Bridgemate II Scoring system Manual © 2004-2012 Bridge Systems BV
All information contained in this document is subject to change without prior warning. Unless stated otherwise, all persons and details mentioned in this document are fictitious. No part of this publication may be reproduced and/or published, by print, photoprint, microfilm or otherwise, or stored in a retrieval system, without prior written permission from Bridge Systems BV. © Copyright 2004-2012 Bridge Systems BV. All rights reserved.
Table of contents LIMITED WARRANTY 1 SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS 5 INTRODUCTION 7 CHAPTER 1: DESCRIPTION BRIDGEMATE II SCORING SYSTEM 9 DESCRIPTION OF COMPONENTS PROCEDURE 9 10 CHAPTER 2: HARDWARE CONFIGURATION 13 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS INSTALLING BRIDGEMATE CONTROL SOFTWARE INSTALLING THE SERVER INSTALL DRIVER AND CONNECT USB SERVER POWER SUPPLY THROUGH USB PORT AND BATTERIES SETTING THE REGION SETTING THE CHANNEL CONFIGURING THE BRIDGEMATES OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS 13 13 13 13 13 14 15 15 15 CHAPTER 3:
OVERVIEW OF TABLES OVERVIEW OF ENTERED SCORES RESTARTING BRIDGEMATE NETWORK RESETTING THE SERVER SETTING THE REGION SETTING THE CHANNEL 29 29 30 30 30 30 CHAPTER 5: USE OF THE BRIDGEMATE® II SCORING DEVICES 31 EXPLORING THE BRIDGEMATE ACTIVATING THE BRIDGEMATE CONFIGURING THE BRIDGEMATE STARTING THE SESSION ENTER RESULTS WITH THE BRIDGEMATES REVIEWING SCORES AND RECTIFYING SCORES POSTING BRIDGEMATE II SCORES TD MENU 31 32 33 34 37 43 44 44 CHAPTER 6: ADDITIONAL BRIDGEMATE FUNCTIONS 48 BRIDGEMATE SET
Limited warranty 1 Limited warranty IMPORTANT—PLEASE READ THIS LIMITED WARRANTY CAREFULLY TO UNDERSTAND YOUR RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS! The term “Hardware Device” means the Bridge Systems hardware product. The term “You” means either an individual or a single legal entity who will be referred to in this Limited Warranty as “You” and “Your”. A. WARRANTIES. 1. Express Warranty.
Limited warranty 2 including any created by any other documentation or packaging. No other warranties or conditions are made with respect to the Hardware Device or the warranty services by any person, including but not limited to Bridge Systems, its distributors, agents, affiliates and suppliers.
Limited warranty 3 Your expense. Failure to follow the above instructions may result in delays, cause you to incur additional charges, or may void your warranty. This Limited Warranty gives You specific legal rights and You may also have other rights which vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
Safety instructions 5 Safety instructions Important safety warning Failure to properly set up, use, and care for the Bridgemate II system can increase the risk of serious injury or death, or damage to the system. Read this manual and the manuals of any peripherals for important safety and health information. Keep all manuals for future reference. For replacement manuals, go to www.bridgemate.com/support.php or contact your local Bridgemate supplier.
Safety instructions 6 • Remove the batteries if they are worn out or before storing your Bridgemate II system for an extended period of time. When removing batteries from the Bridgemate II scoring device or server, do not use your fingers or finger nails to remove the batteries. Instead use a blunt object like a screwdriver or pen to safely remove the batteries. • If a battery leaks, remove all batteries, taking care to keep the leaked fluid from touching your skin or clothes.
Introduction 7 Introduction Thank you for purchasing your Bridgemate® II scoring system. Bridgemate II is an advanced electronic scoring system for bridge clubs and tournaments, designed to enhance the enjoyment of bridge. Bridgemate II automatically registers board results. The scores are verified and fed to the central PC. Tournament directors will value the user-friendly features of Bridgemate II, as it enables them to focus fully on their core tasks.
Chapter 1: Description Bridgemate II scoring system 9 Chapter 1: Description Bridgemate II scoring system This chapter describes the components of the Bridgemate II scoring system and how they relate to each other. It also explains how to use the Bridgemate II: from creating a session in your scoring program to registering the scores in the scoring program. Please read this chapter carefully.
