Turn Key Simret 4000 User manual

SIMRET 4000 INSTRUCTIONS
GETTING STARTED
The Simret 4000 is operated by a single Click control. The central OK button may be single-clicked,
double-clicked, or held-down. The surrounding arrow buttons are used to navigate menus by
moving a highlight bar through a menu of options on the instrument’s display screen. Clicking the
OK will select the highlighted item. Normally this will be accompanied by a beep from the
instrument. The scroll bar on the right hand side indicates the relative position of the item within the
menu.
Whenever possible the instrument operates to these simple rules:
•single-click to choose a menu item
•single-click to return
•double-click to enter a 2nd level menu
•single-click to return
•hold-down (for more than one second) to abandon a course of action
•Use▲or ▼to increase or decrease a value.
•Use the arrow buttons to scroll through a menu
•the last option of a menu will return you to the previous menu, or use the◄button.
SWITCHING ON: To power the instrument, hold-down OK and then release. The display will
appear when OK is released. The instrument will perform a short self-test and display its
software version and when calibration is next due. The Start Menu will then appear.
The self-test will warn if re-calibration is overdue and if more than 80 tests have been stored
in memory. Upload or print the tests if the memory is getting full, then erase to create more
space. If the SD card is fitted, tests will be backed-up automatically to create space.
SWITCHING OFF: To manually switch off, hold-down OK in the Main Menu. If the control has
not been operated for about 4 minutes, the instrument will switch itself off unless it has been
armed for a test. It will also turn off if its battery is very low.
EDITING: A built-in editor allows certain number values, names and software switches to be edited
in the instrument. First highlight the item then for:
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•numbers, single-click to edit
•names in a sub-menu, single-click to select or double-click to edit.
•software switches, single-click to change state
When a number or name is being edited, press the arrows until the pointer is at the required
digit or letter and single-click. The pointer bounces to indicate the letter has been selected. For
text edits, a slider of available characters appears. Use the arrows to change the character as
required. Then single-click to implement the change and move on to the next digit or letter.
Finally double-click when finished and then single-click to select one of the following
options:
•Continue: continue editing this item
•Save and quit: save the new value and return to the menu.
•Reset value: reset to the default value and return to the menu
•Just quit: revert to the previous value and return to the previous menu.
BLUETOOTH: The Simret 4000, Printer & Pedal Pad are equipped with Bluetooth to allow them
to communicate wirelessly at distances of up to 10 metres. New instruments are preconfigured
to automatically pair with the printer and pedal pad supplied. The user can also set SIMRET
to pair with additional devices (see Setup Bluetooth menu).
When the Bluetooth feature is turned ON, the instrument will pair automatically. The
instrument will decide if it needs to pair for Brake Testing or for Printing and the appropriate
warning message will appear on the screen. Preferably, make sure the appropriate remote
device is switched on at this time. However, SIMRET will continue trying to pair until the
device is switched on and pairing is successful. Successful pairing normally takes just a few
seconds, although if many discoverable Bluetooth or WiFi devices are in range it may take a
little longer. If the device will not pair, just single click to try again or hold down and release
to abandon and investigate.
To pair with the Printer, first make sure the printer is switched-on by pressing its >> button,
a green light appears on the printer (no green light means its battery is flat). The Printer will
then stay on and paired until the SIMRET is switched off or is paired with the Pedal Pad. The
Printer will switch itself off after one minute if it can’t pair.
To pair with the Pedal Pad, first switch it on by pressing firmly with your foot for about 1
second then releasing. The yellow light will turn off when pairing is successful. The pedal
will stay active and paired until the SIMRET is switched-off or is paired with the Printer.
Bluetooth devices are identified by their unique Bluetooth Address (a 12 digit number) and a
“Friendly” name. To aid identification, all devices are marked with their Bluetooth friendly
names. The friendly name will usually incorporate the serial number of the device.
If Bluetooth is fitted, then at switch-on the instrument will make itself discoverable to other
Bluetooth devices, such as a Bluetooth laptop, PC or iPhone, for uploading etc. After printing
or brake testing you can make the instrument discoverable again by double clicking on the
Main Menu. The Bluetooth passcode is 1234.
STORAGE AND CHARGING: Always return the Simret 4000 to its protective Pelicase after use,
store accessories in the compartment below. Connect one of the curly captive charging leads
to the underside of the Modulo, connect the second curly lead to the PFT. Connect the

