HunterLab Agera User manual

User’s Manual for Agera®
and EasyMatch®Essentials
Hunter Associates Laboratory
11491 Sunset Hills Road
Reston, Virginia 20190 USA
www.hunterlab.com
A60-1018-812 Version 1.0
For EasyMatch Essentials 100.0051 and Above

User’s Manual for Agera and EasyMatch Essentials v 1.0
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Copyrights and Trademarks
This documentation contains proprietary information of Hunter Associates Laboratory, Inc. Its
reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written consent of Hunter Associates Laboratory, Inc.
is prohibited.
Agera and EasyMatch are registered trademarks of Hunter Associates Laboratory, Inc.
Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries.
Safety Notes
Caution: If the equipment is used in a manner not specified by the HunterLab, the overall safety and
protection provided by the equipment may be impaired. The instrument is for indoor use only and not
suitable for a wet location.
Caution: There is a potential of a UV Light hazard in using this instrument. Please avoid looking
directly at the light. The frequency of this flashing light is in the range of sensitivity for those prone to
epileptic seizures.
For your safety when using the Agera, you should pay attention to the following types of statements in
this User’s Manual:
▪General safety instruction that should be observed at all times while operating the
instrument.
▪Specific safety instruction critical to the type of instrument operation being explained in the
manual where the caution appears.
▪Use of this equipment in a manner not specified by the manufacturer may impair the
protection afforded by the equipment.
▪Danger of electric shock if liquids are spilled and fire if volatile or flammable liquids are
spilled. Use care when measuring liquid samples.
▪The Agera is for indoor use only at an altitude of up to 2000m and pollution degree 2.

User’s Manual for Agera and EasyMatch Essentials v 1.0
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Contents
SETTING UP THE AGERA......................................................................................7
Standard Accessories ................................................................................................................................7
Selecting A Space for the Agera................................................................................................................7
Power Jack.................................................................................................................................................7
Power Switch.............................................................................................................................................7
Port Forward Orientation..........................................................................................................................8
Keyboard and Mouse................................................................................................................................8
Front and Rear USB Connectors................................................................................................................8
Ethernet Port.............................................................................................................................................8
NAVIGATING THE ESSENTIALS SCREEN................................................................9
Tools: Status Bar........................................................................................................................................9
Tools: Read................................................................................................................................................9
Tools: View Flippers ................................................................................................................................10
Tools: Information...................................................................................................................................10
Tools: Quick View....................................................................................................................................10
Tools: View Options ................................................................................................................................10
Tools: Workspace & System Settings......................................................................................................11
Tools: Jobs...............................................................................................................................................11
TAKING A SIMPLE MEASUREMENT....................................................................13
What is HunterLab Agera & EasyMatch Essentials? ...............................................................................13
Connecting the Sensor and Taking a Measurement...............................................................................13
Standardization....................................................................................................................................13
Create a Workspace.............................................................................................................................15
Read Sample ........................................................................................................................................16
TOOL BAR: JOBS FUNCTION ..............................................................................19
Jobs .........................................................................................................................................................19
Jobs > New ..............................................................................................................................................19
Jobs > Open.............................................................................................................................................19
Jobs > Save & Save As .............................................................................................................................20
Jobs > Print..............................................................................................................................................20
Jobs > Data Management .......................................................................................................................22