Chapter 1: Description Bridgemate II scoring system 10 wired connection can be used for hardware analysis of the Bridgemate device. This cable is only required in the rare occasion of a hardware failure and is not used during normal operations. Bridgemate Control Software A specific program is required to control the server from the PC: Bridgemate Control Software (“BCS”). This program runs on Windows2000 or higher and is controlled in part by your scoring program.
Chapter 1: Description Bridgemate II scoring system 11 Activity Explanation Step 1: Session created in the scoring program This is the starting point in the process. In the session, users can set the number of sections to be played, the number of pairs per section, boards and movements. Step 2: Result file created in the scoring program Using the session data, the scoring program creates a result file, containing all data relating to the sections, corresponding movements, boards and pairs.
Chapter 2: Hardware configuration 13 Chapter 2: Hardware configuration System requirements Operating system The Bridgemate II scoring system needs Windows XP SP3 or higher. Hardware Recommended configuration: Processor Memory Pentium III 600MHz or higher 256MB or higher Installing Bridgemate Control Software To install the Bridgemate II scoring system, you will need to run the BCS install file.
Chapter 2: Hardware configuration 14 off). Power will immediately transfer to the batteries and no data will be lost. We recommend installing batteries as a back-up while the server is in operation. This will ensure no data is lost during the session. The batteries will operate approximately 50 hours. When the server is switched off and not connected to the USB port of the computer (or the computer is switched off), inserting batteries will not switch on the server.
Chapter 2: Hardware configuration 15 Setting the channel The radio frequency channel over which the server communicates is set to 0 by default. For more information on how to modify this channel, please see Chapter 4. Configuring the Bridgemates See chapter 5 on how to configure the Bridgemates and to put them in use. Operating instructions The Bridgemate II server is very easy to use. Only a few instructions need to be followed.
Chapter 3: Bridgemate II Control software 17 Chapter 3: Bridgemate Control Software The Bridgemate Control Software program is the bridge between your scoring program and the Bridgemate system. BCS reads the session data from the scoring program though the result file and loads it into the server so that the server can control the Bridgemates. Then, BCS retrieves the entered board results from the server and stores these in the result file for posting by the scoring program.
Chapter 3: Bridgemate II Control software 18 using batteries, we would recommend replacing them in time rather than overusing them. BCS will indicate when to replace the batteries. Lastly, BCS will display the region and the channel over which the server is communicating. Tables The bottom left-hand corner of the screen contains the tables in your session. A red or green dot behind the table indicates the status of the table.
Chapter 3: Bridgemate II Control software 19 In the following cases, the Bridgemate will not be logged in to the server, but instead the message “TABLE NOT ACTIVATED YET” will be displayed and the Bridgemate is returned to the main screen: - The Bridgemate II scoring system has not been started yet by the scoring program. - The corresponding table has not been added to the server. - The server and the Bridgemate are not communicating over the same channel.
Chapter 3: Bridgemate II Control software 20 If the server has been disconnected for a while, all scores not yet sent to BCS will be retrieved from the server, read and saved in the result file as soon as the server is reconnected. Delayed reading and processing of scores is therefore possible. It is advised, however, that the server is connected at all times during the session and BCS is running.
Chapter 3: Bridgemate II Control software 21 Changing scores Right-click on the score you would like to change and select Edit score. A detail screen will appear displaying all the score data. You can now edit the score using the following notation: NS/N/S to indicate the North-South direction of play, EW/E/W for East-West direction of play; clubs = C, diamonds = D, hearts = H, Spades = S, no trumps = NT, double = x, redouble =xx, pas = PASS.
Chapter 3: Bridgemate II Control software 22 Closing the result file Select File à Close to close the active result file. You can now open another result file. Using multiple clients In ordinary club sessions all scoring is done of one computer. In large tournaments, however, it may be necessary to split the session over multiple computers each serving a selection of the tables, while having the scores collected all in one Bridgemate result file.
Chapter 3: Bridgemate II Control software 23 Taking over tables from another client To transfer a table that has already been assigned to another client to your own client, repeat the above procedure. Right-click on the table and select Add to client. BCS will ask you to confirm whether you would like to take over the table from another client. Overview of tables assigned to a client The client to which the tables have been assigned is displayed in the “Client” column of the All tables tab.
Chapter 3: Bridgemate II Control software 24 Check the relevant options to indicate your synchronization preferences. You are effectively determining whether to synchronize the server to the result file, or whether to update the result file using the data stored in the server. Tables in server which are not in client Use this option to determine what to do with tables stored in the server but not assigned to the client. To delete these tables from the server, select “Delete from server”.