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supplied (12v DC, 0.8A, centre +ve) battery charger to the socket on the Pelicase front panel.
This ensures the Simret 4000, Printer and PFT are all recharged when the battery charger is
connected. The battery charger can also be connected directly to the SIMRET or PFT.
When switched-on, the instrument display’s battery icon, on the top right of the Start and
Main menus, will indicate when the charger is connected and the instrument is taking charge.
A full battery recharge takes about 12 hours (overnight), the instrument should be given a top-
up charge each month. Operating time from full re-charge is normally over 8 hours.
If the instrument is switched-off, the pass and fail lights will flash when the charger is
connected.
The Simret 4000 Printer requires 58mm width thermal printer paper with a maximum roll
diameter of 32mm. No printer ribbon is required.
To switch the Printer on, press the button marked >>.A green light appears while the printer
is on. Press >> to feed extra paper. To switch off, press and hold || . Please refer to the
Electronic Printer Mechanism (EPM) instruction extracts at the end of this document for more
information about the printer and changing paper rolls.
WIRED OPERATION: If you do not wish to use the Bluetooth features of the SIMRET 4000, the
Printer or the Pedal Pad can be physically connected to the SIMRET’s 8 pin DIN connector.
In particular, when a none Bluetooth Pedal-Pad is connected to the DIN connector with the
cable provided, the SIMRET will not make any attempt to pair using Bluetooth. In this case,
after arming for a test, just depress the pedal to trigger the instrument.
RE-CALIBRATION: Your Simret 4000 is a precision instrument and must be recalibrated
annually by an accredited laboratory. This gives you the optimum re-assurance that the brake
ratio measurements will always be accurate and correct, ensuring the safety of your
operatives and plant. For a small annual fee, Turnkey offers an Extended Warranty for the
Simret 4000 which includes annual re-calibrations, all materials and labour costs in the event
of breakdown, and an unlimited technical support helpline. Please see our website for more
information or call 0800 195 8887.
IN THE EVENT OF A FLAT BATTERY: If your SIMRET 4000 has been left neglected and not
used for many months its battery may become fully discharged (NiMH batteries typically self-
discharge at about 10% per month) and as a consequence the display will not appear (or
disappears immediately) when the instrument is switched-on. If this happens, just connect the
charger and wait a 30 minutes before trying to switch on again. If the display now appears
correctly, switch off and give the instrument a full re-charge. If no display appears or the
instrument does not start correctly or appears to malfunction, the instrument must be reset. Do
this by pressing and releasing the RESET button, this is the right hand side push-button when
viewed from the rear of the instrument. You may need a ballpoint pen or pencil to depress it
properly. Note that if they battery has become discharged, the time and date will have to be
re-entered but no results or settings will have been lost.

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BRAKE TESTING
Always observe safe working procedures when accelerating and stopping the vehicle.
Simret 4000 can be used to measure either brake effort or deceleration. For heavy vehicles, brake
effort measurement is recommended as best practice in the latest (May 2007) Guidance from the
Health and Safety Executive.
The reason is simple, for the same brake performance, the brake effort (also known as brake
ratio) will be the same regardless of ground slope. Deceleration, on the other hand, depends on the
slope and, for example, the deceleration on a 10% downhill gradient will be 10% less than on level
ground.
To measure brake effort the instrument needs to know its orientation relative to the ground. On the
original Simret 3000 instrument, you turned the adjustment screw until the slope reading matched
that of the ground on which the vehicle was standing. In otherwords, the instrument was exactly
parallel to the ground. On the Simret 4000 this is done electronically and you use the ▼▲ buttons
to set the slope when prompted to do so.
Brake effort measurements are recommended for heavy quarry vehicles where the test track may
not be level, or indeed may be on a deliberate gradient to ensure that the brakes are forced to
generate their fully developed effort during the test in order to reach a plateau (see Guidance
document for more information).
The instrument should be positioned so the clickcontrol is toward the rear of the vehicle, the large
arrow on the underside pointing toward the front of the vehicle. Preferably, it should be placed
against a forward bulkhead so that it cannot slide forward under severe braking. Although the tilt of
the instrument relative to the ground surface is automatically recorded and used to compensate the
results, the very best results will be obtained when the instrument base is parallel to the road
surface.
The instrument is best used with the Pedal Pad attached to the brake pedal. This informs the
instrument when the brakes are applied so it can then measure the delay time of the braking system.
This is the time interval between applying the brakes and the deceleration start threshold being
reached. For heavy vehicles this may be quite significant and a considerable distance may be
travelled as evidenced by the distance time graphs produced by the instrument.
For heavy vehicles it is recommended that the Pedal Pad is always be used as the external start
trigger.
For other situations the internal self-start trigger can be used. However, this does not allow the
brake delay time to be determined and the calculated stopping distance will be less accurate as it is
evaluated only from the time the brakes start to act rather than when they are applied.
The instrument is normally set to take 40 measurements per second. This is the NORMAL sampling
rate and is good for most situations. The FAST 400 measurement per second sampling rate can be
selected in special situations, but be warned calculations take 10 times as long and 10 times the
memory is used per test.
The instrument records information for about 2 seconds before the start trigger and up 6 seconds (as
set by the End Delay) after the vehicle has stopped. Events in these periods can be seen on the
graphs. On the graphs a shaded area means a negative reading.
To accurately determine the speed and stopping distance, the instrument needs to know the gradient
of the ground in order to eliminate any static offsets caused by the acceleration due to gravity. You
may opt to measure these at the point of arming or at the point of coming to rest. Whichever one is
most representative point of the test course should be used. If you choose to measure the gravity
offset at the end, you may also elect to pause while the brakes are released to unlock the vehicle’s
suspension. If you don’t use the pause, make sure you set the End Delay long enough for the

