Coffeetool R-models (from September 2015 onwards) - Roasting Intelligence (RI) Setup

This manual covers the connection of the Coffeetool machine manufactured from September 2015 onwards to Cropster's Roasting Intelligence.




Specifications

Requirements

  • Allan Bradley PLC
  • Ethernet cable

Supported measurements

Coffeetool roast machines manufactured between June 2019 and June 2021 do not support Cropster's Control features.

The Gas, Drum Speed Control, and Airflow Control features are currently available in Beta for Coffeetool roast machines manufactured within the specified timeframes:

Manufactured between 2015-2019
  • Allen Bradley Micro 820 PLC.
  • Read & Control of Gas, Airflow, and Drum Speed.
  • Can be controlled from the HMI and PC at the same time.
Manufactured between June 2019 - June 2021
  • Schneider M241 Series PLC.
  • Read only.
Manufactured from June 2021 onwards
  • Schneider M241 Series PLC.
  • Read & Control of Gas, Airflow, and Drum Speed.
  • Requires switching between HMI control mode/PC control mode.

Setting up a connection

There are two ways to connect your roast machine to the network:

Via the computer 


Screenshot 2024-09-26 at 13.42.40

  1. Connect the network cable to your roaster's Ethernet port 
  2. Connect the other end to the computer's Ethernet port.
  3. Proceed with the Network settings.

Via the network router


Screenshot 2024-09-26 at 13.41.58

  1. Connect your network cable to your roaster's Ethernet port.
  2. Connect the other end to the router's Ethernet port.
  3. Make sure that your computer and the router are connected (via Wi-Fi or Ethernet cable). 
  4. Proceed with the Roasting Intelligence (RI) Setup.

Network settings

When the roaster is connected to the computer directly, you need to set up a Static IP address. 

Static IP address configuration - Windows 7, 8, 10

  1. Navigate to the Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center or Network and Internet > Network Sharing Center.
  2. Click Change adapter settings
  3. Identify the Network connection item that refers to the connection to your machine and select that item.
    💡If you are not sure which icon refers to the roast machine, simply disconnect and reconnect the Ethernet cable and check which icon changes its status.
  4. Right-click on WiFi or Local Area Connection
  5. Click Properties
  6. Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4). 
  7. Click Properties.
  8. Select Use the following IP Address option.
  9. Enter the specific IP Address for your roaster and replace the fourth number block with 42:
    • IP Address: 192.168.1.42
      Important: The first three blocks of the IP address need to match the IP address of your roaster, as identified via the roaster's panel
    • Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
    • Leave the rest blank.
  10. Click the OK button to submit your changes.
  11. Proceed with the Roasting Intelligence (RI) Setup.

    Static IP address configuration - MacOS 

    1. Navigate to  > System Settings > Network.
    2. Identify the Network connection item that refers to the connection to your machine and select that item.
      💡If you are not sure which icon refers to the roast machine, simply disconnect and reconnect the Ethernet cable and check which icon changes its status.

    3. Click on Details...

    4. Open the TCP/IP section and choose Manually next to Configure IPv4.
    5. Enter the specific IP Address for your roaster and replace the fourth number block with 42:
      • IP Address: 192.168.1.42
        Important: The first three blocks of the IP address need to match the IP address of your roaster, as identified via the roaster's panel.
      • Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
      • Leave the rest blank.
    6. Click the OK button to confirm the changes.
    7. Proceed with the Roasting Intelligence (RI) Setup.

        Roasting Intelligence (RI) Setup

        Installing the Roasting Intelligence (RI) software

        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. Click the green Login with the browser button.
          💡 Select the "Remember me on this device" option to save your login credentials for future access.
          Screenshot 2025-03-26 at 12.10.43
        5. You will be directed to the C-sar browser. 
          Screenshot 2025-03-26 at 11.46.59
        6. Enter your Username* and Password* and click the green Sign in with password button.
          💡
          You need to use the same credentials that you use to access the online platform C-sar.

        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

        The images displayed below are meant to serve as reference examples; however, they may differ slightly from what you will see on your screen.


        Before you begin configuring your roast machine, ensure that you have added it via the online platform C-sar.

        1. Click gear-pngPreferences > Machine > Configuration at the bottom left to access the Preferences screen. 

        2. To choose the Roast machine, click on the dropdown menu in the Machine section.

        3. By clicking on the + Add connector option, you can choose your connector from the available options in the dropdown list.

        4. You need to select Coffeetool PLC from the dropdown. 

        5. Click Select to add the connector.
          Screenshot 2025-02-25 at 13.19.20

        6. Navigate to the Machine > Measurements tab. All supported measurements will be displayed.

        7. To activate the measurements, simply click the green toggle button.

        8. Switch on the measurements you would like to enable and select Coffeetool PLC 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.

        9. Change the order of the measurements by using the  Drag and Drop icon and move it into position.
          💡You can also customize the color of each measurement by clicking on the colorful dots on the right side of the screen.
          Screenshot 2025-04-01 at 10.09.42

        10. Navigate to the Machine > Controls tab.

        11. To activate the controls, simply click the green toggle button. Enable the controls you wish to activate.

        12. Choose the appropriate connector option that you selected in Step 8.

        13. Change the order of the Slider controls by using the   Drag and Drop icon and move it into position.
          Screenshot 2025-04-01 at 09.54.11

        14. Navigate back to the Machine > Configuration tab and click on the gear-png-1Gear icon in the Connector setup section next to the previously added connector to open and configure the PLC settings.
        15. Enter the IP address for the roast machine.
          The default IP address for Coffeetool roast machines is 192.168.1.200.
          Screenshot 2024-07-25 at 11.56.29
        16. Click OK.
        17. Click Save to finalize the changes.
        18. Proceed with the Coffeetool's Control Mode.


        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 2025-03-31 at 13.05.11

        📚 Learn more about the Roasting Intelligence (RI) Preferences and roasting with the Control and Replay Assist features

        Coffeetool's Control Mode Guide

        Coffeetool's Control Modes, are only available on Coffeetool machines manufactured after June 2021.


        After the Coffeetool machine's software update (for machines manufactured after June 2021), from the Coffeetool's HMI touch screen you can run the machine on two control modes.

        This allows you to shift the control between the Coffeetool's HMI touchscreen, and roast-profiling software:

        The available control modes include:

        1. HMI Control Mode: The roaster receives user input commands for Gas, Airflow, and Drum speed, only from the HMI touchscreen.
        2. PC Control Mode: The roaster receives user input commands for Gas, Airflow, and Drum speed, only from the PC.

        For the Cropster Controls integration, please set the Coffeetool's control mode to PC Control Mode, as shown below:

        When you switch from PC Mode to HMI Mode, the variables are initialized to 50%.

        1. Push the Settings tab on the top of the HMI touchscreen. By default, the Coffeetool roast machine is set to HMI Control Mode.
          If the HMI Control Mode button is highlighted as GREEN, then it is enabled.
        2. Tap the PC Control Mode button, to enable it for Cropster's Control features.
          If the PC Control Mode button is highlighted as RED, then it is enabled.

          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 network (router or computer)?
          • If the roaster is connected to the computer directly, is the static IP address configured correctly?
          • Does the IP address assigned to the roast machine match the default? 
          • Have you set the HMI touch screen to "PC Control Mode"?

          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.