ThermoTrak II User’s GuideSpecifications and Requirements ThermoTrak II User’s Guide 1-2...
Transcript of ThermoTrak II User’s GuideSpecifications and Requirements ThermoTrak II User’s Guide 1-2...
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ThermoTrak II User’s Guide
Revision 9: May 9, 2011
c/n 1141150
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291 Kollen Park Drive
Holland, MI 49423, USA
Phone: (616) 392-6550
Fax: (616) 393-4549
www.thermotron.com
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Revision 9: May 9, 2011
ThermoTrak II User’s Guide Table of Contents
Thermotron Industries i
Table of Contents
Section 1: Specifications and Requirements
Product support notice.............................................................................................................................................1-1
Introduction to ThermoTrak II................................................................................................................................1-1
ThermoTrak II host PC minimum requirements ..............................................................................................1-1
Thermotron hardware/software supported......................................................................................................1-2
Determining the controller software revision level........................................................................................1-2
ThermoTrak II software specifications.................................................................................................................1-3
Section 2: Installing a ThermoTrak II Network
Using Ethernet with 3800, 8200, 8800, or 8825 controllers........................................................................2-1
Using an Ethernet-to-serial converter box........................................................................................................2-1
ThermoTrak II software/hardware networking kits ........................................................................................2-2
• RS-232 connections .....................................................................................................................................2-2
• RS-485 connections .....................................................................................................................................2-4
• ThermoTrak harness 2800/4800 RS-232 .............................................................................................2-6
• ThermoTrak harness 2800/4800 RS-485 .............................................................................................2-7
• ThermoTrak harness 6850 RS-232 .........................................................................................................2-8
• ThermoTrak harness 6850 RS-485 .........................................................................................................2-9
• ThermoTrak harness 7800/7825 RS-232 .......................................................................................... 2-10
• ThermoTrak harness CM RS-232.......................................................................................................... 2-11
• ThermoTrak harness CMX RS-232....................................................................................................... 2-12
• ThermoTrak harness CM or CMX RS-485.......................................................................................... 2-13
• ThermoTrak harness RS-232 to RS-485 converter......................................................................... 2-14
2800/4800 computer interface board configuration ................................................................................. 2-15
RS-485/RS-422 network cabling........................................................................................................................ 2-17
Chamber bulkhead selection and installation............................................................................................... 2-18
T-Net junction box installation ........................................................................................................................... 2-19
T-Net configuration (CM or CMX with 3800, 8200, 8800, or 8825 display modules).................... 2-20
T-Net configuration (Thermotron controllers).............................................................................................. 2-21
GPIB interface parts................................................................................................................................................. 2-22
Section 3: Using ThermoTrak II with Local Networks
Installing ThermoTrak II ............................................................................................................................................3-1
Adding and removing a chamber.........................................................................................................................3-2
Viewing and editing chambers ..............................................................................................................................3-4
Viewing and editing control parameters ...........................................................................................................3-7
Creating and editing profiles..................................................................................................................................3-8
• Using the profile editor ...............................................................................................................................3-8
Loading a program from a chamber controller............................................................................................ 3-13
Assigning and running a profile ......................................................................................................................... 3-15
Table of Contents ThermoTrak II User’s Guide
ii Thermotron Industries
Running in manual mode ..................................................................................................................................... 3-17
Setting up event notification ............................................................................................................................... 3-18
Graphing and data logging.................................................................................................................................. 3-19
Customizing ThermoTrak II .................................................................................................................................. 3-23
• Changing the options............................................................................................................................... 3-23
• Viewing and changing the access level.............................................................................................. 3-24
• Viewing and clearing the usage log.................................................................................................... 3-25
Section 4: Using ThermoTrak II with Thermal Shock Controllers
Viewing and editing chambers ..............................................................................................................................4-1
Viewing and editing thermal shock control parameters..............................................................................4-4
Viewing and editing thermal shock operating parameters ........................................................................4-4
Creating and editing tests .......................................................................................................................................4-6
• Using the test editor.....................................................................................................................................4-6
Loading a program from a chamber controller...............................................................................................4-9
Assigning and running a test..................................................................................................................................4-9
Running in manual mode ..................................................................................................................................... 4-11
Running in temperature profile mode............................................................................................................. 4-12
Graphing and data logging.................................................................................................................................. 4-13
Section 5: Using ThermoTrak II with Thermotron Oven Controllers
Viewing and editing ovens ......................................................................................................................................5-1
Creating and editing oven profiles.......................................................................................................................5-2
Assigning and running an oven profile ..............................................................................................................5-3
Viewing the oven events log ..................................................................................................................................5-4
Section 6: Using ThermoTrak II with Remote Networks
Enabling access to a local network.......................................................................................................................6-1
Enabling and disabling access to a specific chamber ...................................................................................6-2
Disconnecting a client ...............................................................................................................................................6-3
Connecting to a remote server ..............................................................................................................................6-3
Downloading chamber information.....................................................................................................................6-4
Disconnecting from a server...................................................................................................................................6-5
Locking/unlocking a local host ..............................................................................................................................6-5
Section 7: Using ThermoTrak II with Non-Thermotron Controllers
Adding and removing a chamber.........................................................................................................................7-1
Viewing and editing chambers ..............................................................................................................................7-2
Creating and editing profiles..................................................................................................................................7-2
Section 8: Frequently Asked Questions
ThermoTrak II User’s Guide Specifications and Requirements
Thermotron Industries 1-1
Section 1:
Specifications and Requirements
WARNING: This software is not intended for use in situations in which software
failure could lead to personal injury or property damage.
Product support notice
It is your responsibility to install the hardware and software and, if necessary, debug the system. By
purchasing the necessary hardware kits from Thermotron, you are entitled to up to one hour of
Thermotron product support at no additional charge, either by telephone at 616-392-6550, or by e-mail at
If necessary, Thermotron also can provide on-site technical support with personnel from its Holland,
Michigan facility. Our normal service rate applies (plus costs for travel and related expenses), and are the
customer’s responsibility. A purchase order is required.
Introduction to ThermoTrak II
ThermoTrak II is a hardware/software networking system for the operation of Thermotron chamber and
oven controllers. Its Microsoft Windows environment provides access to chamber networking,
programming, operating, data acquisition, and display functions from a single host computer. ThermoTrak
II can be configured to automatically e-mail reports of a number of chamber events to your personnel.
ThermoTrak II logs data from different Thermotron controllers, giving the operator a Windows
environment for most current Thermotron controllers. It is capable of logging data points every two
seconds for an indefinite period, limited only by hard drive space.
The ThermoTrak II chamber window can display the following:
• All the real-time variables your controllers provide
• Full-color graphs of the set points and process variables
NOTE: ThermoTrak II cannot be used to operate chambers with AST 7800 or AST 8800 controllers, or SE
modules.
ThermoTrak II host PC minimum requirements
Operating system required Microsoft Windows 7, Vista, XP, 2000, ME, NT 4.0, 98, 95
Microprocessor Pentium class processor;
233 MHz minimum recommended
Random access memory 32 MB RAM minimum,
64 MB RAM recommended
Video VGA minimum, SVGA recommended;
1024 x 768 resolution recommended
Available hard disk space 1 MB for the application;
2 MB for each chamber
Specifications and Requirements ThermoTrak II User’s Guide
1-2 Thermotron Industries
Thermotron hardware/software supported
NOTE: To determine your controller’s software revision level, refer to “Determining the controller software
revision level” at the bottom of this page.
Controller
type
Controller
hardware
Controller software
revision level
Computer
interface
2800/4800Version II main board and Version II
computer interface boardV2.03.07 or higher
RS-232,
RS-485,
GPIB
3800 All versions All versions
RS-232,
RS-485,
GPIB,
TCP/IP
68XX
6850 series hardware is the
minimum for ThermoTrak II
operation
V5.00.36 or higher
RS-232,
RS-485,
GPIB
7800 Rev F1 (or higher) control moduleDisplay module software V1.00.21
or higher
RS-232,
RS-485,
GPIB
7825 Rev F1 (or higher) control moduleDisplay module software V2.06.00
or higher
RS-232,
RS-485,
GPIB
8200 All versions All versions
RS-232,
RS-485,
GPIB,
TCP/IP
8800/8825 All versions All versions
RS-232,
RS-485,
GPIB,
TCP/IP
Oven All versions All versions
RS-232,
RS-485,
GPIB
Determining the controller software revision level
Controller type Instructions
2800/4800Press the STOP and CLR keys at the same time, then immediately press the LOCK
key while the lights are lit.
6850 Go to the system status screen.
7800 From the main screen press the Setup soft key, then press the More Setup soft key.
7825 From the main screen press the Setup soft key.
ThermoTrak II User’s Guide Specifications and Requirements
Thermotron Industries 1-3
ThermoTrak II software specifications
Interface capabilities • TCP/IP using a third-party Ethernet-to-serial converter box. NOTE:
3800, 8200, 8800, and 8825 controllers have built-in Ethernet
capabilities.
• GPIB (used for multidrop controller networks). NOTE: ThermoTrak II
supports only National Instruments GPIB cards.
• RS-485 (used for multidrop controller networks)
• RS-232 (used for communication from one PC to one controller)
Maximum number of
instruments
• 32 instruments on one RS-485 network, limited to 4,000 feet total
bus length
• 15 instruments on one GPIB network, limited to 20 meters total bus
length
• Up to four networks at a time
Maximum control channels Four (instrument-dependent)
Data log/graph resolution • Stores/graphs data in increments from 2 to 3,600 seconds,
adjustable per controller
• 32,768 plot points available for graphs
Maximum data log file Limited only by hard drive space
Specifications and Requirements ThermoTrak II User’s Guide
1-4 Thermotron Industries
ThermoTrak II User’s Guide Installing a ThermoTrak II Network
Thermotron Industries 2-1
Section 2:
Installing a ThermoTrak II Network
Installing a ThermoTrak II network requires the following:
• Good working knowledge of chamber, Thermotron controller, and computer interface configuration
(as described in the computer interface section of the chamber controller manual).
