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      Besca BSC manual & Bee - Roasting Intelligence (RI) Setup

      This manual covers the connection of the Besca BSC manual & Bee models equipped with a serial port to Cropster's Roasting Intelligence.

      Specifications

      Requirements

      • USB cable
      • Driver for the USB serial converter

      The driver may be already be pre-installed with your operating system.

      Supported measurements

      • Bean temperature
      • Exhaust temperature

      Roasting Intelligence (RI) Setup

      1. Download RI.

      2. Complete the installation process by following the steps provided.

      3. Double-click the Cropster icon on your desktop to access RI.

      4. Enter your username and password.
        Use the same login information that you use to access the online platform C-sar.

      5. Click the Login button. 

      Check out the Release notes for every version of RI5 to stay updated on the latest features and improvements.

      You can access the Release notes directly in RI by clicking on Help > Release Notes.

      Establishing a connection to the machine

          1. If you are setting up RI for the first time, click the Select Machine button in the banner at the top or click gear-png-2 Preferences  > Machine > Configuration bottom left to access the Preferences screen.
            📚 Learn how to use the keyboard shortcuts in RI.
          2. To choose the Roast machine, click on the dropdown menu in the Machine section. 
            💡 After selecting the machine from the dropdown menu, the roast machine settings may automatically be filled in. You have the flexibility to edit these settings at any time to ensure they align with the specifications of your roasting machine. 
            📚 Learn how to add a new roast machine. 
          3. After selecting the machine all supported measurements will load.
            Change the order of the measurements by using the  Drag and Drop icon and moving it into position.
          4. Switch on the measurements you would like to enable and select Besca Manual PIDs port from the dropdown. 
            💡 Make your measurement readouts more compact. Choose the size of your measurement readouts by selecting either the Small or Large view for display. 
            Screenshot 2024-07-24 at 17.02.26
          5. Click on the Gear  icon to open and configure the PID settings as shown below:

            Screenshot 2024-07-24 at 17.20.48

            Besca Version  Machine type
            V1 Besca BSC machines built before September 2019.
            V2 Besca BSC machines built from September 2019 onwards & Bee machines built March 2022 onwards.
            Bee Besca Bee machines built before March 2022.

            Operation system  Serial port 
            Windows COMx
            Mac USBx
          6. Click OK. 
          7. Click Save to finalize the changes.  
          After saving the changes, RI will automatically restart. If the setup was successful, you will see the temperature values displayed on the right-hand side of the RI screen following the restart.

      Screenshot 2024-07-23 at 12.45.55

      📚 Learn more about the Roasting Intelligence (RI) Preferences. 


      Troubleshooting

      If the RI indicates No source connected and/or you cannot see any measurements, please check the following: 

      • Is the roast machine connected to the computer? 
      • Have you downloaded the driver for the USB serial converter?
      • Is the correct serial port within the RI selected?

      If you have selected a serial port from the RI, and you receive Sources connected from the bottom-right corner of the roasting application, but you can't see live temperature readouts, you may not have selected the serial port referring to the roast machine's connection.

      Driver for the USB serial converter

      If you cannot select the correct serial port within the RI's Serial port field, your computer may not have the appropriate driver needed to recognize the serial converter's physical connection.

      Please reach out to support.cropster.com, and attach the following information in relevance to the USB serial converter used:

      • Brand, and model

      • Serial number

      • Picture of the serial converter

      • RI log files

      A Cropster representative will assess the information, and assist in providing the required driver for the USB serial converter used.

      Congratulations! You have successfully set up the Cropster Roasting Intelligence!

      Check out the Roasting Intelligence (RI5) - Getting Started manual and enjoy tracking your first roasts! More manuals and videos can be found on help.cropster.com.