Getting started with Bridgemate

Summary
Welcome to the Bridgemate scoring system, world's most favored scoring system for bridge. In
this article you will find all relevant information to set up your system and start scoring your first
game. It is a quick guide for beginners to get started and will provide you with references to
other articles containing in-depth information. Please note that this article is not the same as the
Bridgemate manual which is your most valuable source of information. Below you will find the
links to the Bridgemate manuals as well as to the software and drivers.

Your Bridgemate II or Pro hardware

If you have recently purchased the Bridgemate system, it is wise to make sure you have all the
hardware you need. There are two Bridgemate systems available in the market: Bridgemate
Pro and Bridgemate II. A typical configuration of both systems is as follows:

Bridgemate Pro
 X number of Bridgemate Pro scoring terminals. One per table is needed. Bridgemate Pro comes
with 4 AAA batteries.
 Bridgemate Pro server, including a USB converter for connection to the USB port and an AC
power adapter for power supply. 4 AA batteries are optional (for backup power) and may or may
not be included with the server by your supplier.
 One or more tournament director's keys (TD-key). The TD-key is used to configure the
Bridgemate Pro and to access the special TD-menu.
 Communications cable (optional).
 Bridgemate Pro manual. Manuals may be provided in paper format or digitally.

Bridgemate II
 X number of Bridgemate II scoring terminals. One per table is needed. Bridgemate II comes with
2 AA batteries.
 Bridgemate II server, including USB cable for direction connection to your USB port for data
transfer and power supply. 4 AA batteries are optional (for backup power) and may or may not
be included with the server by your supplier.
 Bridgemate II manual. Manuals may be provided in paper format or digitally.
Note that the Bridgemate II server does not use AC power as it is powered through the USB port.
Also the Bridgemate II system does not use TD-keys and the serial communications cable which
are both part of the Bridgemate Pro system.
If your system is missing one of the above items, please consult your supplier.
Manual
 Bridgemate Pro and Bridgemate II both come with their own manual. This manual may be
provided in paper format or offered to you as digital download from our website. You can find
the latest manual of both systems from the following links:

 Bridgemate Pro scoring system: Download the manual (670KB)

 Bridgemate II scoring system: Download the manual (770KB)

Installing Bridgemate Control Software

After you have verified your Bridgemate hardware and have the manual ready, it is time to set up
the system on your computer. First your will need to install the Bridgemate Control Software
(BCS) on your computer. This program communicates with the Bridgemate hardware and
functions as a gateway between your scoring program and the Bridgemate hardware. BCS supports
both Bridgemate Pro and Bridgemate II.
The latest version of this program is always published in this article. Follow the link in this article
to the download location and installation instructions. Make sure you pay careful attention to the
specified requirements for both your computer and the Windows version you are using.

Installing the Windows driver for the Bridgemate II or Pro server

Next step is to install the Windows drivers for the Bridgemate Pro or Bridgemate II server. All
drivers can be found at the driver overview page. Make sure you first install the driver before
connecting the server to the USB port of your computer. Make sure you read the driver download
article thoroughly as it contains troubleshooting information for the driver as well.

A quick test to verify your setup

Once the software and the correct driver has been correctly installed, you are now ready to test
your system. Connect the Bridgemate server to the USB port of your computer. In case your system
is Bridgemate Pro, make sure the server is powered through the AC power adapter. A correctly
powered Bridgemate server will show a green light on top of the device. Now start the Bridgemate
Control Software manually by clicking on the program shortcut in the Windows Start menu
(Windows Start -> All programs -> Bridgemate Pro -> Bridgemate Control Software). First the
program will ask you which language should be used for the program's user interface. After
selecting your language, the program will make contact to the Bridgemate server. After successful
connection, you are asked to enter the geographical region which you are in. You can choose from:
Europe, North America, Australia & New Zealand, Japan, Israel. In case you are in another region,
choose the one which is closest to you. Bridgemate Control Software will now start, and you will
see the main screen. In the upper left frame you find information about the server like regional and
channel setting, and hardware and firmware version numbers. If you see that information, your
setup is correct. You may now close BCS and configure your Bridgemates.
Configuring the Bridgemate scoring devices

Bridgemate Pro
Each Bridgemate Pro comes with 4 AAA batteries. Pay careful attention that you insert the
batteries in the indicated direction. Switch on the Bridgemate by pressing OK key. You should see
the Bridgemate main screen with the text "Bridgemate Pro" followed by the version number of the
firmware and the language code.

Insert the tournament director's key (TD-key) in the socket at the back of the Bridgemate to enter
the setup screen. Each Bridgemate must be configured to a section and table number. There are
two ways to configure section and table: fixed table assignment and select table by the players.
See the Bridgemate Pro manual chapter 5 "Use of the Bridgemate Pro scoring devices" for more
information how to configure the section and table.
Make sure the Bridgemate is set to the same channel as you have configured for the server. The
channel can be reconfigured by pressing Cancel key to erase the existing number followed by
entering the new number directly. Press OK to confirm the new settings. The TD-key can now be
removed from the Bridgemate.

Bridgemate II
Each Bridgemate II comes with 2 AA batteries. Pay careful attention that you insert the batteries
in the indicated direction. Switch on the Bridgemate by pressing OK key. You should see the
Bridgemate main screen with the Bridgemate II logo.
Press the button below "SETUP" to enter the setup screen. Make sure the Bridgemate is set to the
same region and channel as you have configured for the server. Move to Region using the keys
below the up and down arrows and use + or - key to change the region. The channel can be
reconfigured by pressing + or - as well, or by entering the number directly. An existing channel
number can be erased using the Cancel key.
Each Bridgemate must be configured to a section and table number. There are three ways to
configure section and table: fixed table assignment, select table by the players, and select table
using scan mode. See the Bridgemate II manual chapter "Using the Bridgemates" for more
information how to configure the section and table.
Once configuration has completed, you may leave the setup menu by pressing the button below
"BACK"