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suspension to stop bouncing (confirm by looking at graph). The slope is measured as the blue
arming light goes out.
If the Auto-Align feature is selected, the instrument does not have to be accurately aligned with the
direction of travel. It will sense which direction the vehicle first accelerates for the test (to 5 kph)
and use that as the reference direction. It is important the initial direction coincides with that when
the brakes are applied.
Note that if you’re measuring brake effort with auto-align, the instrument will try to force you to
confirm the ground slope at the end of the test. It has to do this because it doesn’t know the proper
direction of the slope until after the test. You can override this by selecting NO for slope at stop
during the arming menu, in which case the instrument will assume it is positioned in the vehicle
exactly parallel to the ground.
Over the years Turnkey has produced many documents about brake testing, please contact our
Technical Support Department for further information.
[email protected]
simret.eu
0800 195 8887
“Guidance on brake testing for rubber-tyre vehicles operating in quarries, open cast coal sites and
mines” (published in May 2007 by EPIC in conjunction with OPERC and the UK Health and Safety
Executive, ISBN 978 0 947974 62 6).

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Start Menu
The top line shows the % of memory used, the present time and a battery condition indicator. The
latter shows LOW if recharge is needed right away and CHG while being recharged. The
instrument will turn itself off if the battery gets too low. If the battery goes completely flat you will
have to reset the clock but the stored results will be preserved.
Test Brakes: single-click to proceed straight to brake testing. Bluetooth will attempt to
pair with the Pedal Pad
More… : single-click to proceed to the Main Menu.
While this menu is visible the SIMRET 4000 can be discovered by other Bluetooth Devices and can
thus be connected for downloading to a Bluetooth enabled Windows PC. The screen will briefly
show a “Making Discoverable” message.
Main Menu
Double-click anywhere to make discoverable if Bluetooth is on. The passcode is 1234.
Examiner Identity: single-click to show a list of up to eight examiners names, ▲▼ to highlight
then single-click to select or double-click to edit (see Editing).
Plant Identity: single-click to show a list of up to 99 plant or vehicle identities. ▲▼ to highlight
then single-click to select or double-click to edit (see Editing).
Site Conditions: single-click to show a list of up to 16 site conditions or user notes, ▲▼ to
highlight then click again to select or double-click to edit.
Measure GRADIENT: single-click to measure the slope gradient. The instrument continuously
measures and displays the slope gradient in percent. A negative number means a downward
gradient. If a very accurate measurement is required, first trim the instrument zeros (see Trim
Zeros in the Setup Instrument menu). The cross slope and temperature are shown at the
bottom of the display. Click again to return to the main menu. The maximum slope is limited
to 25% ( 1 in 4).
BRAKE TESTING: single-click to arm the instrument for the next brake test. The display shows
the examiner, vehicle name, trailer (optional) and site conditions for the test together with the
test reference number. Highlight and single-click to change any of these (see Editing). When
ready, single-click Proceed.
Click again to confirm the vehicle is stationary and you are ready to proceed with the test. The
instrument should be properly located in the vehicle and the vehicle should be on a gradient
representative of the test course.
All the subsequent calculations of deceleration, speed and distance will be referenced to the
gradient measured at this point (i.e. the gradient at arming). Alternatively, if measure slope at
stop is selected (see Change Settings menu), all calculations will be reference to the gradient
measured at stop when the vehicle has come to rest.

