Omega TCIC User manual

Brand: Omega

Model: TCIC

Category: Measuring, testing & control

Type: User manual

This manual is also suitable for

TCIC Series

TCIC User’s Manual

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

TCIC User’s Manual

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.

TCIC User’s Manual

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

the ‘setpoint indication’; that is, turn the output on upon crossing

the limit either

upwards

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.

TCIC User’s Manual

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…

TCIC User’s Manual

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:

TCIC User’s Manual

3.5 Press Next and select the second option:

3.6 Press Next and browse to the Direct DLL driver folder:

TCIC User’s Manual

3.7 Click Next…

3.8 Press Continue Anyway…

TCIC User’s Manual

Click Finish – that’s it!

TCIC User’s Manual

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.

TCIC User’s Manual

4.3 The ‘Found New Hardware Wizard’ appears.

Select the last option like this:

4.4 Press Next and select the second option:

TCIC User’s Manual

4.5 Press Next and browse to the VCP driver folder:

4.6 Click Next…

TCIC User’s Manual

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.

TCIC User’s Manual

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).

TCIC User’s Manual

The markings in the screenshot below show the section where each

part of the display is described.

TCIC User’s Manual

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: ...

TCIC User’s Manual

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

‘OPEN’ indication when a channel is

disconnected.

TCIC User’s Manual

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.

TCIC User’s Manual

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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Omega TCIC User manual

Brand: Omega

Model: TCIC

Category: Measuring, testing & control

Type: User manual

This manual is also suitable for

TCIC Series

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Omega TCIC User manual

This manual is also suitable for

Omega TCIC User manual

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