocera Smartbadge 5.0.x releases.

What's New in 5.0.6.34

This section summarizes the new features in the Vocera Smartbadge 5.0.6.34 release.

What's New in 5.0.6.28

What's New in 5.0.5.38

There are no new features for this release.

What's New in 5.0.5.30

There are no new features for this release.

What's New in 5.0.5.28

What's New in 5.0.4

What's New in 5.0.3.45 [14.3]

Placing Direct Calls from Vocera Devices

As part of the Vocera care team connect solution, the new direct call feature enables the communication between the patient and the caregiver in bed locations that lack nurse call. This feature reduces the need to don and doff PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and improve the patient experience.

When the direct call feature is enabled on Vocera Voice Server Console and Vocera devices, the user can press the Call button to immediately place a call to a predefined recipient without having to interact with the genie. The direct call recipient can be another user, group, or a contact in the system.

To enable this feature, set the customer badge property V5.DirectCallEnabled true using the BCU or through the VCB menu only. Do not add this property to the Badge.Properties of the Vocera Server. The default value of the badge property is false.

Note: When the custom property V5.DirectCallEnabled true is enabled using the BCU, any user that logs into the Vocera device is automatically set to this mode. Ensure that devices intended for this use case are configured with this custom property.

Vocera recommends the following:

For information on Vocera device usage guidelines for the Direct Call feature, refer to the Vocera V-Series Smartbadge User Guide, Vocera B-Series Badge User Guide, and Vocera Device Configuration Guide available on Vocera Documentation Portal.

What's New in 5.0.3.45 [12.4]

With Smartbadge, Vocera introduced its first touch screen along with a touch sensor as the Call button. Due to the nature of wearable devices, fingers are not the only surfaces that come into contact with a touch sensor. Wrists, forearms, and other material may come into contact with the touch sensor leading to calls being initiated accidentally.

To mitigate this, Vocera has introduced a capability in the Smartbadge using the touch surface on display, the proximity sensor, and the Call touch sensor to assess whether a user has placed a call intentionally or accidentally. If an accidental call is detected, the Smartbadge will log the event, but not place a call. Internal testing has shown this new capability to reduce the number of accidental calls that are placed.

This new capability does not change the Call touch sensor behavior when a finger or thumb is placed on the touch sensor. Neither does it change the behavior of the Panic button in any way.

For those customers who are experiencing accidental calls through the touch sensor, Vocera would like to invite these customers to evaluate the changes in the Smartbadge firmware, which introduces the accidental call detection.

This new firmware is based on the 5.0.3.45, which was generally available in December 2019. This new firmware is labeled as 5.0.3.45 [12.4].

Any customers who deploy this firmware are encouraged to send Voice Server logs to Vocera in order to measure how effective this feature is in reducing the number of accidental calls.

What's New in 5.0.3.45

What's New in 5.0.2

What's New in 5.0.1

What's New in 5.0.0

What's Fixed, Enhanced, or Improved

The following list contains fixes and improvements done in this firmware release and the V5000 product.

What's Fixed in 5.0.6.34

What's Fixed in 5.0.6.28

What's Fixed in 5.0.5.38

What's Fixed in 5.0.5.30

What's Fixed in 5.0.5.28

What's Fixed in 5.0.4.30

What's Fixed in 5.0.3.45

What's Fixed in 5.0.2.163

What's Fixed in 5.0.1.87

What's Fixed in 5.0.0.76

What's Fixed in 5.0.0.73

Known Issues

The following section lists the known issues in this firmware release and the V5000 Smartbadge product.

Known Issues in 5.0.6.34

As part of the resistance to dust and water ingress, the removable battery is a snug fit when initially deployed with the Smartbadge. When removing the battery after sliding the latch to the red position, it is recommended to apply a little pressure in the direction of the USB-C socket to ease the removal of the battery.

The following list provides information about known issues in the 5.0.6.34 firmware and the Vocera Smartbadge: