OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS

B. I. M. S

BRINELL IMPRESSION
MEASUREMENT SYSTEM

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 CONTENTS
1. General
1.1. Preface . .03
1.2. Description . .03
2. Installation.
2.1. Installation of Video Capture. .04
2.2. B.I.M.S. Software Installation. .04
2.3. System Requirements. .04
3. Getting Started.
3.1. How to Start.? .05
3.2. For the First Time .06
3.3. Main Window. .09
3.4. New Main Window. .10
4. Toolbar and Menus.
4.1. Toolbar. .11
4.1.1. New Batch. .12
4.1.2. Open Batch. .13
4.1.3. View Indentation. .15
4.1.4. Manual. .16
4.1.5. Semi Auto. .18
4.1.6. Auto. .19
4.1.7. Remote Auto .19
4.1.8. Calibration. .22
4.1.9. Report. .23
4.1.10. Save Image .25
4.1.11. Load image .25
4.2. Menu bar.
4.2.1 File -> Video-Grab Size 26
4.2.2 Settings -> Printer Page .27
4.2.3 Settings -> Password Change. .28
4.2.4 Settings -> Video Settings .29
4.2.5 Settings -> COM Port .30

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1. General

1.1 PREFACE :
The Hardness Tester software’ is user friendly windows based
software. Apart from its simplicity in operating it covers all technical
requirements for measurements of Brinell hardness at just one click.

1.2 DESCRIPTION :

The view of the indentation is obtained by CCD camera of high

resolution. The PC captures the video frames by using video capture
card and windows based software is used to analyze the image of
indentation.

The CCD camera and the software gives high precision for the
automated image analysis. So here the hardness report presents the
high standard of precision.

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1. INSTALLATION
2.1 Installation of Video Capture :

• Start PC. If you have any antivirus software enabled, please disable it during
installation of the software. Before you first connect EASYCAP to your
computer, please insert the software CD-ROM into CD drive. Open folder
‘Driver WIN8_7_XP’ and run ‘setup.exe’ follow onscreen instructions to finish
installation. This completed Easycap USB video capture installation. When
prompted for restart, restart computer. Plug in USB cable of Video capture to
one of the USB ports of personal Computer. Windows will
detect and automatically install driver.

2.2 Brinell software installation : B. I. M. S.

• Please insert the software CD-ROM into CD drive. Open folder ‘Driver
Granddog’ and run ‘setup.exe’. Follow onscreen instructions to finish
installation. This completed granddog USB dongle installation. Plug in
Granddog to one of the USB ports of personal Computer. Windows
will detect and automatically install driver.
• Open folder ‘SETUP’ and run setup.exe. Follow on screen instructions and after
successful installation click “Finish”. This completes ‘BIMS’ software
installation.
• The software is installed and ready for use.

2.3 Minimum System Requirements :

• Intel i3 or higher processor (32 bit or 64 bit) is recommended.
• Microsoft Windows 7/8/8.1/10 (32 bit or 64 bit). Recommend Windows 10.
• System Ram: 1 Gb minimum(32bit) and 2Gb for (64 bit).
• Windows compatible display with 1024 X 768 minimum display resolution.
• Directx 11 for Windows 7, 11.1 for Windows7(SP1)/Windows 8, 11.2 for
Windows 8.1 and 11.3/12 for WIDOWS10.

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3 GETTING STARTED
3.1 How To Start
Click Start → Programs → B.I.M.S.
The following splash screen appears.

The above screen appears for few seconds and the main window of the
software is shown.

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3.2 For the First Time
At first start a dialog is shown for Party/ Company Name , Address and
password for software. Put relevant data and click ‘DONE’. For next
start ‘Enter Password’ screen appears. User has to enter same
password. This is the software entry password and can be modified by
customer.

Click ‘Done’. At first run below screen appears.

New batch window appears. Fill data and click done.

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Next is Video source selection as shown:

Pull down ‘Select video source’ box and select ‘USB 2861 Device’.
Default Brightness and contract values are applied and shown

Set Brightness and contrast so as to get optimal image with proper

edge and black area in impression. Recommended is lower brightness
and increase contrast, slightly around default values.