• Ability to complete installation of network cabling, including braided shield termination, wire
preparation, and knowledge of diagnostic practices as needed. To simplify this process, the
networking kits listed in the tables later in this section are available from Thermotron Industries.
• Ability to find a hardware or software revision level. Refer to “Thermotron hardware/software
supported” in Section 1 of this manual.
Using Ethernet with 3800, 8200, 8800, or 8825 controllers
All 3800, 8200, 8800, and 8825 controllers support standard Ethernet cabling.
• To connect a chamber to a hub, use a standard straight-through Ethernet cable.
• To connect a chamber directly to a PC, use a standard crossover Ethernet cable.
NOTE: The 3800 controller supports communication only at 10 Mbit. A 100-Mbit network that does not
scale down cannot communicate with the 3800.
Using an Ethernet-to-serial converter box
ThermoTrak II uses port number 8888 when sending commands to an Ethernet-to-serial conveter box. If
you are using an Ethernet-to-serial converter box to connect a chamber to a local area network (LAN), set
the converter’s port number to 8888.
Installing a ThermoTrak II Network ThermoTrak II User’s Guide
2-2 Thermotron Industries
ThermoTrak II software/hardware networking kits
NOTE: The diagram designators are referred to in the tables that follow the connection diagrams below.
RS-232 connections
The RS-232 interface is used to connect one PC to one controller.
ThermoTrak II User’s Guide Installing a ThermoTrak II Network
Thermotron Industries 2-3
RS-232 Kits for Connecting One PC to One Controller
Item Description
T-Trak harness 78XX RS232 (pg 2-10)
Part number: 1127889
Diagram designator: I (pg 2-2)
Connects a 7800/7825 controller to a PC via RS-232.
Contains:
• T-Net PC lead PC9/BH9 20 ft
• T-Net bulkhead RSALL (BH9)
• T-Net stub 78xx RS232 3.5 ft
T-Trak harness 68XX RS232 (pg 2-8)
Part number: 1127863
Diagram designator: K (pg 2-2)
Connects a 68XX series controller to a PC via RS-232.
Contains:
• T-Net PC lead PC9/BH25 20 ft
• T-Net bulkhead 28/68xx (BH25)
• T-Net stub 28/68xx RSALL 6 ft
T-Trak harness 2800/4800 RS232 (pg 2-6)
Part number: 1127839
Diagram designator: J (pg 2-2)
Connects a 2800/4800 controller to a PC via RS-232.
Contains:
• T-Net PC lead PC9/BH25 20 ft
• T-Net bulkhead 28/68xx (BH25)
• T-Net stub 28/68xx RSALL 6 ft
2800/4800 serial communications board
Part number: 812749
Diagram designator: F (pg 2-2)
Provides a 2800/4800 controller with a serial
communications interface.
T-Trak harness 8800 RS232
Part number: 1192648
Connects an 8800/8825 single board computer (SBC) to a
PC via RS-232. Contains a standard DB9 male-female serial
cable.
T-Trak harness CM RS232 (pg 2-11)
Part number: 1202516
Diagram designator: I (pg 2-2)
Connects a 3800, 8200, 8800, or 8825 CM to a PC.
Contains:
• Standard PC lead part number 1192648
• Bulkhead plate part number 1078022
• T-Net stub bulkhead cross 3.5 ft part number 1213355
T-Trak harness CMX RS232 (pg 2-12)
Part number: 1217692
Diagram designator: I (pg 2-2)
Connects a 3800, 8200, 8800, or 8825 CMX to a PC.
Contains:
• Standard PC lead part number 1192648
• Bulkhead plate part number 1078022
• T-Net stub 78xx RS232 3.5 ft part number 1087241
Installing a ThermoTrak II Network ThermoTrak II User’s Guide
2-4 Thermotron Industries
RS-485 connections
The RS-485 interface is used for controller multidrop applications.
ThermoTrak II User’s Guide Installing a ThermoTrak II Network
Thermotron Industries 2-5
RS-485 Kits for Controller Multidrop Applications
Item Description
T-Trak harness 78XX RS485 (pg 2-13)
Part number: 1127897
Diagram designator: D (pg 2-4)
Connects a 3800, 7800, 7825, 8200, 8800, or 8825
controller to an RS-485 multidrop bus. Contains:
• T-Net stub 78xx RS485 3.5 ft
• T-Net bulkhead RSALL (BH9)
• T-Net fly lead all other 20 ft
• T-Net junction box side entry
T-Trak harness 68XX RS485 (pg 2-9)
Part number: 1127871
Diagram designator: E (pg 2-4)
Connects a 68XX controller to an RS-485 multidrop bus.
Contains:
• T-Net stub 28/68xx RSALL 6 ft
• T-Net bulkhead 28/68xx (BH25)
• T-Net fly lead 28/68xx 20 ft
• T-Net junction box side entry
T-Trak harness 2800/4800 RS485 (pg 2-7)
Part number: 1127855
Diagram designator: C (pg 2-4)
Connects a 2800/4800 controller to an RS-485 multidrop
bus. Contains:
• T-Net junction box side entry
• T-Net fly lead 28/68xx 20 ft
• T-Net bulkhead 28/68xx (BH25)
• T-Net stub 28/68xx RSALL 6 ft
2800/4800 serial communications board
Part number: 812749
Diagram designator: F (pg 2-4)
Provides a 2800/4800 controller with a serial
communications interface.
T-Trak harness RS232-485 converter (pg
2-14)
Part number: 1153173
Diagram designator: I (pg 2-4)
Provides an RS-485 interface for a ThermoTrak II network.
(Replaces Option 2, which is now obsolete.) Contains:
• T-Net junction box side entry
• T-Net fly lead RS-232-485 20 ft
• T-Net RS-232 to RS-485 converter
• T-Net wall wart for 232-485
• T-Net PC lead PC9/232-485 6 ft
T-Net RS-485/422 network cable (pg 2-17)
Part number: 1084413
Diagram designator: H (pg 2-4)
Network cable purchased by the foot.
Installing a ThermoTrak II Network ThermoTrak II User’s Guide
2-6 Thermotron Industries
ThermoTrak harness 2800/4800 RS-232
This kit provides the cabling components required to connect a 2800/4800 controller to a PC’s RS-232
communications port. The following components are included with this kit:
ThermoTrak II User’s Guide Installing a ThermoTrak II Network
Thermotron Industries 2-7
ThermoTrak harness 2800/4800 RS-485
This kit provides the cabling components required to connect a 2800/4800 controller to an RS-485
network. The following components are included with this kit:
Installing a ThermoTrak II Network ThermoTrak II User’s Guide
2-8 Thermotron Industries
ThermoTrak harness 6850 RS-232
This kit provides the cabling components required to connect a 6850 controller to a PC’s RS-232
communications port. The following components are included with this kit:
ThermoTrak II User’s Guide Installing a ThermoTrak II Network
Thermotron Industries 2-9
ThermoTrak harness 6850 RS-485
This kit provides the cabling components required to connect a 6850 controller to an RS-485 network. The
following components are included with this kit:
Installing a ThermoTrak II Network ThermoTrak II User’s Guide
2-10 Thermotron Industries
ThermoTrak harness 7800/7825 RS-232
This kit provides the cabling components required to connect a 7800/7825 controller to a PC’s RS-232
communications port. The following components are included with this kit:
ThermoTrak II User’s Guide Installing a ThermoTrak II Network
Thermotron Industries 2-11
ThermoTrak harness CM RS-232
This sheet provides details on how to hook up a CM to a PC’s RS-232 port. The setup described on this
sheet applies to a CM regardless of which display module is connected to it (3800, 8200, 8800, or 8825).
NOTE: Only the CM directly connected to the display module can do computer communication.
Installing a ThermoTrak II Network ThermoTrak II User’s Guide
2-12 Thermotron Industries
ThermoTrak harness CMX RS-232
This sheet provides details on how to hook up a CMX to a PC’s RS-232 port. The setup described on this
sheet applies to a CMX regardless of which display module is connected to it (3800, 8200, 8800, or 8825).
NOTE: Only the CMX directly connected to the display module can do computer communication.
ThermoTrak II User’s Guide Installing a ThermoTrak II Network
Thermotron Industries 2-13
ThermoTrak harness CM or CMX RS-485
This sheet provides details on how to hook up a CM or a CMX to RS-485 network. The only difference
between the CM and CMX for RS-485 communications is the designator of the RS-485 port as shown
below. The setup described on this sheet applies to a CM or CMX regardless of which display module is
connected to it (3800, 78XX, 8200, or 88XX). NOTE: Only the CM or CMX directly connected to the display
module can do computer communication.
Installing a ThermoTrak II Network ThermoTrak II User’s Guide
2-14 Thermotron Industries
ThermoTrak harness RS-232 to RS-485 converter
This setup provides an RS-485 interface for a ThermoTrak II network.
ThermoTrak II User’s Guide Installing a ThermoTrak II Network
Thermotron Industries 2-15
2800/4800 computer interface board configuration
The following provides a convenient reference to assist you in configuring your Thermotron 2800/4800
computer interface board. For more information, refer to the 2800 or 4800 programmer/controller
computer interface manual.
CAUTION: The 2800/4800 computer interface board contains components that are sensitive to
electrostatic charges. When working with the 2800/4800 computer interface board, make sure you provide
a static-safe work environment.
R2 line termination resistor: When this card is used at the end of the network line, supply a 120-ohm
resistor at R2. NOTE: Most RS-485 buses require termination at both ends because of fast transition, high
data rates, or long cables. For more information on termination, refer to Step 3 of “RS-485/RS-422
Network Cabling” later in this section.
W1 setting: Place the jumper on the appropriate terminal, either RS-232 or RS-485. (The factory setting is
RS-232.) NOTE: Power must be removed from the 2800/4800 before repositioning the jumper.
Installing a ThermoTrak II Network ThermoTrak II User’s Guide
2-16 Thermotron Industries
RS-232/RS-485 Switch Settings
Switch
numberON function OFF function Comments
8
2800/4800 sends
both carriage return
and line feed
2800/4800 sends
carriage return only
Selects the data output terminating sequence
NOTE: When communicating via RS-485,
always set this switch to the OFF position.
7 8 bits/character 7 bits/character Selects word length
6 Negative busy Positive busy
Selects handshake polarity
• Use negative polarity for no handshake
• Always set ON for RS-485 interface
5 RTS/CTS DTR/DSRSelects input handshake line (not used by RS-
485 interface)
4 Odd parity Even parity Selects parity type (switch #3 = OFF)
3 No parity Use selected parity Enable/disable parity
Pos 2 Pos 1 Baud
ON ON 9600
ON OFF 2400
OFF ON 1200
2
1OFF OFF 300
Use positions 1 and 2 to select the baud rate
GPIB Switch Settings
Switch
numberName ON function OFF function Comments
8Line feed
terminator
Line feed not
included
Line feed
included
When both carriage return and line
feed are selected, the sequence will
be <cr> <lf>
7
Carriage
return
terminator
Carriage return
not included
Carriage return
included
6EOI
terminator
No EOI with last
byte
EOI
synchronous
with last byte
If all switches (6, 7, and 8) are ON,
the 4800 will use the last input’s
terminating string
5 Address bit 4 Value = 0 Value = 16
4 Address bit 3 Value = 0 Value = 8
3 Address bit 2 Value = 0 Value = 4
2 Address bit 1 Value = 0 Value = 2
1 Address bit 0 Value = 0 Value = 1
Legal GPIB addresses are 0 through
30
ThermoTrak II User’s Guide Installing a ThermoTrak II Network
Thermotron Industries 2-17
RS-485/RS-422 network cabling
The cable and connections used to network your chambers are sometimes overlooked, but are actually
very important to ensure reliable data transfer along with electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). The
following are Thermotron’s guidelines for connecting a chamber network:
1. Use a high quality shielded (24 AWG) twisted pair cable. For chamber networking Thermotron
recommends using T-Net RS-485/422 network cable (Thermotron p/n 1084413; Belden p/n 9842).
2. Use Thermotron’s T-Net network components to connect your chamber network. The T-Net
components provide you with a simple yet reliable way to network your chamber controllers. The
components available include various cable assemblies, bulkhead connectors, and the T-Net junction
box. The T-Net junction box is used to properly interface individual chambers and the main network
line. The junction box is specifically designed for use with the cable recommended in item 1 above.
The following general diagram illustrates the T-Net components available for chamber networking.
The T-Net junction box will provide the networked controller with voltage protection, along with
electromagnetic interference (EMI) filtering for each data line. The junction box as well as all T-Net
cabling will also provide your complete network with the proper shielding that is required for an
industrial network application.
For detailed information on features and installation instructions for the T-Net junction box, refer to
“T-Net Junction Box Installation” later in this section. For selection of the specific cable assemblies/
bulkhead connectors that you need for your application, refer to “Using the 7800/7825 as an RS-232
to RS-485 Converter” earlier in this section, or the T-Net configuration diagram on page 2-21.
3. Terminate both ends of the main network cable. Termination of both ends of the network is required
to prevent data transmission problems. All Thermotron controllers/computer interface devices have
provisions to allow network termination.
For example, Thermotron’s external RS-232 to RS-485 converter harness kit can be used to terminate
one end of the network. (For details, see “ThermoTrak Harness RS-232 to RS-485 Converter” earlier in
this section.) A 120-ohm resistor (provided) can be installed in the junction box. If a 7800/7825
controller is on the other end of the network, simply place jumper W3 into the IN position. Likewise, if
a 2800, 4800, or 6850 controller is on the end of the network, you must supply a termination resistor
Installing a ThermoTrak II Network ThermoTrak II User’s Guide
2-18 Thermotron Industries
on the computer interface board. (For setup of a 2800 or 4800, refer to “2800/4800 Computer
Interface Board Configuration” earlier in this section.)
By following these guidelines, your chamber network will have the following characteristics:
• Maximum electromagnetic compatibility (EMC)
• Maximum data rate of 115.2k baud
• Maximum network cable length of 4,000 feet
• Up to 32 stations on the multidrop bus
Chamber bulkhead selection and installation
Chamber bulkhead connectors provide a clean connection point between external and internal chamber
communication cables. The bulkhead plate, when installed properly, will provide the low-resistance chassis
ground connection that is required for the network cable’s braided shield. Self-tapping #8 machine screws
are provided to mount each bulkhead. To accommodate the new bulkhead screws, the existing mounting
holes in the chamber wall will need to be drilled out to 0.140-inch using a 9/64th
drill bit. With the proper
bond between the bulkhead and the chamber wall, the low-resistance path to chassis ground is
accomplished. The noise coupled into the shield of the network cable now has an easy path to ground
instead of coupling into the data lines.
When selecting the bulkhead required for your application, refer to the appropriate configuration drawing
earlier in this section. These will provide you with the information needed to select the appropriate
bulkhead connectors for your chambers. The following bulkheads are available:
• T-Net bulkhead RSALL (BH9): The replacement bulkhead for the SE chamber line. It is the same size as
the standard SE chamber bulkhead and provides both the RS-232 and RS-422/485 connectors. This
bulkhead uses #8 self-tapping machine screws to mount to the chamber wall. You must drill the
existing chamber wall holes out to 0.140-inch using a 9/64th
drill bit. Also two new holes on the top
and bottom center portions of the plate require two additional holes to be placed in the chamber wall.
• T-Net bulkhead 28-68XX (BH25): The standard bulkhead connector used on chambers equipped with
2800 or 6850 controllers. It uses a 25-pin female-to-female gender changer mounted on an aluminum
bulkhead plate. If your 2800 or 6850 chamber was purchased with the serial interface option, you
probably have this connector along with the internal stub cable that connects to the controller. Verify
that your bulkhead connector is mounted on an aluminum bulkhead plate.
• T-Net bulkhead RS422/485 (BH9): Provides a DB-9 male-to-male gender changer mounted on an
aluminum bulkhead plate. This can be used on early model SE chambers that do not have the
standard two-by-five-inch serial interface bulkhead, or on chamber retrofit applications. The DB-9
male-to-male connector is only used for RS-422/RS-485.
• T-Net bulkhead RS-232 (BH9): Provides a DB-9 female-to-female gender changer mounted on an
aluminum bulkhead plate. The DB-9 female-to-female connector is only used for RS-232. This
bulkhead is primarily used for retrofit applications.
When attaching your new T-Net bulkhead, be certain to take precautions before drilling any holes. Locate
the access point in an area that is clear of structural supports and/or chamber components. Also take
precautions to prevent metal shavings from settling into critical areas. This includes electrical or electronic
components and/or wiring.
ThermoTrak II User’s Guide Installing a ThermoTrak II Network
Thermotron Industries 2-19
T-Net junction box installationThe T-Net junction box (p/n 1078763) is recommended to provide a reliable interface between your network
cable and one chamber to be installed on the network. It is specifically designed for use with T-Net RS-485/422
network cable (Thermotron p/n 1084413; Belden p/n 9842). The T-Net junction box will provide your chamber
network with the following essential features:
• Cable shield termination. The installed cable glands provide your system with optimum 360-degree
termination of the network cable’s braided shield. By terminating the braided shield using this method,
your system will have maximum electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). The cable glands also provide strain
relief for the network cable. Complete installation instructions are provided below.
• Network screw terminal connectors, which provide reliable and simple network connection without the
use of special tools or soldering. Each screw terminal is labeled to minimize connection time (coincides with
the color code of the 9842 Belden Cable/Western Electric standard):
□ Terminal 1: white/blue stripe (TX+) □ Terminal 4: orange/white stripe (RX-)
□ Terminal 2: blue/white stripe (TX-) □ Terminal 5: drain wire
□ Terminal 3: white/orange stripe (RX+)
• Internal circuitry that will provide the controller’s computer interface and the RS-485/RS-422 card with
overvoltage protection and electromagnetic interference (EMI) filtering for each data line.
• A diecast aluminum alloy enclosure for improved EMI shielding, and external wall mounting flanges to
allow simple installation.
As shown below, TB3 on the junction box PCB is the terminal block connector used for the T-Net fly lead
connection. As discussed in “RS-485/RS-422 Network Cabling” earlier in this section, selection of the
appropriate fly leads, as well as all other necessary hardware, can be obtained from the T-Net configuration
drawing that corresponds to your particular controller type.
The T-Net fly leads and the recommended network cable use the same type of cable (9842 Belden, p/n
1084413). Cable preparation is required before connection to the junction box is made. The illustration below
shows the required cable preparation to ensure proper connection/shield termination with the junction box.
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T-Net configuration (CM or CMX with 3800, 8200, 8800, or 8825
display modules)
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Thermotron Industries 2-21
Installing a ThermoTrak II Network ThermoTrak II User’s Guide
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GPIB interface parts
NOTE: ThermoTrak II supports only National Instruments GPIB cards.
If you want to use a GPIB interface for your ThermoTrak II network, the following parts are available from
Thermotron Industries:
Part number Description
831778 Cable assembly, GPIB, shielded, 1 meter
831786 Cable assembly, GPIB, shielded, 2 meters
820636 Connector, GPIB bulkhead, female-to-female
1062110 7800/7825 GPIB bulkhead mount
812757 2800/4800 GPIB board
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Section 3:
Using ThermoTrak II with Local Networks
Using this software to operate the chambers on your ThermoTrak II network requires good working
knowledge of each chamber and Thermotron controller on the network. For more detailed information,
refer to each chamber’s operating and programmer/controller manuals.
To set up communication on your ThermoTrak II network, you should also be able to configure port
communication, which requires knowledge of Windows operating system and interface protocols.
Installing ThermoTrak II
ThermoTrak II software may be downloaded from the Thermotron web site. Follow the five steps below to
download and install ThermoTrak II:
1. Open your web browser and navigate to:
http://www.thermotron.com/_customer/downloads/thermotrak-software-upgrade-and-
generic-manual
2. Begin downloading the software by right-clicking on the file name and choosing ‘Save Target As…’
3. Open the file using zip-capable software such as WinZip.
4. For further instructions, view the “readme” file using Microsoft Notepad.
5. For your ThermoTrak II serial number, enter the serial number of your chamber as well as the two-digit
number of the month you received your chamber. For example, if your chamber serial number is
60354 and the month you received your chamber was September, your ThermoTrak II serial number
will be 6035409. Please record this serial number, as you will need it to obtain additional software
updates.
ThermoTrak II Software Specifications
Thermotron controllers supported 2800, 3800, 4800, 6850, 7800, 7825, 8200, 8800, 8825
Interface capabilities RS-232, RS-485, GPIB, TCP/IP (Ethernet)
Maximum number of controllers Up to 32
Maximum control channels 4 (controller-dependent)
Data log/graph resolution Adjustable per controller: 2 to 3,600 second increments
Maximum graph/data log display readings 32,000 per logged item
Maximum data log file Limited only by hard drive space
Operating system required Microsoft Windows 7, Vista, XP, 2000, ME, NT 4.0, 98, 95
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Adding and removing a chamber
To begin with, at least one chamber must be defined and configured as available to ThermoTrak II. Note
that you are not limited to only one network of chambers. For example, you can define a 9600 baud GPIB
network of chambers on COM 1, and also define a 19200 baud RS-485 network of chambers on COM 2.
ThermoTrak II can monitor and operate up to four multidrop networks at a time, each with a maximum of
15 instruments (GPIB) or 32 instruments (RS-485).
1. The Available Chambers window is always open. If the window is hidden by other windows, open the
Windows menu and click Available Chambers.
2. Right-click anywhere in the Available Chambers window and click Add Chamber. This will open the
Edit Chamber Configuration dialog box. From the Chamber Info tab you can define the parameters
required to communicate with the chamber.
3. Select the chamber’s controller type. NOTE: If your
3800, 8200, or 8800 controller is set to emulate a
legacy instrument’s command set using the
controller’s command compatibility setting, choose
the legacy instrument as the Controller Type.
For example, if your 3800’s command compatibility
setting is 2800, set the ThermoTrak II Controller
Type to Thermotron 2800.
4. Select the appropriate computer interface, baud
rate, port, and address settings. The parameters set
here must match the computer interface settings
at the chamber controller.
• If the chamber is part of a network of
chambers, enter a unique address value for
that chamber in the Address field. The RS-232
interface does not support any protocol for
addressing, so you must use either RS-485 or
GPIB.
• If you select the TCP/IP interface, enter the
appropriate IP address in the IP Address field
and a valid TCP port in the TCP Port field. The
computer and controller must be on the same
subnet. If you need assistance, contact your
system administrator.
If you are using an Ethernet-to-serial converter, the ThermoTrak II IP address and TCP port settings
must match those of the converter. For more information, see “Using an Ethernet-to-Serial
Converter Box” in Section 2 of this manual. NOTE: 3800, 8200, 8800, and 8825 controllers have
built-in Ethernet capabilities.
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• If you select the Demo interface, ThermoTrak II will not attempt any communication with that
chamber. Instead, the software will fill in the chamber’s status with random values, allowing you to
use all of ThermoTrak II’s features for evaluation, training, or demonstration purposes. A Demo
chamber also is useful for creating profiles that later will be assigned to other chambers.
5. To enable error checking if you are defining a chamber with a 7800 (display module software version
V1.09.01 or higher), 3800, 8200, 8800, or 8825 controller, check Enable Checksum.
6. Select the desired level of remote access from the drop-down menu. You can select No Remote
Access, View Only Access, or Full Remote Access. For additional information, see Section 6 of this
manual.
7. Once the communication parameters are defined, click the Test button.
• If ThermoTrak II can communicate with the chamber, you will see the chamber’s identification
string and a software version number displayed in the text fields.
• If there is a communication problem, a message will say “No response from chamber” in the ID
String box. This means either you have a faulty cable connection somewhere, or the
communication parameters are incorrect. You may change any of the parameters to retest the
settings as often as you like. If you need more information on hardware configuration, refer to
Section 2 of this manual.
