Frequently Asked Questions - Workstation Specification

TeleForm Workstations

The recommended system specification for a TeleForm workstation running Scan Station, Verifier or Designer is stated as:

• Pentium 4 2GHz CPU
• 512MB Ram
• Windows XP Pro
• 500MB+ free hard drive space
• 100 Mb/s network card
• 32MB VGA graphics card
• 17" Monitor (19" Monitor recommended for Verifier workstation)

Additionally, the recommended specification for a workstation running the Reader module is stated as:

• Pentium 4 3GHz
• 1GB Ram
• Windows XP Pro
• 500MB+ free hard drive space
• 1 Gb/s network card
• 32MB VGA graphics card

This article will describe the key hardware recommendations for your PC hardware to help you make the most of your TeleForm system and minimise the possibility of problems in the future.

PC Form Factor

If you are using a SCSI scanner as part of your TeleForm system then you will need a PC capable of taking full size PCI cards as a SCSI controller card will be required. Many computer manufacturers are driving towards smaller and smaller PC's and although they have their advantages you will need to keep in mind that internal interface cards that allow for expansion such as SCSI cards are generally still manufactured for the standard ATX compliant sized PC's and will not fit into ultra small form factor units. If a USB scanner is to be used, the only requirement is a free USB socket.

Monitor Size

Computer screens are often the last thing that are considered when purchasing a new PC and yet they represent probably the most important function a computer can fulfill - providing you with information. The size and quality of screen is primarily dependent on what information you need to see at any given time. If a Verifier operator works on a very basic form where only a small number of fields or characters are reviewed then a 17" monitor should provide enough screen "real estate" to cope. However, some of the more complex forms and systems may require additional "pop up" windows or operators may need to see information from other sources while verifying certain fields. In this case running the TeleForm system at a higher resolution will enable more information to be viewed at once but in turn will shrink the details to scale and become harder to read. As a result a 19" or larger monitor should be considered. Be aware that employers have growing responsibilities for the welfare of computer operators and can be found liable if an employee suffers eye strain or other problems as a result of insufficient or faulty VDU equipment.

Memory

As a rule modern PC's, especially those running Windows Vista in a business environment, are expected to have at least 1GB of RAM. Although the minimum required by Windows XP is 128MB this is regarded as the minimum Windows itself needs to run, without any other applications running. A typical business PC will have the following running concurrently, all requiring their own share of the system RAM:

• Windows
• Outlook
• Word
• Virus scanning software
• Firewall
• Internet Explore

TeleForm's minimum recommended memory size of 512MB assumes that nothing else will be making demands on the memory. So, if Verifier for instance was to be run on a user's everyday PC which would have other applications running, then you may want to consider upgrading the RAM, especially if the user is experiencing system slowness during high loads.

1GB of RAM is recommended for PC's running the TeleForm Reader module. This module is perhaps the most resource hungry of the system as it is where the various recognition engines read and convert text and pass the information onto the Verifier. The more forms and the more complex the forms are, will have a direct impact on the amount of memory and CPU resources required. Although other factors apply on a heavily loaded Reader machine, you would generally expect to see an increase in throughput on a PC with higher RAM than one with the minimum specified. Please also bear in mind that in a TeleForm Workgroup or Enterprise environment the Reader PC should not be used for any other function where possible.

Hard Drives

In a distributed TeleForm environment such as Workgroup, specific tasks are carried out on different PC's. Hard drive space requirements are different dependent on what function is being performed.

• Designer, Reader, Scan and Verifier - Generally images processed through the client modules are only downloaded a few at a time form the TeleForm server, therefore free hard drive space is not crucial above the minimum recommended 500MB.
• Server - The TeleForm server is where all images are stored during the scan/read/verify process. Depending on your system set up it may also be used for long term archival of the extracted data and images. Therefore the hard drive capacity of the server is of critical importance. The average TIFF image of a scanned A4 form at 200dpi in black and white is around 40K, therefore for every 1000 forms scanned and stored, the server will need 40MB of hard drive space. This requirement rises dramatically if you have a requirement to scan and store high resolutions though.

Hard drive performance also makes a massive difference to system performance, as it is one of the last remaining components of a PC with physically moving parts, therefore is inherently slower that RAM or a processor. Have a look at our Server Storage FAQ form more information.

Graphics Cards

Generally most modern PC's capable of running Windows will have a graphics card which meets the minimum requirements for TeleForm.