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Jobs > Help ..............................................................................................................................................27
Jobs > About............................................................................................................................................27
TOOL BAR: WORKSPACE & SYSTEM SETTINGS...................................................29
Workspace > Color Scales .......................................................................................................................29
Workspace > Read Options.....................................................................................................................33
Read Options > Options .......................................................................................................................33
Read Options > Measurement Configuration......................................................................................37
Workspace: Standard and Tolerances ....................................................................................................39
AutoTolerances Setting........................................................................................................................42
Tolerances............................................................................................................................................43
Workspace: Views...................................................................................................................................43
Workspace: New Workspace ..................................................................................................................43
System Settings: Standardization............................................................................................................44
Multi-Standardization Mode ...............................................................................................................45
Standardization and Port Plate/Area of View......................................................................................46
Gloss Standardization ..........................................................................................................................46
System Settings: Diagnostics...................................................................................................................46
Colorimetric Repeatability...................................................................................................................46
Reading the Green Tile ........................................................................................................................48
Advanced Tests....................................................................................................................................49
System Settings: Preferences..................................................................................................................53
Preferences: General...........................................................................................................................53
Preferences: Print................................................................................................................................55
System Settings: User Manager..............................................................................................................55
TOOLBAR: VIEW OPTIONS.................................................................................59
Views: EZ View ........................................................................................................................................59
Views: Color Data Table..........................................................................................................................60
Views: Spectral Data Table......................................................................................................................62
Views: Spectral Plot.................................................................................................................................63
Views: Trend Plot ....................................................................................................................................64
Views: Color Plot.....................................................................................................................................65
SPECIAL FUNCTIONS ......................................................................................67
Auto-Exporting Data through a Network Connection ............................................................................67

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Option A: Connect to a network hub using an Ethernet .....................................................................67
Optional B: Connect to a hotspot through the WiFi connection.........................................................69
Auto-Exporting Data via Direct Connection between Agera and a Computer .......................................71
Connect Agera to Computer:...............................................................................................................71
Open Command Prompt in the PC ......................................................................................................72
Configure the Agera.............................................................................................................................72
Configure the Computer......................................................................................................................73
Send Data from the Agera: ..................................................................................................................74
Tips & Tricks: Recover Unsaved Measurement Data..............................................................................74
SPECIFICATIONS ......................................................................................75
Operating Conditions..............................................................................................................................75
Physical Characteristics...........................................................................................................................75
Conditions of Illumination and Viewing..................................................................................................75
Instrument Performance.........................................................................................................................76
Measurement..........................................................................................................................................76
Regulatory Notice ...................................................................................................................................77
FEATURES, ACCESSORIES & MAINTENANCE ......................................................79
Agera Maintenance & Safety ..................................................................................................................79
Options and Sample Devices...................................................................................................................79
Easy Match Quality Control Software (EZMQC-OPT............................................................................79
Disk Assembly (02-4522-00) ................................................................................................................80
Ring and Disk Set (02-4579-00)............................................................................................................80
Sample Cup Opaque Cover (04-4000-00)............................................................................................80
Ring Only (04-4230-00)........................................................................................................................81
Glass Sample Cup (04-7209-00)...........................................................................................................81
Sample Cup Set (Agera-SC-Assy)..........................................................................................................81
Skein/Swatch Holder (02-7396-00)......................................................................................................81
Foot switch Assembly (D02-1010-327)................................................................................................82
Sample Clamp (D02-1018-462)............................................................................................................82
Gloss Check Tile (D02-1018-997).........................................................................................................82
INSTRUMENT REPLACEMENT, REPAIR, PROBLEMS, AND QUESTIONS................83
Warranty .................................................................................................................................................83
Shipping Claims .......................................................................................................................................83

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Shortage..................................................................................................................................................84
Incorrect Shipment .................................................................................................................................84
Returns for Repair...................................................................................................................................84
When You Need Assistance ....................................................................................................................86
INDEX ......................................................................................87
TABLE OF FIGURES ......................................................................................89