If you see name of video capture ‘USB 2861 Device’ or ‘Syntek

STK1160 ’ or ‘ezcap Video Grabber ’ don’t open and change
parameters in next window, software internally set parameters. For
other click button next to selected device and open property window for
selected device. Set parameters as required and close.

These parameters may be required to check only once. However, for

other video capture check this and confirm.

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The property windows for ‘USB 2861 Device’ are shown below:

Refer page no 26 File -> Video-Grab Size menu and select

appropriate option from
• Small-Small
• Small-Large
• Large-Large
This completed first run setup of software

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3.3 Main Window
After correct password the main window with live video display,
Menu and toolbar will appear. Use view to see the test area on the
component.

Locate view port & get indentation on the focused area.

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3.4 New Main Window
Now the main window shows the view port area with indentation.

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4 Toolbar and Menus

4.1 Toolbar
The software includes user-friendly toolbar controls as follows: -

→ To create a new batch.

→ To open previous entered batches.

→ To open view window.

→ For Manual Mode of measurement.

→ For Semi Auto mode of measurement.

→ For Auto Mode of measurement.

→ To Enable remote Auto Measurement.

→ For Calibration and check for calibration.

→ To view Report.

→ To Save Image to bitmap file.

→ To Load Image from file.

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4.1.1 New Batch
This is for new batch entry. Enter batch details with hardness
conversion parameters(if required). One can select Name and Address
from Old data or can add new. To open a new batch click on “New
Batch” in File menu or New in toolbar.

Enter all entries and click OK. Select ‘Hardness Conversion’ if

required to have conversion scale in result and report, click
‘Conversion’ and select metal, scale. Each job ID if selected requires to
input job number after each measurement (at result window). If user
doesn’t input data or press cancel, respective reading is not saved. The
certificate no should be a unique number. And certificate and job
description should be without ‘.’, ‘/’, ‘\’, ‘*’, . Click ‘Done’ to create new
batch and cancel to close window.

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4.1.2 Open Batch
This is for opening previous entered batches for viewing or
change of data. One needs valid “Data Entry Password” to change the
previous entered batch contents.

Click “Open Batch ’in File menu or click Open in toolbar. Select
appropriate batch by either company name or certificate No. Above
picture shows selection by certificate no.

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Following shows selection by Company name.

Click “Change Data” to modify the contents on right side

and after valid password the “Change Data” window shall appear.
Default password is spacebar.

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4.1.3 View Indentation
Click `Indentation’ in View menu or View in toolbar to
view live view of image. The view appears as follows

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4.1.4 Manual
This mode of measurement is to provide control to the operator and
user can mark the diagonals by clicking on the edges of the impression.
First click `manual’ in toolbar or Manual in Measure menu to select
manual mode of measurement. The image is freeze. Move mouse
pointer to outer edge of the impression and click left mouse button to
mark first point of the diameter. Move pointer to appropriately mark
second point of the diagonal and left click to mark the diagonal. Thus
one diagonal is marked as shown in figure

The user can displace the marked cursors by selecting Red or

Green selections and pressing left or right mouse buttons to move in
either direction. The slider Displace is used to set displace speed of the
cursers. Reset all resets all selections.

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 Click “Next Diameter” to mark second diameter or click `Done’ to
calculate the Brinell hardness number.

The result window is shown as follows :

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4.1.5 Semi Auto
Here we have to click in the black area of indentation desired for
measurement. Click Semi Auto in toolbar or in Measure menu. After
image is freeze click on the black portion inside the indentation. The
image finding analysis and is done automatically by the software and
the result window is shown as follows

This is appropriate when multiple indentations are viewed in

image window or there is black area outside indentation.

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4.1.6 Auto
Click `Auto’ in toolbar or in Measure menu to auto find indention
and give the result.

This is the automatic mode of measurement and image

identification, diameters finding is done by advanced image processing
technique. The software measures multiple diameters and average of
best diameters is given as result.
The result window as shown in Semi auto Mode is shown.
All manual, semi auto and auto methods of measurement auto
saves the readings. The only first 10 readings are saved for certificate
and rest all are neglected from certificate but added to graph and
tabular readings in report.

