Support and Documentation

14.1.1 Thermocouple (T7/T8) [T-Series Datasheet]

Overview - T7/T8

This feature is only supported on the T7 and T8.

AIN#_EF_INDEX values:

20: Thermocouple type E
21: Thermocouple type J
22: Thermocouple type K
23: Thermocouple type R
24: Thermocouple type T 
25: Thermocouple type S
27: Thermocouple type N
28: Thermocouple type B
30: Thermocouple type C

This Thermocouple Extended Feature automatically performs calculations for the thermocouple types listed above. 

The thermocouple AIN-EF acquire two primary measurements: thermocouple voltage measured on the analog input(s), and the temperature from a CJC (cold junction compensation) sensor.

For more information, see the Thermocouples App Note.

Configuration

To configure, write to the following registers.

AIN#_EF_CONFIG_A - Options: Select temperature units for AIN#_EF_READ_A and AIN#_EF_READ_C:

  • 0 = K

  • 1 = °C

  • 2 = °F

AIN#_EF_CONFIG_B - CJC Modbus address: The Modbus address that will be used to acquire the CJC sensor reading.

T7: Default is 60052 (the TEMPERATURE_DEVICE_K register address).

T8: Default is the address for TEMPERATURE#_CAPTURE. For example, 702 (the TEMPERATURE1_CAPTURE register address) is the default value for AIN1_EF_CONFIG_B.

Note: The Modbus address for AIN channels are always 2*AIN#. For example, AIN2 is at address 4.

AIN#_EF_CONFIG_D - CJC Slope: A slope to be applied to the CJC reading.

This value is always in units of K/volt, regardless of AIN#_EF_CONFIG_A. When using an internal temperature sensor this value should be 1.00. When using an LM34 sensor it should be set to 55.56.

Default is 1.0.

AIN#_EF_CONFIG_E - CJC Offset: An offset to be applied to the CJC reading.

This value is always in units of K, regardless of AIN#_EF_CONFIG_A. When using an internal temperature sensor this value should be 0.0. When using an LM34 sensor it should be set to 255.37.

Default is 0.0.

Remarks

  • The normal analog input registers are used for negative channel, resolution index, settling, and range.

  • Differential thermocouple readings help mitigate ground loop and ground offset problems. See the Thermocouples App Note for more information.

  • T7 Only - If the channel range setting is set to ±10V, this AIN_EF will automatically reconfigure the range to ±0.1 V. Otherwise, the specified range will be used.

  • T8 Only - If the channel range setting is set to any range greater than ±0.15 V, this AIN_EF will automatically reconfigure the range to ±0.15 V. Otherwise, the specified range will be used.

  • The thermocouple calculations require that the CJC temperature is provided in Kelvin. This does not change if the output units are changed using AIN#_EF_CONFIG_A.

    • The internal temperature sensors (f.e. TEMPERATURE_DEVICE_K) will return Kelvin.

    • When applying a slope and offset to measurements from the internal sensor, the result must be in units of Kelvin.

    • When using an external CJC sensor the measurement will almost certainly be in volts, therefore the slope and offset must be used to convert that voltage reading to Kelvin.

Results

Results are read from the following registers. Only reading AIN#_EF_READ_A triggers a new measurement.

AIN#_EF_READ_A - Thermocouple Temperature: Final calculated temperature of the remote end of the thermocouple. -9999 will be returned when the measured thermocouple voltage is outside of the valid thermocouple voltage range. This commonly occurs when the analog input is floating.
AIN#_EF_READ_B - Measured Thermocouple Voltage: The voltage measured on the AIN; it should be the same value as returned by AIN#.
AIN#_EF_READ_C - CJC Temperature: The temperature of the CJC sensor, calculated using the CJC slope and offset configuration values.
AIN#_EF_READ_D: CJC Equivalent Thermocouple Voltage: The equivalent thermocouple voltage calculated at the CJC sensor temperature.

Example

Assume a type K thermocouple is connected to AIN3/GND. To configure:

AIN3_EF_INDEX = 22       // feature index for type K thermocouple
AIN3_EF_CONFIG_B = 60052 // TEMPERATURE_DEVICE_K for CJC address
AIN3_EF_CONFIG_D = 1.0   // slope for CJC reading
AIN3_EF_CONFIG_E = 0.0   // offset for CJC reading

Read AIN3_EF_READ_A to get the calculated temperature. If the remote end is at room temperature, it will read as approximately 298 kelvin.

For a more detailed walkthrough, see the tutorial for your device in the Thermocouples App Note.