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If the instrument has been set to measure Brake Ratio (instead of Deceleration), you will be
prompted to tell in instrument the exact gradient at this point (unless Slope at Stop is
selected). The gradient measurements will only be displayed and printed if the instrument is
set to measure Brake Ratio (as recommended for heavy vehicles).
To obtain the most accurate results, the instrument should be aligned in the vehicle to move
parallel to the ground. If the instrument is misaligned by more than 25%g a warning will be
added to the results.
When ready, highlight the type of brake being tested and click.
The instrument is now fully armed for the brake test, accelerate to test speed and apply the
brakes. The BLUE armed light will illuminate and the display will show the speed increase
when accelerating. Note you must accelerate to 5kph (or mph) before you can trigger the test.
The Test Reference number is shown at the top of the display together with whether the
internal or external start trigger will be used (see Change Settings). The Test Reference
Number will auto increment after each successful test. You must accelerate to at least 5 kph
(or mph) before braking otherwise the instrument will not trigger. This allows you to hold the
instrument on the brake while arming and also allows the instrument to determine its direction
of travel (but see Allow Coasting in Change Settings).
Until you reach a speed of 5 kph (or mph), you may still elect to measure the Slope at Stop
and to Pause before doing so, move the highlight and click ON or OFF as required (see
Change Settings). The instrument will beep as this speed is passed. This is also the speed to
which the auto alignment is set If the Speedo Beep feature is enabled, the instrument will
instead beep once at 10 kph (or mph), twice at 20 and so on.
To abandon the test, hold-down OK.
At the end of the test, a results summary will be displayed. At this stage you can elect to
accept or reject the test. If any errors or warnings have been detected, you can elect to view
these before accepting or rejecting the test results.
After a successful test the BLUE light will go out, if it flashes it means the instrument has
detected potential errors. The GREEN pass or RED fail light indicate whether or not the
vehicle has exceeded the chosen pass threshold, if these flash it means that calibration is
overdue.
Once accepted you may either:
•Proceed with another test for that vehicle
•Review the results in more detail
•Change the instrument settings
•Adjust the test parameters
•Finish testing.
A simple ON-OFF Pedal Pad or Hand Switch can be connected to the DIN socket as an
external trigger (but see also Bluetooth Pedal Force Transducer).
Do not move off until the Pass or Fail light appears.

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Review Results: single-click to review the stored test results. Change the test number to be
reviewed by highlighting, clicking and changing to the required test. The display shows the
results summaries as you move though the stored tests. Single-click when the required test is
reached.
Single-click More to see more detailed results for the test including the instrument set-up used
and any errors or warnings given. The test can also be selected for later printing (Mark for
Print) or later erasing (Mark for Erase). If printing is selected, you may optionally choose to
print graphs, either individually or overlaid, and the test settings. Any error report will always
be printed.
Single-click Graph to display a graph of the test results. Scroll through the graph with ▲▼,
or hold-down to animate. Double-click or ►◄ to change the graph, the options to the right of
the graph will flash, use ►◄ to scroll between these options:
•change plot (e.g. brake ratio, distance, speed, etc)
•change span (e.g. 0 to 100%, 0 to 50%, etc)
•change zoom. (e.g. expand time axis, etc)
Single-Click at the required option. The axis name will then flash, ▲▼ and single-click again
to select the required axis name, span or zoom.
The fixed solid line on the graph is the time reference line. The dashed lines represent the
times of the external start trigger (if enabled), and the start and end of deceleration.
Single-click to close the graph and review other results.
Single-click Print to print this test now, regardless of the whether or not the test has been
marked for print. The printer will turn on automatically if it has been paired previously, if not
switch-on first by pressing its >> button to pair. Printing graphs and settings may be skipped
depended on the chosen options. If the graphs are printed, they can be overlaid or printed
individually. The solid lines on the graphs correspond, as above, to the external start (if used)
and the start and end of deceleration. Press and hold the OK to abandon a print.
Single-click Quit to return to the previous menu
Bluetooth: single-click to temporarily switch Bluetooth ON or OFF
Setup Instrument: single-click for the Set-Up Menu to change the set-up of the instrument. You
may need a PIN number to do so.
Print Selection: single-click to print all the tests that have been selected or marked for print
during Review Results. If Mark for Print was the default instrument set-up, all prints will be
automatically marked for print when they are accepted. You may choose to print two copies
of each test, and deselect or mark for erase after printing. Press and hold to abandon the print.
Erase Selection: single-click to erase all those tests that have been marked for erase. Any freed
memory space will be recovered; this may take a few seconds depending on how many tests
are already stored in memory. You will be prompted to confirm.