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Setting Up the Agera
The Agera is a dual beam 0-degree illumination and 45-degree circumferential detection
spectrocolorimeter with a wavelength range from 400 to 700 nanometers (nm). It is designed for use
with the sample port facing up or forward.
The optical delivery and collection system combined with port openings of nominally 51 mm (2 in), 25.4
mm (1 in), and 16.9 mm (0.625 in) delivers measurement of semi non-homogenous samples such as
pellets, granules, and textured flat samples including textiles, plastics, paper. The multiple viewing area
accommodate powders, opaque and semi-opaque sauces and liquids.
Standard Accessories
•Calibration Box with calibrated Agera white tile, Agera black glass and Agera green
diagnostics tile
•Area of View Port Plates - Set of 3
•Certificate of Traceability
•Power Supply
•Agera Quick Start Guide
•USB Flash Drive
Selecting A Space for the Agera
The Agera can be setup in a laboratory setting with controlled, consistent temperature (10°C to 40°C)
and humidity. A laboratory bench is recommended with easy access to the rear connectors.
Power Jack
•The instrument is supplied with a 24 VDC (3.75A) power supply. The power supply is plugged
into the back of the instrument as shown along with the Ethernet port and the USB port.
Figure 1. Rear View with Connectors
CAUTION
Note: Use only the power cord included with this instrument or a replacement obtained
from HunterLab. Be certain that the power cord is in good condition before connecting it.
Power Switch
•To turn the instrument on, press the rocker switch on the back of the instrument.
Power
Ethernet Port
Power
Supply
Connection

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Port Forward Orientation
•The Essentials screen is default setup for port up Agera. If port forward orientation is
required, then go to Workspace > Preferences and check REVERSE SCREEN ORIENTATION
and click APPLY. Power off/on Agera to get the screen orientation changed.
Keyboard and Mouse
•The Agera works with the following keyboard and mouse:
▪L02-1017-434 Wireless keyboard and mouse kit.
•To use this accessory, turn the power off. Plug in the micro USB adaptor into the instrument
and then attach the nano-receiver for the keyboard into the USB port. Install the batteries
into the keyboard/mouse and turn the power back on.
Front and Rear USB Connectors
•There are two USB connectors on the Agera. The one in the front is typically used to connect
a printer or a keyboard to the Agera. If the user wants to connect multiple devices at the
same time, a USB hub can be plugged in to the front of the instrument. Either port can be
used for exporting jobs and workspaces, backing up the instrument and updating software
Figure 2. USB Port on Front of Instrument
Ethernet Port
•This port is used to connect the Agera to:
▪Computer or to a network with the purpose of sending data (ASCII) to a server
▪Connect with EasyMatch QC and EasyMatch QC Electronic Records
▪Remote Support
▪Network printer
▪Email data

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Navigating the Essentials Screen
The EasyMatch Essentials Tools and Status features are shown below.
Figure 3. User Interface Screen for Agera & Essentials
Tools: Status Bar
This area shows the current mode settings.
•UV STATUS –To change the UV mode, press this button.
•STANDARDIZATION –To re-standardize, press this button. The standardization status and
current port plate size will be shown.
•WORKSPACE - To open a new Job, press this button. The software will prompt to select a
Workspace for a new Job. Workspace Name is reported on this button.
•JOB –To open an existing Job, press this button. Job Name is reported on this button.
Tools: Read
Read Measurement Icon
•Samples are read using this key.
•This tool can be moved around the screen by pressing and moving the icon.

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Tools: View Flippers
View Flippers Icon
•Switching between Views can be accomplished by using the semi-transparent NEXT and
PREV buttons placed at the side edges of the screen or by swiping left or right with two
fingers on the screen.
Tools: Information
Sensor Information Icon
•The sensor type and serial number is shown at the bottom left side of the System Bar when
the iis pressed. When application security is enabled and the user logs into Essentials, the
User Account will also be shown in the Information box.
Figure 4. Sensor Serial Number
Tools: Quick View
Quick View Icon
•Quick View is used to see the positioning of a sample at the port before a measurement is
taken. This function does not allow for image saving. Pressing the QUICK VIEW icon on the
toolbar provides an onscreen image for viewing.
Tools: View Options
View Options Icon
•This menu shows the configuration options for the active view. A total of six views are
available. Each view shows a different option. Views can be added or removed in Workspace
> Views.

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Tools: Workspace & System Settings
Workspace/Systems Settings Icon
•The Workspace menu sets up the data screen with measurement color scales, read options,
standards, tolerances and views.
•Systems Settings initiates Standardization, Diagnostics, Preferences, and the User Manager
for System Security.
Tools: Jobs
Jobs Icon
•A job is a collection of all the sample measurements and a workspace used for a task,
product, or customer. Jobs are the ‘readings’ of EasyMatch Essentials. Jobs can be created
for many different reasons, such as to hold data for a certain customer or a specific product
line. Each operator may maintain their own job with preferences or create separate jobs for
different operations. A workspace is a collection of the measurement parameters for a job
along with tolerances and the standard, i.e. analogous to word processing documents
containing text and formatting. Each job has only one workspace.