Chapter 3: Bridgemate II Control software 25 not to the session). Should it transpire that these tables were correctly stored in the server and not in the result file, a new result file will need to be created, or the current file updated. Recovering the server The Synchronize menu function also offers users the opportunity to fully synchronize the result file and the server. To do this, go to the “Recovery” tab and press the “Recover server” button.
Chapter 3: Bridgemate II Control software 26 Select the sections of which you want the Bridgemates to move on, and select the number of round th you wish to close. For example, if you want all Bridgemates of section B to move on the 4 round, then select only section B by deselecting the other sections, set close rounds 1 till 3 (not 4!), and press “Close rounds”.
Chapter 3: Bridgemate II Control software 27 Some scoring programs require that the original score record is erased once a score in the Bridgemate is erased. If your scoring program requires this, check “Erase original records of deleted scores”. To view the settings that Bridgemates will be used before the Bridgemate system is actually started, check “Show Bridgemate options when starting new session”. This allows the TD to verify if all settings are correct and make changes where needed.
Chapter 3: Bridgemate II Control software 28 The location of the BMplayerDB.mdb Bridgemate player names lookup database file is by default located in the same folder where BCS is installed. When a different location is required, the folder can be specified.
Chapter 4: Server functions 29 Chapter 4: Server functions Once the server is connected to the PC, menu Server is active in BCS. This menu contains several useful server functions. It is not necessary to open a result file to use these functions. Overview of tables Use the Server à Show tables menu to create an overview of the tables stored in the server. Per table, the green or red status light indicates whether this table has logged in to the server, logged off, or has not yet logged in.
Chapter 4: Server functions 30 Restarting Bridgemate network The wireless network can be restarted from the server using the function Server à Force restart. Use this function to solve wireless communication problems between multiple Bridgemates and the server. Resetting the server The Reset server menu function resets the entire server and deletes all entered data. To avoid accidental resets, you will be asked to enter a verification number which is displayed on the screen.
Chapter 5: Use of the Bridgemate® II scoring devices 31 Chapter 5: Use of the Bridgemate® II scoring devices The Bridgemate is a small device designed to enhance the enjoyment of bridge for tournament directors and bridge players alike. The system enables you to enter scores faster than before, and is guaranteed to prevent operator errors.
Chapter 5: Use of the Bridgemate® II scoring devices 32 The keyboard The Bridgemate keyboard contains 29 keys. Some of the keys have a dual function. Keys Explanation 1 to 9, 10 These keys are used to enter numbers in the Bridgemate, for example board numbers, pair numbers, contract and result. The 10 button is used to enter 0 (when entering member numbers, board numbers etc) and to indicate 10 as the lead card.
Chapter 5: Use of the Bridgemate® II scoring devices 33 Depending on the version you have, the version number and language may differ. Battery indicator In the upper left corner there is a small battery indicator. Full batteries are indicated with a full indicator. If the battery power is extremely low, the battery indicator will show an empty battery and the indicator starts blinking.
Chapter 5: Use of the Bridgemate® II scoring devices 34 they are sitting at. This method allows you to assign numbers and sections to tables at the very last minute while the Bridgemates are already placed on the table. In order to set the flexible setting, scroll the focus up or down to “Section” and press the - key just as much until you see “Select” behind “Section”. Automatically “Select” will also be placed behind “Table”. Press BACK function key to accept the settings and return to the main screen.
Chapter 5: Use of the Bridgemate® II scoring devices 35 Activating the Bridgemate and confirming section and table setting At the start of the session, the Bridgemate will by default display the “Bridgemate II” main screen. Press OK to view the table and section settings of the Bridgemate.
Chapter 5: Use of the Bridgemate® II scoring devices 36 Players choose their section by pressing the number that corresponds with the section they will play in. Next, they will be asked to confirm their choice by pressing OK. If a mistake has been made, pressing the Cancel key will bring the Bridgemate back to the selection screen. After confirmation of the section, the Bridgemate will ask for table number and final confirmation.
Chapter 5: Use of the Bridgemate® II scoring devices 37 start the session. The wrongly logged on Bridgemate will show a message that its table has been taken over by another Bridgemate and it will reset itself. Entering member numbers (optional) If you have specified in BCS or your scoring program that you wish to enter member numbers, the Bridgemate will ask you to enter the member numbers of the four players. The number must be numeric and has a maximum of 12 digits.
