TCIC User’s Manual
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1. Main Features
2. Installation
3. TCIC-Monitor
3.1 Title
3.2 Menus
3.2.1 File
3.2.1.1 Exit
3.2.2 Setup
3.2.2.1 Card Settings
3.2.2.2 TCIC-Monitor Settings
3.2.2.3 Calibration and Defaults
3.2.2.4 Card Address
3.2.2.5 View All Settings (Read Only)
3.2.3 Library
3.2.3.1 Load
3.2.3.2 Save
3.2.3.3 Delete
3.3 "Outputs" Box
3.4 "Save to File" Command ('Start' or 'Stop')
3.5 Channel Boxes
3.5.1 Channel Title
3.5.2 Digital Display
3.5.3 Analog Display
3.5.4 Channel Description
3.5.5 "Show Graph" Command
3.6 Cold Junction Temperature
4. Command Set
4.1 Requesting Data
4.2 Change Output Status
4.3 Setpoint Configuration
4.4 Sample Program
4.5 Troubleshooting
5. Multi-Card System
6. USB, RS232 & RS485
7. Specifications
8. LabVIEW Sample
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1. Main Features
• Very High Speed & High Resolution.
• Supports up to 8 channels (differential inputs).
• Each channel can be set for a thermocouple reading or
for a voltage (millivolt) reading.
• Internal A/D resolution: 24 bit (not all are used).
• Sampling rate: 400 Hz (50 Hz for each channel).
• Single opto-isolated output per channel which can be
used as a set-point (alarm etc.) or as a general purpose
output.
• Conversion tables are on board to enable stand-alone
operation.
• Reading is in °F, °C or mV.
• CJC (Cold Junction Compensation) built on board.
• Each channel supports the most popular families of
thermocouples (E, J, K, R, S, T) or any indefinite voltage
source in the range -500mV -> +500mV.
• USB as a standard method of communication.
• USB + RS485 and RS232 (option).
• Multiple boards may be connected via USB or the
optional RS485.
• On board high accuracy reference voltage for easy
calibration.
• No need for external power supply when used with USB.
• Includes Windows software for initial setup and also a
Smart data logger package for monitoring & collecting
readings in high speed – with graphic mode display.
Communication
Two types of drivers are available:
• The direct driver provides access via a DLL supplying
functions to directly control the device.
• The VCP (Virtual COM Port) driver would make the TCIC
appear as a spare COM port on the PC, e.g. COM3.
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Setpoints
Each channel may be defined as a
setpoint
, which means that
the corresponding output will turn on upon crossing some level.
The setpoint user-defined selection also controls the
direction
of
the ‘setpoint indication’; that is, turn the output on upon crossing
the limit either
upwards
or
downwards
. In other words, the
direction
of the trigger is user-defined. Likewise, the user may
define a
hysteresis
behavior, e.g., the output turns on when the
temperature goes above some limit and only goes off again when
the temperature falls below another (lower) limit, thus eliminating
undesirable fluctuations in the status of the output.
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2. Installation
(The following description refers to Windows XP. Obviously, on
another operating system it might be different.)
1. Make sure that all package files have been copied – and
unzipped if necessary – to your hard disk.
2. Two types of drivers are available. Install the one that
meets best your requirements. Note that only one
driver may be installed at the same time. That is, if
for some reason you want to switch to the other driver,
first uninstall the retired one.
• The direct driver provides access via a DLL supplying
functions to directly control the device.
• The VCP (Virtual COM Port) driver would make the
TCIC appear as a spare COM port on the PC, e.g.
COM3.
Consider which driver is best for you and proceed
accordingly to step 3 or 4.
3. Installing the Direct DLL Driver:
3.1 If the VCP (Virtual COM Port) Driver is installed,
uninstall it as follows:
Click: Start – Control Panel – Add or Remove Programs –
FTDI USB Serial Converter Drivers – Change/Remove
Disconnect all TCIC boards from the USB port and click
Continue…
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Click Finish.
3.2 Disconnect or disable the internet communication if
such exists. The reason for that is that there are cases
where the installation procedure automatically
communicates with manufacturer’s site, which might lead
to wrong operation.