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SD memory card backup
The 2GB SD card is a factory option and this menu will only be available when fitted and the
memory card has been inserted into the slot on the side of the instrument (behind the yellow cover).
A 2GByte SD card must be used. High capacity SDHC cards are not compatible.
SD Card Backup: single-click to review the memory card Folders. Change the Folder number to
be reviewed by highlighting, clicking and changing to the required number between 0 and
999. As you move though the folders, the display shows the time and date the folder was
saved and the serial number of the instrument that saved it. Single-click when the required
Folder is reached.
Single-click Save to backup this instrument’s entire internal memory to that Folder number.
The display first asks you to confirm you wish to erase and overwrite the Folder’s current
contents. Backing up the entire memory takes about 50 seconds The Folder is given the (un-
hidden) name SSSSSnnn.TKI, where SSSSS is a the five character instrument serial number
and nnn is folder number between 000 and 999.
Single-click Load to retrieve the SD card Folder into the instrument’s memory. This will
overwrite the instrument’s internal memory, but you will be able to append new tests if space
allows. Retrieving takes about 50 seconds.
Single-click Quit to return to the previous menu
The contents of the SD card can be imported into the Turnkey Winsim application.
Automatic Backup: if the SD card is fitted, whenever the instrument switches-off with its
internal memory more than 80% full or containing more than 75 tests, the internal memory
will be automatically backed-up to the next Folder Number on the SD Card. The internal
memory will then be erased. This will be repeated when it is next full until all 1000 folders
have been used (75,000 tests).
If the automatic backup isn’t needed as the instrument switches off, then the internal memory
is just backed up in Folder 0 but not erased. Thus after switch-off the SD Card is always ready
with the latest results backed up (in Folder 0).
Automatic backup does not happen if the low battery warning is on.
BLUETOOTH PEDAL FORCE TRANSDUCER
The Bluetooth Pedal Force Transducer can be used as either a simple ON/OFF external trigger or
as an indicator of the applied pedal force in kgF (1kgF=9.8 Newtons), or both.
When measure Pedal Force is selected, the recorded pedal force will be substituted for the
velocity time graph in the results. Don’t forget to set I/O Expansion on to use the Bluetooth
PFT (otherwise the analog port on the DIN connector will be measured). When the Brake
Testing menu is first selected, the display will indicate that the PFT is being zeroed (click OK
to abandon). Do not apply force to the transducer during zeroing, once ‘Zeroing PFT’
disappears from the display the brake can be applied to hold the vehicle during the remainder
of arming, or repeat brake tests.
The PFT is also zeroed when the Measure Gradient mode is selected. Again, do not apply
force to the transducer during zeroing. After zeroing, the gradient measurement display
indicates the force being applied to the PFT. This is a useful check on its calibration which

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can be adjusted if required via the Adjust Values Menu. The applied force at which the PFT
triggers the start of braking is also shown in this menu
To use as a simple ON/OFF trigger pad, just set the measure Pedal Force setting off. The PFT
will then use a fixed setting of about 5 kgF to trigger the start and the Gradient Measurement
mode displays ‘BRAKE ON’ when a force greater than the internal trigger setting is applied.
The instrument will sense if a non-Bluetooth Pedal Pad is connected to the DIN socket. In this
case the instrument will use the connected Pedal Pad (and not attempt to pair) either as an
analog pedal force transducer or as a simple on/off trigger switch. The Gradient
Measurement mode will display either the applied pedal force or ‘BRAKE ON’ as above
(providing external trigger is enabled). Note that the instrument will not attempt to zero an
analog PFT connected in this manner and you must adjust its zero manually in the Adjust
Values menu.
Setup Instrument Menu
The Editor PIN may be required to access this menu
Adjust Values: single-click to select the Adjust Values menu.
Change Settings: single-click to select the Change Settings menu.
Setup Bluetooth: single-click to select the Setup Bluetooth menu (Bluetooth must be ON).
Trim Zeros: single-click to accurately trim the zero readings of the instrument by following the on
screen instructions. Any flat surface may be used, it need not be horizontal.
Erase all Tests: single-click to erase all the tests in the instrument’s memory, regardless of
whether marked for erase or not. You will be prompted to confirm
Set Time and Date: single-click to set the time and date by following the on screen instructions
Adjust Contrast: single-click and ►◄ to adjust the contrast of the display
Adjust Backlight: single-click and ►◄ to adjust the brightness of the backlight. The brighter it
is the more battery power will be used. To conserve power, the light turns off if there has been
no input for about 2 minutes.
Defragment Memory: single-click to confirm that the memory is fully defragmented and all free
space is available for use.
Format SD Card: single-click to format the SD Card to make it visible to a personal computer
(FAT16 file system). Sets all the Folder names to FFFFFnnn.TKI (nnn=000 to 999, hidden
file attribute) but does not overwrite previously stored data. Folders are in the BACKUP
subdirectory of the TURNKEY root directory
Configure Printer: single-click to configure printer fonts and timeouts. Also resets the Bluetooth
to its factory defaults in case of problems.
Calibration Report: single-click to print calibration report.
User PIN: single-click to change the PIN required to use the instrument. Make a note of it! (5424)
Editor PIN: single-click to change the PIN required to set-up the instrument. Make a note of it!
(4748)
Main Menu: single-click to return to Main Menu.