Chapter 5: Use of the Bridgemate® II scoring devices 38 If the Bridgemate is configured to show player names, Bridgemate will show the names of the players at the start of the round. Player names must be pre-loaded by the scoring program, or players must have entered their player numbers at the beginning of the game. Press OK to confirm this screen and continue with the board input.
Chapter 5: Use of the Bridgemate® II scoring devices 39 keys. If the declarer is North, press N/S once. If the declarer is South, press this key twice. Ditto if the declarer is East or West. The screen is displayed as follows: Entering lead card (optional) If you have specified in Bridgemate settings that lead cards must be entered, the Bridgemate will ask you to enter the lead card. If not, this line will not be visible and the input position will jump to result instead.
Chapter 5: Use of the Bridgemate® II scoring devices 40 East verifies the data displayed on the verification screen. If this data is incorrect, East will press CANCEL to edit the data. If the result is correct, East will press the ACCEPT function key to confirm the result. The message “Entry completed” will now be displayed. The data is saved and sent to the server.
Chapter 5: Use of the Bridgemate® II scoring devices • Achieved percentage for the entered board result • Overview of scores of other pairs on the entered board 41 The percentage is shown directly after the board result has been transmitted to the server. The server calculates the percentage by reviewing the other scores registered on the board, the value of the entered score and how the entered score compares with the other scores.
Chapter 5: Use of the Bridgemate® II scoring devices 42 End of round At the end of the round, the Bridgemate will display the message "End of round". You do not need to do anything. The Bridgemate will automatically switch off after a few seconds. Press OK again to begin entering the scores in the next round. Show seatings for the next round At the end of the round, Bridgemate can guide the pairs to their next table. This information is shown together with the end of round message.
Chapter 5: Use of the Bridgemate® II scoring devices 43 When the last round has been played, the Bridgemate offers the players to view their personal game summary. In the ranking screen, press the GAME SUMMARY key (only visible when the Bridgemate finished the session). The game summary is initially shown for the NS pair. To switch over to EW pair game summary, press the E/W key. Results obtained on all boards are shown, including the final percentage or total match points awarded for these results.
Chapter 5: Use of the Bridgemate® II scoring devices 44 If you have made an input error while the board result has not been confirmed yet by East, press CANCEL to rectify the error. In principle, it is possible to return to the board number input row by repeatedly pressing this button. It is also possible for East to reject the entered data by pressing CANCEL. The Bridgemate will now return to the input screen, and the entered data can be deleted by pressing CANCEL again.
Chapter 5: Use of the Bridgemate® II scoring devices 45 The TD-menu consists of two pages. Use the up and down function key to navigate between the two pages. To exit the menu, press the BACK function key. Menu options The TD-menu has ten options: 1. To enter an arbitral (adjusted) score, press ‘1’. 2. For an overview of the entered scores, press ‘2’. 3. To delete an entry, press ‘3’. 4.
Chapter 5: Use of the Bridgemate® II scoring devices 46 Bridgemate has now saved an arbitral score for this board and will feed this to the scoring program during read-out. Retrieving overview To obtain a overview of the results that have been entered on a specifc board on this table, use the view results function of the TD menu. To access this overview, press ‘2’ in the TD-menu. You will be asked to enter the board number. The overview displays the pair number, direction of play, contract and result.
Chapter 5: Use of the Bridgemate® II scoring devices 47 1. To view a pre-loaded or manually entered hand record, press 1. 2. The TD can manually enter a hand record himself by using option 2. It is not needed that this board is currently played at the table. 3. To erase any hand record, press 3. This can also be a hand record which was entered in a different Bridgemate. See chapter 6 for more explanations about using hand records with Bridgemate.
Chapter 6: Additional Bridgemate functions 48 Chapter 6: Additional Bridgemate functions Bridgemate Control Software has a number of functions specifically designed for the Bridgemate II scoring devices. Bridgemate settings Bridgemate settings can be changed via the menu Tools à Options à Bridgemate tab and Bridgemate II tab. Settings specified by Bridgemate Control Software or scoring program Bridgemate settings can be specified either by the scoring program or by BCS.
Chapter 6: Additional Bridgemate functions 49 When multiple sections are calculated as one, you should check the option “Group sections for results”. The percentage will be calculated across the field, and the results on all boards with the same number are shown in the overview of previous results. Especially in this case, it is recommended to set a maximum number of scores you want the Bridgemate to show.
