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      Fabrica Roasters (via USB) - Roasting Intelligence (RI) Setup

      In this article, you will learn how to connect a Fabrica roast machine via USB, to Cropster's Roasting Intelligence.

      Specifications

      Requirements

      Supported measurements

      • Bean temperature
      • Exhaust temperature

      Roasting Intelligence (RI) Setup

      Installing the Roasting Intelligence (RI) software

      1. Download the Roasting Intelligence from https://download.cropster.com
      2. The Cropster installer leads you through all the installation steps.
      3. Open the RI by double-clicking the Cropster icon on the desktop
      4. Enter your username and password.
        The user name is the email address your Cropster invitation has been sent to and use the password you've generated when accepting the invitation.
      5. Check the Remember credentials box if you want to be able to run the RI offline.
      6. Click the Login button.

      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  Preferences > Machine > Configuration bottom left to access the machine preferences screen. 
      2. Select the Roasting machine you would like to connect from the drop down menu (e.g. Fabrica). If the machine is not in the list you can add via the online platform.
      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 Fabrica Roasters PIDs from the drop down. Repeat this step for all measurements you would like to enable.  
      5. Toggle the Rate of Rise checkbox for each measurement to activate or deactivate RoR.
      6. Click on the gear () icon to open the PID settings.
      7. Select the Serial port that refers to the connection to the machine: 
        • Serial port: tty.usbserial-x (Mac) or COMx (Windows)
        • Temperature unit: choose Celsius or Fahrenheit according to the temperature unit displayed from the machine's temperature readouts.
      8. Customize how each measurement is displayed by choosing to show it as a Curve on the graph and/or as Value in the sidebar on the right-hand side. You also have the option to adjust the size of the measurement in the sidebar.
      9. Click Save to confirm the changes. The RI requires a restart to apply the settings.

      If the setup was successful, you will be able to see temperature values on the right-hand side of the RI screen after the restart.

        Customize your RI user 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?

        For further assistance, please create a support ticket by clicking the Support button in the left lower corner of the app. A Cropster support rep will get in touch with you.

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

        Check out our Getting started manual and enjoy tracking your first roasts! 

        More manuals and videos can be found on help.cropster.com.