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Adjust Values Menu
Use the built-in editor to adjust any of these values. The default values are shown
Test Number: the test reference number between 1 and 30000, it is automatically incremented
after each test.
Pass B1 > 25.0 %g: pass threshold for the 1st brake type (normally ’Service’)
Pass B1 > 25.0 %g: pass threshold for the 2nd brake type (normally ’Secondary’)
Pass B1 > 25.0 %g: pass threshold for the 3rd brake type (normally ’Parking’)
Pass B1 > 25.0 %g: pass threshold for the 4th brake type
Trig at 10.0 %g: the deceleration threshold for start of braking
Stop at 10.0 %g: the deceleration threshold for end of braking
Trig hold 0.50 sec: the minimum time the deceleration must be sustained over the start threshold
to be a true start of deceleration. The true start time is the start of this time.
Stop hold 0.20 sec: the minimum time the deceleration must be sustained below the stop
threshold to be a true end of deceleration. The true stop time is the start of this time.
End Delay 2.5 s: delay before measuring the stop point slope gradient. Only if ‘Slope at Stop’ has
been selected.
Peak over 0.20 sec: the minimum time the peak reading has to be sustained.
Dive 5.0 deg/g: compensation for the tilt of the vehicle (in degrees tilt per g of deceleration)
caused by the movement of its suspension as it decelerates
PFT trig 20.0 kgF: trigger point for Pedal Force Transducer in kg force. Only if PFT is enabled in
settings.
2.5V PFT 100.0 kgF: PFT calibration, force required for 2.5 Volts output from PFT
0.0V PFT 0.0 kgF: PFT calibration, force required for 0.0 Volts output from PFT
Card Folder 0: the next SD memory card folder to be used (in range 0 to 999). Only if the SD
card feature has been enabled by the factory.
Filter type 2: the amount of smoothing applied to the readings for the graphs. Zero means no
smoothing is applied.
Lifetime 24 hr: the length of time from the last brake test that the pass/fail lights will remain
illuminated. Set to 0 to disable the pass/fail lights.
•Save Changes: save the changes made.
•Reset ALL: revert to default values (shown above), then need to Save Changes too!
•No changes: revert to the previous values

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Setup Bluetooth Menu
SIMRET 4000 maintains two Bluetooth Device Lists of up to 8 Bluetooth devices identified by their
Bluetooth Addresses and their Friendly Names
Bluetooth Search: searches for local Bluetooth devices that are in the discoverable state. This
takes about 30 seconds, but click at anytime to terminate. Results are shown as Friendly
Names in the Devices Found table, see below. To be discovered, Bluetooth devices such as
the printer or pedal pad must be switched on first.
Devices found: shows the results of the last search (if available) as Friendly Names. Click on a
name to add it to the BlueTooth Device Lists at the location following that of the device
currently paired as the printer (see Warning below) and set the instrument ready to pair with
the new device as the printer. Alternatively, scroll to and click on Go back the end of the table
to do nothing.
Warning:- this will overwrite the existing Bluetooth Device Address and Friendly Name at
that location
Make Discoverable: allow the SIMRET to be discovered by other Bluetooth devices. The
passcode is 1234.
Printing pair: single-click on one of these to pair for printing:
Bluetooth Address: single-click to show the Bluetooth Device List as addresses; ▲▼ to
highlight then single-click to select or double-click to edit (see Editing). The instrument
will automatically try to pair with the chosen device before printing.
Friendly Name: single-click to show the Bluetooth Device List as friendly names; ▲▼ to
highlight then single-click to select or double-click to edit (see Editing). The instrument
will automatically try to pair with the chosen device before printing.
Brake Testing pair: single-click on one of these to pair for the pedal-pad:
Bluetooth Address: single-click to show the Bluetooth Device List as addresses; ▲▼ to
highlight then single-click to select or double-click to edit (see Editing). The instrument
will automatically try to pair with the chosen device before brake testing.
Friendly Name: single-click to show the Bluetooth Device List as friendly names; ▲▼ to
highlight then single-click to select or double-click to edit (see Editing). The instrument
will automatically try to pair with the chosen device before brake testing.
Go Back: go back to Setup Instrument Menu
Note if you are experiencing problems with the Bluetooth try using the Configure Printer option in
the Setup Instrument Menu to reset it to its factory defaults.