Chapter 6: Additional Bridgemate functions 50 Autopower-off periods The Bridgemate will automatically go into autopower-off mode if it remains idle for a while. The default setting is 20 seconds. To change this setting, enter a value between 5 and 60 seconds in “Autopoweroff period”. In “Verification message”, enter the length of time you would like the message “Verification by East” to be displayed on the screen.
Chapter 6: Additional Bridgemate functions 51 Automatic entry of board number If you want the Bridgemate to automatically fill in the board number and players only to confirm the number with OK, enable this option. This is convenient when boards are always or most of the time played in logical and ascending order. If board sharing takes place frequently and the order of boards played deviates from the logical order, it is advised to disable this function.
Chapter 6: Additional Bridgemate functions 52 Only use this option on the instructions of the supplier. Incorrect use may result in faulty operation. Only use those files supplied by your supplier and follow the instructions carefully. We strongly advise against any other use. Preparing the Bridgemates: • • • • Collect all the Bridgemates you want to update. Make sure they are set to the same region and channel as the server. Make sure they show the main screen with the Bridgemate logo.
Chapter 6: Additional Bridgemate functions • • 53 When the progress bar on the Bridgemates reaches 100%, it will usually take a few more seconds to complete as it waits for parts of the firmware to be resent. This is normal behaviour. The firmware update mode in Bridgemate can be activated at any time. Bridgemates will automatically start receiving the firmware, even when the transmission has started earlier.
Chapter 6: Additional Bridgemate functions 54 In case your club or federation uses names which may contain leading zeros, you should check “Use text-based number search”. This ensures that numbers like 123 and 00123 are treated as different players. Remark: • The location of BMPlayerDB.mdb can be configured from the General Options window. See chapter 3 “Program settings” for more information.
Chapter 7: Tips for use 55 Chapter 7: Tips for use Bridgemate logged on as the wrong table When a Bridgemate logs on under a wrong section or table number, this will have its effect on this Bridgemate, but also on the Bridgemate of the other table which section and table number has now been occupied. To rectify this situation, the Bridgemate has a simple “take over table” procedure. Just let the Bridgemate of the correct section/table start the session.
Chapter 7: Tips for use 56 When recovering the server, it is important that all scores have been moved previously from the server to the result file. If this is not the case, scores that have not been moved to the computer will be lost and the server cannot restart fully from the previous position. Make sure therefore that the data retrieval is always activated during the session.
Chapter 7: Tips for use 57 Server data loss If neither the server, nor the result file, nor the scoring program contains any data, your last resort is to retrieve the results from the Bridgemates. All results entered in the Bridgemate are stored in the internal memory of the Bridgemate and can be resend to the server. See paragraph “Resending results” for more information. Warning The board results are stored in the internal memory of the Bridgemate.
Chapter 7: Tips for use 58 can then use channel 2, 3, etc. This method enables multiple clubs to use the Bridgemate II scoring system simultaneously without causing any interference. Large tournaments During large tournaments, more than one server will be required to control over 256 tables. The layout of the tables is important in this respect. If the tables are outside the range of the server, an extra server will be needed to increase the range.
Chapter 7: Tips for use 59 • All tables will be loaded into the Bridgemate II server and the Bridgemate Pro server. You decide which tables are used by the Pro system, and which by the II system. As a consequence, both systems may show that certain tables are not activated yet within their server, as they are logged into the other server. • Make sure that both Bridgemate Pro and Bridgemate II have their own tables, for example section A uses Bridgemate II, and section B uses Bridgemate Pro.
FCC statement 60 FCC statement Radiation Exposure Statement This equipment complies with FCC RF radiation exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled environment. This equipment must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter. This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules.
EC Declaration of Conformity to the Essential Requirements of the applicable Directive 1999/5/EC We, Bridge Systems BV, Rotterdam The Netherlands, declare under our sole responsibility that the Radio-communication products Product Name: Product Description: Model Number of the Server: Model Number of the Table Terminal: Bridgemate® II Bridgemate® II Wireless Scoring System BMS2-1 BM2-1 are fully in conformity with the essential requirements of the Council Directive 1999/5/EC (R&TTE).
English Hereby, Bridge Systems BV, declares that this Bridgemate® II Wireless Scoring System is in compliance with the essential requirements and other relevant provisions of Directive 1999/5/EC. Finnish Bridge Systems BV vakuuttaa täten että Bridgemate® II Wireless Scoring System tyyppinen laite on direktiivin 1999/5/EY oleellisten vaatimusten ja sitä koskevien direktiivin muiden ehtojen mukainen.
