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PhidgetTemperatureSensor 1-Input

ID: 1051_2

Connect a thermocouple to this board to measure the temperature of an object or area. Plugs directly into a USB port.

Discontinued

Thermocouples are widely used to measure extreme temperatures impossible to measure with other types of sensors.


J, K, E and T thermocouples are directly supported in the library and return the measured temperature in °C.


It is possible to interface other thermocouple types by converting the measured potential returned by the Temperature Sensor into Celsius using the appropriate tables; the formula and links to the tables are described in the User Guide.


Very long thermocouples are okay (even 100m), but if there is measurement stability issues or USB resets, ferrite beads can be added to the thermocouple wire close to the Phidget Temperature Sensor. See our tutorial on Addressing EMI Issues.


Comes packaged with

Guides

Product Specifications

Board Properties
API Object Name TemperatureSensor
Controlled By USB
Number of Thermocouple Inputs 1
Thermocouple Input
Temperature Update Rate 25 samples/s
Ambient Temperature Error Max ± 0.5 °C
Thermocouple Error Max (K-Type) ± 2 °C
Thermocouple Voltage Resolution 24.2 μV DC
Thermocouple Temperature Resolution (K-Type) 0.62 °C
Electrical Properties
Current Consumption Max 25 mA
Input Voltage Max 77 mV DC
USB Voltage Min 4.8 V DC
USB Voltage Max 5.3 V DC
USB Speed Full Speed
Physical Properties
Recommended Wire Size 16 - 26 AWG
Operating Temperature Min 0 °C
Operating Temperature Max 70 °C
Customs Information
Canadian HS Export Code 8471.80.00
American HTS Import Code 8471.80.40.00
Country of Origin CN (China)

Software Objects

Channel NameAPIChannel
Thermocouple Input TemperatureSensor 0
Temperature Sensor (IC) TemperatureSensor 1
Voltage Input VoltageInput 0

API


Back Forward
Print this API

Documents

Code Samples

Language:

APIDetailLanguageOS
TemperatureSensor Visual Studio GUI C# Windows Download
TemperatureSensor JavaScript Browser Download
TemperatureSensor Objective-C macOS Download
TemperatureSensor Swift macOS Download
TemperatureSensor Swift iOS Download
TemperatureSensor Visual Basic .NET Windows Download
TemperatureSensor Max/MSP Multiple Download
VoltageInput Visual Studio GUI C# Windows Download
VoltageInput Multi-Channel Example JavaScript Browser Download
VoltageInput JavaScript Browser Download
VoltageInput Objective-C macOS Download
VoltageInput Swift macOS Download
VoltageInput Swift iOS Download
VoltageInput Visual Basic .NET Windows Download
VoltageInput Max/MSP Multiple Download

Product History

Date Board Revision Device Version Comment
October 20030100Product Release
January 20050200Noise performance improved to 2 Celsius
May 2006 0201Added range checking on AD value
October 20081300More accurate ambient temperature sensor. Added support for E, J, and T-type thermocouples in the API library, on-board noise filtering.
April 2010 2400Mini USB connector, new thermocouple connector
May 2010 2401Fixed setLabel
May 2011 2402getLabelString fixed for labels longer than 7 characters


Getting Started

Welcome to the 1051 user guide! In order to get started, make sure you have the following hardware on hand:


Next, you will need to connect the pieces:

1051 2 Connecting The Hardware.jpg
  1. Connect the thermocouple to the inputs on the Phidget TemperatureSensor. The datasheet or product page for the thermocouple should tell you which wire is positive and which is negative.
  2. Connect the Phidget to your computer using the USB cable.


Now that you have everything together, let's start using the 1051!

Using the 1051

Phidget Control Panel

In order to demonstrate the functionality of the 1051, the Phidget Control Panel running on a Windows machine will be used.


The Phidget Control Panel is available for use on both macOS and Windows machines.