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User’s Manual for Agera and EasyMatch Essentials v 1.0
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Taking a Simple Measurement
What is HunterLab Agera & EasyMatch Essentials?
Agera is a multi-purpose 0/45° color and appearance measurement system that provides users with 400-
700 nm reflectance color, ASTM 60-degree gloss, and sample imaging capabilities in either a port up or
port forward configurations. UV controlled LED illumination provides superior color accuracy and
repeatability on standard and fluorescent samples. An internal camera provides on-screen 45/0° sample
viewing during the measurement preparation and will capture and save a sample image for retrieval
with the sample data, while providing an RGB histogram of image color distribution. All measurement
results are simultaneously displayed on a 7” high resolution touch screen interface via the embedded
EasyMatch Essentials quality control software, which includes most color scales, indices and
Illuminant/observer combinations desired for industrial applications. With Ethernet, wireless and USB
connectivity, data results can be saved, emailed directly from the Agera instrument, printed to local or
networked printers, and streamed to LIMS and SPC systems.
Connecting the Sensor and Taking a Measurement
After unpacking and setting up the instrument, turn on the power using the rocker switch on the back of
the instrument base.
•Once inside the software, the main measurement screen is displayed –Color Data Table
(D65/10).
Figure 5. Measurement Screen
•The instrument is automatically connected, and this is reported on the status bar. Next, the
unit must be Standardized.
Standardization
•Configure UV MODE: The UV mode is shown in the status bar. To change the mode, click the
UV BUTTON and select a UV mode. Then click APPLY.
•Press the STANDARDIZATION BUTTON on the status bar to initiate standardization. The port
plate size and UV mode is shown in the standardization dialog. To change the port plate,
place the new port plate on Agera and click BACK to update the port plate information.

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▪Read Black Glass: Place the Agera black glass at the sensor port and press READ.
Make sure that the line on the tile matches the port plate white line.
Figure 6. Read the Black Glass for Bottom-of-Scale
▪Read White Tile: Remove the black glass and place the Agera white tile at the port.
Press READ to continue.
Figure 7. Read the White Tile for Top-of-Scale
▪Remove the calibrated white tile when standardization is completed. Click OK.
▪Standardization is updated and reported as STANDARDIZED in the bottom status bar
along with UV Mode and Port Plate Size.
Note: Agera supports multiple modes allowing for switching among different valid
modes after standardization.

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Figure 8. Standardization Status Bar
•To update Standardization Status for a new port plate, place the new port plate on the
instrument and click the READ button. The standardization status will be updated. If the
standardization of this new mode is valid, then the sample will be read. If the
standardization is not valid, a dialog box will be shown so prompt for new Standardization.
Create a Workspace
From the WORKSPACE MENU, press NEW WORKSPACE and ENTER A NAME for this Workspace
Figure 9. Name New Workspace
Note: The active Workspace name is displayed in the lower right corner of the screen.
•Default Workspace Settings: The default settings for a new Workspace are shown in the
Table below:

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Table 1. Workspace Parameters
Parameter
Selection
ColorScales
CIE L*a*b*
Illuminant
D65/10
Indices
None
Differences
None
Read Options > Options
Prompt for Sample Name, Auto Save Job
Read Options > Measurement Config
UV Nominal
Standard and Tolerances
None
Views
Color Data Table only
View Options for Color Data Table
Latest Data First selected, Precision = 2
•Configure the New Workspace: With this new workspace open, you can start to change the
following settings:
To change measurement scales, select WORKSPACE > COLOR SCALES. This configures the
desired color scales, indices, and differences.
To change measurement procedure, select WORKSPACE > READ OPTIONS.
To add tolerances, select WORKSPACE > STANDARDS & TOLERANCES.
To select the view screens, go to WORKSPACE > VIEWS. To configure each view screen, click
VIEW OPTIONS in the toolbar.
▪Now your instrument is ready to read your product under this new workspace. If
you’d like to start a new job for this product, you can press NEW JOB and load this
configured workspace to continue.
Read Sample
•Prepare Sample: Place the sample at the port. The QUICK VIEW icon on the toolbar
can be used to assist to position your sample.
Note: QUICK VIEW does not save image. If you want to save image for each
measurement, please enable Image Viewer under WORKSPACE > READ OPTIONS and
VIEW OPTIONS > IMAGE VIEWER.
•Use the READ MEASUREMENT button to read samples.
•If IMAGE VIEWER is enabled, the camera preview dialog will be prompted before color
measurement. Click CAPTURE to save the image and CONTINUE to measure color. To view
the sample image in Color Data Table and/or EZ view, please use VIEW OPTIONS > IMAGE
VIEW.

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Figure 10. Image View with CDT
•Main Measurement Screen: The Color Data Table view shows the configured Color Scale
results for the standard and sample measurements in the job. The configured tolerances can
be applied to the Job and Pass/Fail results will also be displayed.
Note: Agera includes a built-in 60-degree gloss meter with a single LED illumination
(filtered to C/2  )/detector pair in conformance with ASTM D523 and located right
below the sample port plate. Gloss is measured for each sample and standard
measurement. To show the Gloss value, please select Gloss index in
WORKSPACE > COLOR SCALES > INDICES.
•To output data, select the JOBS icon from the upper right corner. Under Jobs, data can be
saved, sent to a printer, emailed to the network or exported to a flash drive.
•A long press on the Sample name will show a menu with the following options:
▪SET AS STANDARD –to set the sample as Standard
▪RENAME –to rename the sample
▪DELETE –to delete the sample.
Figure 11. Changing, Renaming or Deleting a Sample

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•A long press on the Standard name will show a menu with the following options:
▪EDIT –to edit the standard. If Edit is selected, the WORKSPACE > STANDARD AND
TOLERANCES dialog box is presented to allow for editing the name, assigning
tolerances or changing the type of standard.
▪DELETE –to delete the standard. The deleted Standard is reverted into the samples
list with its original name.
Figure 12. Edit/Delete a Standard

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Tool Bar: Jobs Function
Jobs Icon
Under the Job function, the following tasks can be accomplished:
Figure 13. Job Menu
Jobs
Jobs vs. Workspace: A job consists of samples measured according to a specific workspace. A workspace
is a template with measurement conditions such as standard & tolerances, color scale, index, illuminant,
etc. There can be only one workspace associated with a job. The main tool bar provides the options to
create a new job, open an existing job and save a job.
Jobs > New
•When click NEW JOB (Shortcut: press Workspace name in the lower right status bar), the
Load Workspace dialog will pop out. The default selected workspace is the current
workspace. User can change the workspace and click LOAD. Then the selected Workspace is
opened in the NEW JOB. Once the Workspace has been loaded to the New Job, the
Workspace name associated with this job cannot be edited.
Jobs > Open
•OPEN a saved Job: A list of available jobs under the current path are displayed for selection.
If the job that is needed exists in another folder, then it is an option to change the folder.
When the job to be opened is displayed select the file and press OPEN.
•Shortcut: press job name in the status bar on the lower right.

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Figure 14. Open A Job
Jobs > Save & Save As
•SAVE the Job under the desired name: To save a job, select the folder, name the Job and
save the Job contents into a file. These files have an ‘.ezm’ extension. There will be a default
name filled in Filename box as date&time&instrument#&workspace. You can edit it if
needed.
Figure 15. Save A Job
Jobs > Print
•PRINT an open Job using the parameters set up under WORKSPACE & SYSTEMS SETTINGS >
PREFERENCES. For Agera, if the user selects the Color Data Table, then the saved images will
also be printed.
Figure 16. Workspace & System Settings > Preferences > Print