Light measurement software for measurement of automotive signals and headlamps

General Features

The LMT Light Measurement Software LMT LIMES 2000 is a WINDOWS-based 32-bit software for measurement of photometric data of automotive lamps for cars, trucks, motorcycles and bycicles as well as for evaluation of measurement data to produce test reports according to legal regulations, graphical display of light distribution and calculation of road illumination by simulating realistic road situations.

• can be used with the LMT goniophotometers and supports the integration of various other photometric measurement equipments. Various electrical instruments, such as AC or DC power supplies or electrical measurement systems, can be integrated.
• is a completely WINDOWS-based 32-bit software which requires a PC with Microsoft WINDOWS NT 4.0, WINDOWS 2000 Professional, or WINDOWS XP. It can also be used on systems with WINDOWS 95/98/ME, in some cases, however, with reduced performance. The software has been written by using the Microsoft Visual Studio products VISUAL C++ and VISUAL BASIC 5/6.
• is protected by a hardlock to be connected to the PC printer port. Special hardlocks for additional installations at customer's site, e.g. for data evaluation only, can be obtained.
• supports all kinds of high resolution graphic displays und fully WINDOWS printing. Therefore, all kinds of graphic adapters with at least 800x600 pixels and millions of colors or any suitable printer can be used.
• contains a WINDOWS help information program in German or English language. A printed manual is available and can also be downloaded in electronic format from LMT's web site.
• has to be installed on a PC close to the photometric devices, as it communicates with them through the IEEE-488 Bus Interface. The software supports PC interface boards delivered from LMT for the use with the LMT-GOH program system for DOS, but also several other boards, such as National Instruments etc. Drivers for the IEEE-488 Bus Interface are included in the software and are installed in the software setup procedure.
• can take full advantage of networks. Measurements can be remotely controlled from computers at locations within or even outside the photometric lab. In this case, data evaluation or simulation programs can be performed during measurement.
• makes widely use of MS-ACCESS databases which are used for the storage of test programs, test data or system data such as lamps, isolux values, or configurations for lighting simulation programs.
• is multilingual and comes originally in German or English language. A built-in routine allows the translation of any item displayed on the computer screen or printed in a report into any other language supported by the operating system.
• contains a report generator which allows the user to customize printed reports according to his own specifications. Reports can also immediately be sent per fax or e-mail from the PC, provided that the proper WINDOWS devices have been installed.
• allows the display of video observation of the sample under test in combination with a video camera and an appropriate multimedia board.
• allows accustical signals as voice text or sounds (wave-files) for signaling status of measurement or in case of unexpected events.
• is a modular built software system. Functions not required at the moment of installation, e.g. for support of certain hardware or a certain type of data evaluation, can easily be installed at a later time.
• will also work on future versions of WINDOWS and, therefore, is the future LMT standard software. New releases with enhanced features or new capabilities because of new requirements will be issued frequently and can be downloaded from LMT's web site.

• can be used with the goniophotometer types GO-H and supports the integration of various other photometric measurement equipment such as retroreflection measurement units, colorimeters, luminance meters, or integrating spheres. It further supports auxiliary devices such as computer controlled tables, remote controls, X-Y coordinate units, or photometer multiplexers. Various electrical instruments, such as AC or DC power supplies or electrical measurement systems, can be integrated.
• uses several import and export functions. It allows the user to import existing program files of ECE, SAE, or other regulations tests of the LMT-GOH software for DOS, as well as luminous intensity or illuminance distributions which have been measured and converted to LMT-GOH ASCII format. Test data files can be exported to a new defined LMT LIMES ASCII format, or other international file formats such as IESNA 95.

• Photometric controlled stabilization (burn-in) procedure of lamps with data storage for later graphical evaluation
• Automatical determination and setting of cut-off lines of ECE or harmonized headlamps or front fog lamps with individual setting
• Checking of stability of cut-off lines acc. to ECE regulation
• Aiming acc. to SAE requirements
• Creation or modification of test programs acc. to any given specification
• Measurement of test points, test lines or test zones acc. to ECE/SAE or any other regulation
• Measurement of more than one light distribution in a single program run
• Reaiming of test points during measurement
• Reaiming of light distributions for graphical evaluations
• Adding or averaging of several single tests or distribution measurements
• Statistical evaluation of photometric data (mean, min, max and standard deviation)

The LMT LIMES 2000 software contains a database with relevant ECE or SAE regulations as well as Japanese or Korean Standards. The database will continuously be updated by LMT and will be available on the LMT internet home page in its latest edition. Special test programs will also be available as ASCII files to be imported into the user's test program database.

LMT LIMES 2000 Components

The LIMES 2000 Programs are the fundamentals of the LMT LIMES 2000 software. They are installed as executable files with the names limes.exe, limescontrol.exe and items.exe.

LIMES: LIMES 2000 main program for configuration, data management, database control, test program generation, execution of test programs according to defined functions or for scanning the luminous intensity distribution, file import and export, data evaluation, execution of lighting simulation calculations, printing of test report and graphical display generation, etc. It can be executed on the PC which contains the IEEE-488 Bus Interface card and is connected to the hardware or on any other PC connected to the measurement PC by network.

LIMESCONTROL: LIMES 2000 hardware control program, movement control of goniophotometers, control of other devices or reading and display of photometric values during operation. For performing measurements, it must be executed on the PC which contains the IEEE-488 Bus Interface card and is connected to the hardware.

TRANSLATOR: LIMES 2000 translation program, translation of screen or printed text from LIMES and LIMESCONTROL programs by using the text items database of these programs, modification of existing text or creation of new languages. Can be installed independently from LIMES or LIMESCONTROL on any PC.



The LIMES 2000 Programs consists of various program modules which perform the different tasks in a LIMES program. Program modules can be standard (available in every LIMES program) or optional (available only if especially ordered).

Program modules are not individual files and cannot be simply copied to a disk. Optional program modules can be installed and used only if the LIMES programs are available.


LIMES 2000 Hardware support modules are program modules which allow the integration of other measurement and control hardware into the measurement system, e.g. electrical power supplies or measurement instruments, remote controls, or LMT photometric equipment like retro reflex measurement units, colorimeters, luminance meters, etc.

LIMES 2000 Hardware support modules contain interface drivers for these intruments, as well as the extension for the software to configure and manipulate the intrument's parameters, perform automatical measurements or produce special measurement reports.

Like other program modules, the LIMES 2000 Hardware support modules can be standard (available in every LIMES program) or optional (available only if especially ordered).

LIMES Hardware support modules are also not individual files and cannot be simply copied to a disk. Optional modules can be installed and used only if the LIMES programs are available.

LIMES 2000 Packages

LIMES 2000 Packages consist of the LIMES Programs and selected Program and Hardware Support Modules for a certain application, usually in connection with a certain goniophotometer type. LIMES 2000 Packages can fulfil the basic tasks a laboratory usually requests for this application.

LIMES 2000 Packages can be upgraded with optional Program Modules and Hardware Support Modules at any later time.

Standard Test: Automatical measurement and evaluation of test programs acc. to legal or other requirements like ECE, SAE, KS, JIS, FMVSS or customer-speciifed requirements. Calculation of exceeding minimum or maximum requirements, display or printing of test protocols with user-specified marking of deviations from the requirements

Data Evaluation: Calculation, display, and printing of luminaire and lamp data sheet. Presentation of text report. Import and export of various file formats.

Tables: The following functions allow the display of tables in a screen window or the printing to a Windows printer. The table layout can be widely controlled by the user. The user can change foreground, background and line colors, font sizes and styles. Each table can be individually saved into an ASCII text file (extension .txt).

• List of test functions of the test program acc. to ECE, SAE or other requirements, with user selectable columns of min/max values, angles, Not-O.K.-Marks etc.
• Multiple file tables

Diagrams: The following functions allow the display of graphics in a screen window or the printing to a Windows printer. Each graphic can be saved as a bitmap file (extension .bmp or .jpg). Existing graphical files can be imported for display and printing. The diagram layout can be widely controlled by the user. The user can change foreground, background and line colors, font sizes and styles, select components like labels, grids or scales. Diagrams can be scaled manually or automatically.

• Diagrams of lamp stabilization time
• Diagram of program function layout

Reports: The text reports can be printed as multi page documents, each page in a user-defined format. Page formats can contain company headers and footers, imported from Rich Text Files (.rtf-files), created by a word processing program (e.g. Microsoft Word), or company logos, imported from bitmap files in BMP, JPG, GIF, or other standard file formats. Page sizes and margins can be defined by the user. All printed pages can be previewed on the computer screen on a virtual printer with zooming capability. Reports can be generated from a single page of a single table or as a multi page report from any number of files and selected tables.

File Formats: Data files with test reports can be imported from and exported to the following file formats. Single and multiple file import and export is possible. The additional information required by the file formats is saved with the test data into the LIMES test database.

• LMT LIMES ASCII
• LMT GOH-ASCII (DOS)

Isolux: Calculation, display, and printing of luminous intensity or illuminance distributions on the test screen by means of isolux or isocandela values, intersections or 3-D diagrams. Calculation of luminous flux in certain areas on the test screen, distinguished either by selectable isolux/isocandela values or by angles. Printing of test report.

Isoroad: Lighting simulation software. Calculation, display, and printing of illuminance or luminance distributions on road sections illuminated by one or more lamps mounted on a selected automobile on a selected position on the road. Presentation of graphics in either bird's-eye, perspective or 3-D view. Calculation, display, and printing of zonal luminous fluxes on selectable areas on road sections illuminated by one or more lamps mounted on a selected automobile on a selected position on the road. Presentation of graphics or text report.

Data Evaluation: Calculation, display, and printing of luminaire and lamp data sheet, containing intensity distributions, zonal luminous fluxes, illuminance or intensity tables, isolux or isocandela diagrams, intersections and gradient diagrams, etc. Presentation of graphics or text report. Import and export of various file formats.

Diagrams: The following functions allow the display of graphics in a screen window or the printing to a Windows printer. Each graphic can be saved as a bitmap file (extension .bmp or .jpg). Existing graphical files can be imported for display and printing. The diagram layout can be widely controlled by the user. The user can change foreground, background and line colors, font sizes and styles, select components like labels, grids or scales. Diagrams can be scaled manually or automatically.