3.3 Connect the TCIC card to your PC.
3.4 The ‘Found New Hardware Wizard’ appears.
Select the last option like this:
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3.5 Press Next and select the second option:
3.6 Press Next and browse to the Direct DLL driver folder:
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3.7 Click Next…
3.8 Press Continue Anyway…
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Click Finish – that’s it!
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4. Installing the VCP (Virtual COM Port) Driver:
4.1 If the Direct DLL Driver is installed, uninstall it as
follows:
Click: Start – Control Panel – Add or Remove Programs –
FTDI FTD2XX USB Drivers – Change/Remove
Disconnect all TCIC boards from the USB port and click
Continue…
Click Finish.
4.2 Connect the TCIC card to your PC.
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4.3 The ‘Found New Hardware Wizard’ appears.
Select the last option like this:
4.4 Press Next and select the second option:
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4.5 Press Next and browse to the VCP driver folder:
4.6 Click Next…
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Click
‘Finish’ – that’s it!
Notes
1. It might occur that the wizard will return to step 4.3, requiring to
repeat the process. This is normal, just repeat steps 4.3-4.6.
2. The package includes also an RS232 terminal found on the
Web, called Termite, through which the TCIC may be
communicated when the VCP driver is installed.
Termite (http://www.compuphase.com/software_termite.htm) is freeware, yet it
is easy to use and easy to configure.
TCIC communication parameters are:
Baud Rate: 115,200; Data: 8 bits; Parity: None; Stop Bits: 1.
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3. TCIC-Monitor
The TCIC-Monitor utility is an initial setup tool and a smart data
logger package for monitoring & collecting readings in high
speed, including graphic mode display. The TCIC-Monitor works
with both driver types (refer to section 1 - Main Features /
Communication). It detects which driver type (direct or VCP) is
installed and communicates with the card(s) using that driver
(the type of the driver detected is reported in the title). More
than one TCIC board may be connected to the PC while using
the TCIC-Monitor; the user should select the required board. It
is legitimate to run the TCIC-Monitor twice (or more) selecting
each time another free board. Likewise, when no free board is
detected, the TCIC-Monitor lets the user to work in ‘Demo’
mode.
Note: The TCIC-Monitor was developed under
‘.NET’ (dot NET)
, so
it requires the ‘dotnet framework’ V1.1.4322 in order to run. The
setup for this ‘dotnet framework’ is available free via Microsoft site;
however, to facilitate the process, it is included in the attached
CD-ROM (named dotnetfxV1.1.4322.exe).
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The markings in the screenshot below show the section where each
part of the display is described.
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3.1 Title
This main title shows the versions of the TCIC-Monitor and of the
card. For example, the title in the above screenshot indicates that
the version of the TCIC-Monitor is 1.03, while card’s version is 2.01.
3.2 Menus
The menus enable various operations, as described below.
3.2.1 File
3.2.1.1 Exit
Leaves the TCIC-Monitor program.
3.2.2 Setup
3.2.2.1 Card Settings
Adjusts the settings that reside in the card (on its non-volatile
memory).
The settings at a glance:
Common Setting
Temperature Unit: °C / °F
Channel Settings
Channel Name: ... (view only)
Input Type: None / TC-E / TC-J / TC-K /
TC-R / TC-S / TC-T / mV
Output Mode: SP-Auto / SP-Latch / Manual
Set Points Switch
On: ...
Off: ...
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The settings in detail:
Common Setting
The following is a common setting for all the channels:
Temperature Unit: °C / °F
Selects the temperature unit for all channels whose ‘Input
Type’ is defined as a thermocouple, i.e., TC-E, TC-J, TC-K, TC-
R, TC-S, or TC-T. In other words, this setting has no effect on
channels whose ‘Input Type’ is mV (or None).
Channel Settings
The following are individual settings for each channel:
Channel Name: ... (view only)
The user may assign a name to each channel.
This ‘Channel Name’ is actually a part of the ‘TCIC-Monitor
Settings’ (section 3.2.2.2); it does not reside in the card.