Simret 4000 Instructions, Issue 10, Jan 2011
© 1994-2011, Turnkey Instruments Ltd. Page 13 of 17
Change Settings Menu
Highlight the item and single-click to change its state. The default states are shown Note some items
will only appear conditionally depending on the state of other items.
Bluetooth No
YES to switch on Bluetooth
NO to switch off
Swap BT port Yes
YES is normal setting
NO for special versions
I/O expansion No
YES for input/output expansion
NO for no expansion
Auto-alignment Yes
YES to auto-align with direction of travel
NO for manual alignment
Brake Effort Yes
YES to measure brake effort or ratio
NO to measure deceleration
Allow Coasting Yes
YES for rail coasting mode
NO for normal operation
Metric Units Yes
YES for results in metric units
NO for imperial units
metre/sec/sec No
YES for results in metres/sec/sec
NO for %g or g
Results in %g Yes
YES for results in units of %g
NO for units of g
External trig Yes
YES to start at external trigger
NO to self-start at deceleration
Delay in Mean No
YES to include the brake delay in the mean
calculation
NO to exclude (gives higher readings)
MFDD markers Yes
YES to mark 80% and 10%V on graphs
NO for no MFDD markers
Calc. Distance Yes
YES to calculate stopping distance
NO do not calculated
Slope at stop No
YES use gradient at stop as reference
NO use gradient at arming
Pedal Force No
YES to use pedal force transducer
NO don’t use
Sampling Rate NRML
NRML=40 samples/sec
FAST=400 samples/sec
Beeper ON
ON means beeper is on
Speedo Beep ON
ON means Speedo Beep is on at 10, 20, 30,
and 40 kph/mph
Screen light ON
ON means screen light is on
PIN for edit No
YES means PIN number required for
changing setup
PIN to use No
YES means PIN number required to use
instrument
Mark for print Yes
YES to mark all tests for print selection
Print graphs Yes
YES to print graphs
NO don’t print graphs
Overlay graphs Yes
YES to print graphs overlaid
NO print separate graphs
Print settings Yes
YES to print test settings with results
NO don’t print settings

Simret 4000 Instructions, Issue 10, Jan 2011
© 1994-2011, Turnkey Instruments Ltd. Page 14 of 17
•Save Changes: save the changes made.
•Reset ALL: revert to default values
(shown above), need to Save Changes
too!
•No changes: revert to the previous
values.
NOTES ABOUT SETTINGS
•When measuring Brake Effort you will be prompted to set the exact slope on which the test
is being carried out. If Slope at Stop is set to NO, you will be prompted to tell the instrument
the slope of the ground on which it is being armed. Use the up and down arrow keys for this
purpose. This is equivalent to adjusting he instrument parallel to the ground surface on the
original Simret 3000.
•If, on the other hand, you select Slope at Stop, you will be prompted adjust the slope at the
end of the test. You may also select Pause at End on the arming menu, this allows you to
release the vehicle’s suspension before taking the end slope measurement. If you don’t use
the pause, the slope measurement is made after the End Delay time. The default value of
this is 2.5 seconds but may be increased up to 6 seconds from the stop (to allow time for the
suspension to stop bouncing). The end slope measurement is made just after the Blue arming
light goes out, so only move off when the pass/fail light appears. The instrument continues
to record during the End Delay time. If Slope at Stop is set to NO, the instrument only
records for about 1.5 seconds after the stop and usies the arming slope for the speed and
distance calculations
•Note that if you have selected Auto-Alignment the instrument will force you to confirm the
slope of the ground at the end of the test (for it doesn’t know the axis for measurement until
after the test has begun). Effectively Auto-Alignment sets Slope at Stop ON if Brake Effort
is being measured.
•Allow Coasting is mainly for railway use and is only available if Auto-Alignment is off and
the External Trigger is set. Normal (40/second) sampling has to be selected too. When
coasting is selected, the instrument may be armed while the locomotive is coasting at
constant speed. No speed increase is needed to activate the trigger and the post-arming
speedometer is not shown. In the coasting mode it is recommended that Slope at Stop is
chosen (see above) as the arming slope may not be that accurate. In addition the instrument
will stay powered indefinitely when armed (If Coasting is NOT selected, it will power-off
after being armed for about 4 minutes).
•Inserting a DIN connector with a Pedal Pad or Hand Switch attached will override the
Bluetooth settings and the instrument will not attempt to pair with a Bluetooth device when
arming for a test. Similarly, it will not make itself discoverable to other Bluetooth devices if
a DIN USB lead is inserted for uploading.
•If the Input/Output Expansion is off the pedal force is measured via a transducer connected
to the analog input on the DIN connector. If I/O Expansion is on the pedal force is measured
digitally either via the RS232 port on the DIN connector or wirelessly via Bluetooth. Note
that inserting a DIN connector will override the Bluetooth settings and force the RS232 port
to be used if I/O Expansion is ON, or the analog port if I/O Expansion is OFF.