Windows

To open the Phidget Control Panel on Windows, find the Ph.jpg icon in the taskbar. If it is not there, open up the start menu and search for Phidget Control Panel

Windows PhidgetTaskbar.PNG

macOS

To open the Phidget Control Panel on macOS, open Finder and navigate to the Phidget Control Panel in the Applications list. Double click on the Ph.jpg icon to bring up the Phidget Control Panel.


For more information, take a look at the getting started guide for your operating system:


Linux users can follow the getting started with Linux guide and continue reading here for more information about the 1051.

First Look

After plugging the 1051 into your computer and opening the Phidget Control Panel, you will see something like this:

1051 Panel.jpg


The Phidget Control Panel will list all connected Phidgets and associated objects, as well as the following information:

  • Serial number: allows you to differentiate between similar Phidgets.
  • Channel: allows you to differentiate between similar objects on a Phidget.
  • Version number: corresponds to the firmware version your Phidget is running. If your Phidget is listed in red, your firmware is out of date. Update the firmware by double-clicking the entry.


The Phidget Control Panel can also be used to test your device. Double-clicking on an object will open an example.

Temperature Sensor (Thermocouple)

Double-click on the Temperature Sensor object, labelled Thermocouple Input, in order to run the example:

1051 TemperatureSensorThermocouple Example.jpg


General information about the selected object will be displayed at the top of the window. You can also experiment with the following functionality:

  • Modify the change trigger and/or data interval value by dragging the sliders. For more information on these settings, see the data interval/change trigger page.
  • Select your thermocouple type from the Thermocouple Type drop-down menu.
  • The measured temperature will be updated next to the Temperature label. Touch the thermocouple wire with your hands to see the temperature increase. If the temperature decreases when it should be increasing, you may have the wires plugged in incorrectly.


Temperature Sensor (IC)

Double-click on the Temperature Sensor object , labelled Temperature Sensor (IC), in order to run the example:

1051 TemperatureSensorIC Example.jpg


General information about the selected object will be displayed at the top of the window. You can also experiment with the following functionality:

  • Modify the change trigger and/or data interval value by dragging the sliders. For more information on these settings, see the data interval/change trigger page.
  • The measured temperature can be seen next to the Temperature label. Cover the board with your hands to see the temperature quickly rise.


Voltage Input

Double-click on the Voltage Input object in order to run the example:

1051 VoltageInput Example.jpg


General information about the selected object will be displayed at the top of the window. You can also experiment with the following functionality:

  • Modify the change trigger and/or data interval value by dragging the sliders. For more information on these settings, see the data interval/change trigger page.

Finding The Addressing Information

Before you can access the device in your own code, and from our examples, you'll need to take note of the addressing parameters for your Phidget. These will indicate how the Phidget is physically connected to your application. For simplicity, these parameters can be found by clicking the button at the top of the Control Panel example for that Phidget.

The locate Phidget button is found in the device information box

In the Addressing Information window, the section above the line displays information you will need to connect to your Phidget from any application. In particular, note the Channel Class field as this will be the API you will need to use with your Phidget, and the type of example you should use to get started with it. The section below the line provides information about the network the Phidget is connected on if it is attached remotely. Keep track of these parameters moving forward, as you will need them once you start running our examples or your own code.

All the information you need to address your Phidget

Using Your Own Program

You are now ready to start writing your own code for the device. The best way to do that is to start from our Code Samples.

Select your programming language of choice from the drop-down list to get an example for your device. You can use the options provided to further customize the example to best suit your needs.

Code Sample Choose Language.png


Once you have your example, you will need to follow the instructions on the page for your programming language to get it running. To find these instructions, select your programming language from the Programming Languages page.

Technical Details

Cold Junction Compensation and Self-heating

Thermocouples consist of two junctions, one where the thermocouple meets the Phidget and one where the two wires are welded together at the sensing end of the device. In simplified terms, a thermocouple works by detecting the temperature difference between these two junctions. As such, in order to measure the temperature at the sensing end we need to know the temperature where the thermocouple connects to the Phidget. To do so, there is an ambient temperature sensor on the board.