4.1.7 Remote Auto

This feature disables Auto from PC and enables Remote measurement
by RS232 port. If a valid port is not selected select COM PORT window
appeare and select port to continue(see 4.2.4 COM Port). User has to
click button on optical tube to do remote auto measurement. Same
button is to be pressed to close Result window and return to ‘VIEW’.

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4.1.8 Calibration
This enables recalibration and calibration check of the system.
Select “Calibration of Objective” in Settings menu or calibration in
toolbar. First password window appears and after valid password entry
is done calibration window is as shown: -

Click image setting to adjust image of not appropriate. Set and

focus stage micrometer horizontal (vertical). Click “calibrate” to freeze
the image and mark the distance as in Manual mode of measure.
Enter marked distance in mm as shown in following window and click

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OK to accept. Here red, green and blue markers can be moved as in
manual mode in measure.

Now one can check the calibration by clicking `Check’ and marking the
distance. Subsequently it shall be displayed in digits in mm as shown
on the next page.

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Click CLOSE to close the window and return to main window.

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 4.1.8 Report

Click `report’ in view menu or in toolbar to view report of selected

certificate. The certificate window is as shown below:-

To delete readings select the readings to be deleted and click delete. In

certificate first 10 readings are recorded and rest all are added to only
graph.

To close result window click Close.

Select `Graph’ in select page to view graphical presentation of all

readings in batch as follows :-

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Select `Readings’ in select page to view table of all readings in batch (
shown above).

Click Print Page to print the selected report.

Select `Export’ in select page to export batch parameters and readings

to a excel chart.

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4.1.9 Save Image
We can save image from ‘VIEW’ in bitmap format. Give folder and file
name to save to a file. This saved image can be recalled and measured
in Semi Auto and Manual mode of measurement.

4.1.10 Load Image

This is to retrieve saved image in ‘Save Image’. Select appropriate
folder and file to be loaded. This is applicable to SemiAuto and Manual
mode of measurement.

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4.2. Menu bar
The software includes user friendly menu bar and includes
following additional menus

4.2.1 File -> Video-Grab Size

This menu has 3 sub menu as below
• Small-Small
• Small-Large
• Large-Large
Small-Small indicates small video window and small freeze window for
measurement. The image size is 640 X 480 pixels. Use this menu
when live video is breaking due to lower speed of PC.

Small-Large indicates small video window and large freeze window for
measurement. The image size is adjusted as per screen size. Use this
menu when live video is breaking due to lower speed of PC.

Large-Large indicates large video window and large freeze window for
measurement. The video and image size is adjusted as per screen
size. Use this menu when live video is not breaking due to lower speed
of PC.

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4.2.2 Settings -> Printer Page
Use this to set page setting for Left and Top margin in inches.
User can put either plus or minus figures up to one decimal place as
0.2 for increasing margin by 0.2 inches or -0.5 to reduce it by 0.5 inch.
Firstly window to input Left margin is shown as below

Put data and click OK.

Secondly window to input Top margin is shown.

Put data and click OK.

This in one time setup & may be specific to a set printer.

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4.2.2 Settings ->Password change
This facility is provided to allow the user to change any password
as per requirement. The three options are provided as “Program”,
“Objective Calibration” and “Change Data”. Click “Program” in
Password Change of Settings menu to change password for the
software program.

Enter old and New passwords and click Done to accept the
change. If old password is correct then new password is implemented
and
Message box “Password is successfully changed” occurs.
Similarly user can change passwords for calibration by clicking
“Objectives Calibration” and data change in Open Batch window using
“Change data”.

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4.2.3 Settings -> Video Setting
Click Video in settings menu. Here we can adjust Brightness and
contrast as per requirements. To change the setting move respective
slider and corresponding value is displayed in text box near to slider.

It is recommended to adjust brightness and contrast to get normal

image. Desired is average white surface with black impression area.

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4.2.4 COM Port
This is to select RS232 port for remote auto measurement by unit.
The window is as shown.

User can either select or put any other no for COM port. Remember to
select a port that is free, otherwise “COM Port not available” is
displayed. Click ‘Select’ to select it and “COM Port selected” message
appears.
The selected port no is saved till further change.

It may please be noted that images shown in this manual may

differ with the actual windows in software. Due to constant research
software is subjected to change.

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