Simret 4000 Instructions, Issue 10, Jan 2011
© 1994-2011, Turnkey Instruments Ltd. Page 15 of 17
•Besides the conventional Mean (between the start and stop thresholds) and Peak values of
brake effort or deceleration the instrument also measures the Mean Fully Developed
Deceleration (MFDD). This is defined as the mean deceleration between 80% and 10% of
the test speed and is now used internationally as the standard measure of brake performance.
When MFDD markers is on, marker lines are placed on the graphs at the 80%V and 10%V
points. These are in addition to the graph marker lines at the start and stop deceleration
thresholds and the external trigger point. Note if brake effort is being measured, the Mean
Fully Developed Effort is determined.
•Swap BT Port must always be set to YES for the Simret 4000

Turnkey ID Exporter Program
The Turnkey ID program allows plant details, site conditions, operator names and other
information to be downloaded to the instrument from a Windows personal computer. The
executable program IDexporter.exe (supplied on the CD or available from the Turnkey website)
should be copied to a convenient directory on your computer. Backup files of the plant names you
use etc., will also be created in that directory.
If your PC is equipped with a Turnkey Bluetooth Adaptor, the instrument will be discovered by it
and a wireless connection made whenever it is switched on and discoverable (e.g. in the Start Menu
and Main Menu).
Alternatively, use a Turnkey USB Link to physically connect the instrument’s DIN connector to a
USB port on your computer. The instrument will sense the DIN connector and override the
Bluetooth, if fitted.
Start the IDexporter program and use the radio buttons to select the com port to which the
Bluetooth Adaptor or USB link is attached.
Simret 4000 Instructions, Issue 10, Jan 2011
© 1994-2011, Turnkey Instruments Ltd. Page 16 of 17

Simret 4000 Instructions, Issue 10, Jan 2011
© 1994-2011, Turnkey Instruments Ltd. Page 17 of 17
For Bluetooth, click on Search and the program will search for available Bluetooth devices and
produce lists of available Friendly Names and Bluetooth Addresses. Click on the name of the
instrument you wish to connect.
For a wired connection, click on Connect button.
If the instrument is switched on and in the Start Menu or Main Menu, it will connect automatically
and upload its serial number, calibration due date and its local time. It will stay connected and
switched-on as long as the program is running.
The information that may be exported to the instrument is shown on seven tabbed pages labelled
Company, Examiner, and so on. Click on a tab to select a page. On the selected page, type in the
names or information you wish to download. You are allowed 16 characters per line; the number of
lines that will be sent is shown at the bottom of the page.
Click Export to download the selected page of information to the instrument. Click Import to
upload existing information from the instrument. Click Save to save the page of information to your
Windows directory for future use; for example, if you want to download the same plant list to
several instruments. Note that each tabbed page must be exported (or imported) and saved in turn as
required.
If you have several different groups of plant names, create copies of the program in different
directories to suit.
Click Set Time to set the instrument to your PC’s time and date.
NOTES
This instrument is protected and the design registered in the United Kingdom 3001616, Germany
40206551.4, USA D478523S, France 024676, South Africa A2002/00965 and Australia 150186.
Turnkey® and SIMRET® are registered trademarks. SIMRET® was originally developed by the
UK Health and Safety Executive to measure brake ratio for heavy off-road vehicles and mine
locomotives.
simret.eu
[email protected]
0800 195 8887
Freepost Turnkey
© 2010, Turnkey Instruments
MJL, Issue 10, Jan 2011
Software 2.21