search

Annealing with PID

Using EUROTHERM PID controller

If you are going to do annealing in the low-temperature (LT) heater and you need to keep constant temperature, you might want to use a PIDarrow-up-right controller to keep track of thermocouple (TC) readings and adjust heater current for you. This way you just need to insert the temperature setpoint value on the computer and wait.

hashtag
How to make it work:

  • Check that the cables of LT heater are connected to EuroTherm and the power supply. Do NOT connect the grounding cable of the TC!

  • make sure that temperature setpoint is at minimum value (10 degrees)

  • switch on power supply

  • switch on output of the power supply

  • check that EuroTherm is in Auto mode (there should be no text "MAN" on top of the screen). If it is in manual mode, press A/MAN button

  • use arrows to adjust the setpoint temperature (or do it from PC)

After this the controller will try to reach setpoint temperature and keep it.

There is a limit on how much power it can apply shown as percentage of the max value. The max current of the power supply is ca. 12 A, then e.g. 20% corresponds to ca. 2.4A.

circle-check

We have set up three temperature ranges with different PID parameters, Eurotherm will select PID parameters including max output power automatically, you just need to set the temperature.

The ranges are: T1<200; 200<T2<450; 450<T3

hashtag
How to operate Eurotherm via PC

If the program is not open:

  • Open iTools Engineering Studio (there is an icon on the desktop).

  • Go to menu tab Device -> COM3.ID001-3508.

  • Open Parameter Explorer (it is located under "Load" button).

  • In the Browse tab in the left panel go to Loop and press on folder 1.

After that in the explorer window you will see tabs with parameter tables, you need to change only two of them:

  • In the Main tab TargetSP is the temperature setpoint

  • (change only if necessary!) In tab PID parameter OutputHi corresponds to the max percentage of the power that can be used by the heater

triangle-exclamation

For sensitive samples it is better to start with lower values to be sure not to overheat!

hashtag
How to change the power limit manually:

  • Press menu button (left) several times until you see Lp1 | Main

  • Press up/down arrows until you find submenu PID

  • Use round arrow button and find in the sub-submenu OPHi

  • With up/down arrows set the limit (18% in the photo above)

PreviousCleavingNextLEED

Last updated

Was this helpful?