Take a measurement

Measure with TAMS

This section explains how to take a basic measurement with TAMS and how to interpret the status LED during the measurement cycle.

Before measuring

• Ensure TAMS has been calibrated on the supplied plate.
• Check that the aperture and the surface are clean and dry.
• Select the correct surface type and algorithm (for example High Gloss or Low Gloss) in the menu.

Start a measurement

The current shutter mode is shown by the letter in the centre button on the main screen:

• M – Manual: Press the middle touch key or the lower side button to start a reading.
• S – Sensor: Lower TAMS onto the surface; when sensor mode is active, contact on the feet automatically starts the measurement.
• A – Auto: Press the middle key once to start an automatic sequence of measurements.

Keep the instrument still once the measurement has been triggered.

LED status during measurement

The LED near the aperture shows the measurement status and when it is safe to move TAMS:

• Red LED – TAMS is capturing images and 3D height data. Keep the instrument firmly in place with all four feet on the surface; do not move it.
• Blue LED – Image capture is complete and TAMS is calculating results. It is now safe to lift or move the instrument away from the surface.
• Green LED – The measurement cycle is finished and results are available on the main screen for review.

View the results

After the LED turns green:

• The main screen displays the key parameters for the active mode (for example Contrast, Sharpness, Waviness, Dimension, Quality, Harmony, O‑Ra or O‑Rq).
• Batch name, result index and job mode are shown in the header and footer.
• Use the left/right keys to scroll through stored results, and the Info key to see configuration and job details linked to the measurement.

All measurements are saved automatically in TAMS and can be reviewed on the instrument or exported via SD card for further analysis.