• Isodiagrams of illuminance (isolux) or luminous intensity (isocandela) distribution in one plane at a certain distance from the light source
• 3D - Isolux or - Isocandela diagrams
• Cartesian diagrams of illuminances in lx or luminous intensity in cd, one or more horizontal or vertical planes in one diagram

Tables: The following functions allow the display of tables in a screen window or the printing to a Windows printer. The table layout can be widely controlled by the user. The user can change foreground, background and line colors, font sizes and styles. Each table can be individually saved into an ASCII text file (extension .txt).

• List of test functions of the test program acc. to ECE, SAE or other requirements, with user selectable columns of min/max values, angles, Not-O.K.-Marks etc.
• Illuminances in lx or luminous intensities in cd, table rows and columns selectable by the user
• Zonal flux diagram with minimum, maximum and average intensities, relative and absolute zonal fluxes or ratios
• Multiple file tables
• Evaluation of a test program with a measured light distribution
• Vertical illuminance or luminous intensity distribution on a specified road area (option)

Reports: Graphic and text reports can be printed as multi page documents, each page in a user defined format. Page formats can contain company headers and footers, imported from Rich Text Files (.rtf-files), created by a word processing program (e.g. Microsoft Word), or company logos, imported from bitmap files in BMP, JPG, GIF or other standard file formats. Page sizes and margins can be defined by the user. All printed pages can be previewed on the computer screen on a virtual printer with zooming capability. Reports can be generated from a single page of a single graphic or table or as a multi page report from any number of files and selected tables and diagrams.

File formats: Data files of luminous intensities can be imported from and exported to the following file formats. Single and multiple file import and export is possible. The additional information required by the file formats is saved with the test data into the LIMES test database.

• LMT LIMES ASCII
• IESNA 95
• CIBSE TM 14 (Option)
• CIE Publ 102 (Option)
• CEN 13032-1 (Option)
• LTL (Option)
• Customer specified formats (Option)

The LMT LIMES 2000 Hardware Support Modules allow the measurement and control of devices which can be connected to the IEEE-488 Bus Interface. The described functions can only be used if the corresponding hardware is available. Each hardware support module consists of the necessary functions for communication with the hardware (extension to LIMESCONTROL), and for the corresponding functions for data evaluation (extension to LIMES).

Goniometer: Control of LMT GO-H 800, GO-H 1000, GO-H 1200 or GO-H 1300 for point, line or zone measurements, or for positioning of reflex reflectors or luminance meters for license plate lamp measurement

Photometer: Photometers of all goniophotometers, LMT system-photometer S 1000 for reading of illuminance on the test screen or luminous intensity, produced by the test sample

CCT: Computer controlled table for GO-H 1300S for positioning the photometric center to the goniophotometer center, including a database for test stands

Telecontrol: Remote control for goniophotometers and other devices

Power: All Hewlett Packard DC power supplies (e.g. HP 6038A, HP 6674A), Heinzinger PTN 32-40, FuG NTN 350-35, for supply of test lamps on goniophotometers, license plate stands or integrating spheres

Color: Tristimulus colorimeters C 1200, C 1210, C 2000, C 2210, C 3300 for color measurement on signal lamps or headlamps, with database for color areas acc. to regulations. Measurement of chromaticity coordinates or correlated color temperature, graphical evaluation to check whether the color falls into the user-specified limits within the CIE chromaticity diagram

Color Distribution: Tristimulus colorimeters C 3300 for color measurement on signal lamps or headlamps with moving goniophotometer, with database for color areas acc. to regulations. Measurement of chromaticity coordinates or correlated color temperature, graphical evaluation to check whether the color falls into the user-specified limits within the CIE chromaticity diagram. Graphical evaluation of the color distribution

Retro: Retroreflection measurement units RETRO 1000, RETRO 2000 for measurements of reflex reflectors or reflex reflecting material. Measurement of the dependency of the coefficient of retro reflection of the illumination angle, either at fixed observation angles or, additionally, as function of the observation angle (only RETRO 2000).

License Plate: Luminance meters L 1003, L 1009 for license plate lamp measurements. Measurement of the illuminance or luminance distribution given by test points acc. to legal or other requirements, with evaluation of uniformity or gradients acc to ECE or SAE

Lumen: Integrating sphere photometers UL 1000, UL 1500, UL 2000 for measurement of luminous flux of lamps

MUX: LMT photometer multiplexer systems for measurement of illuminances with a number of photometer heads at fixed positions

XZ-Unit: LMT XZ-Units for license plate lamp, light or color distribution measurement

Spectral: LMT spectral measurement system for color measurement on rear marking plates or in combination with integrating spheres



Information about the requirements for the control computer see PC requirements

Release Information

LMT has released the LMT LIMES 2000 software for automotive lighting applications at the beginning of 2000. Due to technical reasons and further developments, modifications to the capabilities of the software regarding this description are possible in the future.

Further updates of the software are available from the internet and can be downloaded from LMT's web server free of charge.