An important thing to note is that the ambient temperature sensor measures the temperature of the board and the air around it, though not specifically at the junction. Generally you can assume they are nearly the same temperature, however as the electronics heat up by being powered on there can be some small error introduced. This is exacerbated by having the board in an enclosed space where normal airflow is restricted thereby increasing the effect of self-heating. As a result we recommend that the board be left in as open and well ventilated/cooled a place as possible to minimize this error source.

For more information on thermocouples, check out the Thermocouple Guide.

What to do Next

  • Programming Languages - Find your preferred programming language here and learn how to write your own code with Phidgets!
  • Phidget Programming Basics - Once you have set up Phidgets to work with your programming environment, we recommend you read our page on to learn the fundamentals of programming with Phidgets.


Thermocouples

You can connect one J,K,E or T type thermocouple to this Phidget. See the product page or data sheet for the thermocouple to determine which end plugs into the positive terminal on the Phidget. If you're not sure which end is which, it won't harm anything to try both configurations to determine which one is right. If the thermocouple is hooked up backward, you'll get erratic readings and the temperature will decrease when it should be increasing.

Product Temperature Sensor
Part Number Price Thermocouple Type Ambient Temperature Min Ambient Temperature Max Ambient Temperature Error Max
TMP4103_0
K-Type Teflon Bead Probe Thermocouple (-40°C to +200°C)
$5.00 K -40 °C 200 °C ± 0.75 °C
TMP4104_0
K-Type Fiberglass Bead Probe Thermocouple
$10.00 K -40 °C 400 °C ± 0.75 °C
TMP4106_0
K-Type Probe Thermocouple 11cm
$16.00 K -40 °C 400 °C 3.3 °C
TMP4107_0
K-Type Probe Thermocouple 20cm
$16.00 K -40 °C 400 °C 3.3 °C
TMP4111_0
K-Type Probe Thermocouple 30cm
$20.00 K -40 °C 400 °C 3.3 °C

Thermocouple Accessories

Here are some handy accessories for working with thermocouples. Extension wire, adapters, and plugs can be found here.

USB Cables

Use a USB cable to connect this Phidget to your computer. We have a number of different lengths available, although the maximum length of a USB cable is 5 meters due to limitations in the timing protocol. For longer distances, we recommend that you use a Single Board Computer to control the Phidget remotely.

Product Physical Properties
Part Number Price Connector A Connector B Cable Length
3017_1
Mini-USB Cable 28cm 24AWG
$3.00 USB Type A USB Mini-B 280 mm
3018_0
Mini-USB Cable 180cm 24AWG
$4.00 USB Type A USB Mini-B 1.8 m
3020_0
Mini-USB Cable 450cm 20AWG
$12.00 USB Type A USB Mini-B 4.5 m
3036_0
Mini-USB Cable 60cm 24AWG
$3.50 USB Type A USB Mini-B 600 mm
3037_0
Mini-USB Cable 120cm 24AWG
$4.00 USB Type A USB Mini-B 1.2 m
CBL4011_0
Mini-USB Cable 28cm Right Angle
$3.50 USB Type A USB Mini-B (90 degree) 280 mm
CBL4012_0
Mini-USB Cable 83cm Right Angle
$4.50 USB Type A USB Mini-B (90 degree) 830 mm
CBL4020_0
USB-C to Mini USB Cable 60cm
$5.00 USB Type C USB Mini-B 600 mm
CBL4021_0
USB-C to Mini USB Cable 180cm
$6.00 USB Type C USB Mini-B 1.8 m

Have a look at our thermocouple interfaces:

Product Board Properties Thermocouple Input
Part Number Price Controlled By Number of Thermocouple Inputs Thermocouple Voltage Resolution
1048_2B
PhidgetTemperatureSensor 4-Input
$100.00 USB (Mini-USB) 4 100 nV DC
TMP1100_0
Isolated Thermocouple Phidget
$30.00 VINT 1 1 μV DC
TMP1101_1
4x Thermocouple Phidget
$35.00 VINT 4 1 μV DC