Though, for convenience's sake, the ‘Channel Name’ is shown
in the ‘Card Settings’ display, but restricted to ‘view only’.
Input Type: None / TC-E / TC-J / TC-K /
TC-R / TC-S / TC-T / mV
Each channel may be referred to as one of three main types:
* Channel not in use (‘None’).
In this case channel’s description (section 3.5.4) will show
‘Not in Use’ regardless of the input coming in that channel.
* Channel represents a thermocouple whose type is one of
the six supported ones (E, J, K, R, S, or T). The card
converts the sampled voltage to degrees (°C or °F), taking
into account the cold junction temperature. So, the
readings passed by the card are in
degrees
(°C or °F);
the TCIC-Monitor shows these readings (in the displays
and in the graph) in degrees either. In case the card
detects that no thermocouple is connected, it reports
it to the PC, so the TCIC-Monitor displays ‘OPEN’
in that case.
* Channel represents an indefinite source of voltage, to be
reported in
millivolts
(mV), not in degrees. In this case,
there is
no
‘OPEN’ indication when a channel is
disconnected.
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Output Mode: SP-Auto / SP-Latch / Manual
This is actually ‘output x’ setting rather than ‘channel x’
setting. This setting defines the nature of output x
(x=1,2,...,8):
Roughly speaking, output x may be either a ‘setpoint
indicator’ of channel x, or a manual output with no
relation to channel x (nor any other channel).
‘Manual output’ simply means that the output can be turned
on or off directly by the host PC by simple software commands.
The ‘setpoint indicator’ definition, however, is more
complicated:
The main idea is that when output x is defined as a ‘setpoint
indicator’ (SP-Auto or SP-Latch), it will go high (on) when
input x crosses the ‘Set Points Switch / On’ limit. Now, there
are still some points to clarify:
The user may define two characteristics of the setpoint
indication:
* How will the indication stop (i.e., output goes ‘off’)?
Automatically or manually?
٠ Selecting ‘SP-Auto’ means automatic stop of the
indication. The ‘turn off’ operation will occur when input x
crosses the ‘Set Points Switch/Off’ limit. That mechanism
enables the user to define a
hysteresis
eliminating
undesirable fluctuations in the status of the output.
٠ Selecting ‘SP-Latch’ means that once there is ‘setpoint
indication’ (output is on), the output will stay on until
manually turned off by the TCIC-Monitor.
* The direction of temperature change that will trigger the
indication: Will the indication be supplied upon crossing
the ‘On’ limit upwards or downwards? This
characteristic is controlled by the ‘Set Points Switch/Off’
limit, as described below.
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Set Points Switch
On: ...
Defines the limit that upon its crossing output x will go
high (on) signaling a ‘setpoint indication’.
Off: ...
1. Defines the direction of temperature change that will
trigger the indication:
Off < On means indication upon crossing the On limit
upwards.
Off > On means indication upon crossing the On limit
downwards.
2. When Output Mode = ‘SP-Auto’, the Off limit plays one
more role:
It defines the hysteresis, i.e., the limit where the output
will go low (off) again.
To make the above description more comprehensible,
some examples follow:
Example 1:
Output Mode = ‘SP-Auto’, ‘On’ = 100°, ‘Off’ = 90°.
The output will go high (on) when the temperature rises
from 99° to 100°, and back low (off) upon falling from
91° to 90°.
Example 2:
Output Mode = ‘SP-Auto’, ‘On’ = 100°, ‘Off’ = 110°.
The output will go high (on) when the temperature falls
from 101° to 100°, and back low (off) upon rising from
109° to 110°.
Example 3:
Output Mode = ‘SP-Latch’, ‘On’ = 100°, ‘Off’ = 90°.
The output will go high (on) when the temperature rises
from 99° to 100°, and stay high (regardless of any
temperature change) until manually turned off. Note that
– as Output Mode = ‘SP-Latch’ – the only meaning of
‘Off’ = 90° is to set the direction, as 90° < 100°.
Specifying ‘Off’ = 80° will give the same effect!
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