NOTE: The more chambers you define on the network, the longer it takes ThermoTrak II to scan
the entire network one time.
8. Once the chamber is properly defined, enter a descriptive name in the Chamber Description text
field. You also can enter a serial number in the Serial # field. NOTE: The 3800, 8200, 8800, and newer
versions of the 7800 controller software set the serial number automatically.
9. To save the configuration and add the chamber to the Available Chambers window, click OK.
10. To remove a chamber from the list of available chambers, right-click the chamber name in the
Available Chambers window and click Remove Chamber. NOTE: You must close all chamber status,
data, and graph windows before deleting a chamber.
NOTE: The remainder of this section describes using ThermoTrak II with standard chamber controllers. For
information on using ThermoTrak II with non-standard controllers, see the following sections of this
manual:
• Thermal shock controllers: Section 4
• Thermotron oven controllers: Section 5
• Non-Thermotron controllers: Section 7
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Viewing and editing chambers
The Available Chambers window shows all the chambers you have defined, along with basic status
information about each chamber. NOTE: The Available Chambers window is always open. If the window
is hidden by other windows, open the Windows menu and click Available Chambers.
Each row shows the following information about each chamber listed:
• Network status icon: A green icon means ThermoTrak II is communicating with the chamber. A red
icon means ThermoTrak II has encountered one or more communication errors.
NOTE: If the network icon turns red, it doesn’t necessarily mean bad communication. Instead, there
may be one or more commands the controller can’t interpret. For example, older 7800 controller
software doesn’t support the stop code command. ThermoTrak II can still operate such a controller,
but will display a red network status icon now and then.
• Chamber: This is the descriptive name of the chamber you typed in when you initially defined the
chamber. See “Adding and Removing a Chamber” earlier in this section. If the chamber is not part of a
local network, the word REMOTE will appear before the chamber name.
• Profile: If a profile is associated with this chamber, the profile filename is shown here. See “Creating
and Editing Profiles” later in this section.
• State: This field will indicate the chamber is either Running, Holding, Stopped, or Offline.
• Process variables (PV): These fields display the current value of the first four process variables. Not all
chambers have four process variable channels configured, so only the configured channels will display
any value.
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The Available Chambers window provides a quick overview of all your chambers and their status. To see
more detailed information about a selected chamber, double-click the chamber name in the Available
Chambers window. This will display the Chamber Status window for that chamber.
The Chamber Status window includes the following information about the selected chamber. (NOTE: Not
all controllers support all of the following types of information. For example, 2800/4800 controllers do not
support stop codes.)
• Current Interval and Next interval
• Total Time of the current interval and time Remaining in the current interval
• If the controller is a 7800, 8200, or 8800, the current parameter Group set at the controller
• Which Loop is being executed out of how many loops assigned to the current interval
• Process Variable reading from inside the chamber
• Current Set Point
• Output Throttle
• Initial Value and Final Value for the current interval
• +/- Deviation between the process variable and the set point
• Current Options selected for this interval
• Last Stop Cause
• Which auxiliaries are enabled in each Aux Group
NOTE: Channels showing “grayed-out” values are configured, but not active during the current interval.
For example, a humidity channel would be grayed out while product temperature control (PTC) is enabled.
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Along the top of the Chamber Status window are the network status icon and six buttons that open other
dialog boxes:
• Network status icon: A green icon means ThermoTrak II is communicating with the chamber. A red
icon means ThermoTrak II has encountered one or more communication errors.
NOTE: If the network icon turns red, it doesn’t necessarily mean bad communication. Instead, there
may be one or more commands the controller can’t interpret. For example, older 7800 controller
software doesn’t support the stop code command. ThermoTrak II can still operate such a controller,
but will display a red network status icon now and then.
• The Edit Chamber button will take you back to the Edit Chamber Configuration dialog box, where
you originally defined each chamber (see “Adding and Removing a Chamber” earlier in this section).
Here you can make changes to a chamber configuration if your network setup has changed, or if you
want to change the chamber’s descriptive name. You can also access the graphing and data logging
parameters from here, which are described in “Graphing and Data Logging” later in this section.
• The Edit Profile button opens the Profile Editor, used to create and edit chamber profiles. For more
details, see “Creating and Editing Profiles” later in this section.
• The Manual Mode button opens the Manual Mode panel, used to operate a chamber in manual
mode. For more details, see “Running in Manual Mode” later in this section.
• The Monitors button opens the Monitors dialog box. Here
you can tell ThermoTrak II which monitor channels and/or
internal channels (if any) you have configured on your
chamber. NOTE: Not all controllers support monitor and/or
internal channels.
ThermoTrak II will only query a chamber for monitor or internal
channels you tell it to. If you leave a monitor or internal
channel unchecked, ThermoTrak II will not attempt to query the
chamber for its value, and will record 0.0 as its default value.
NOTE: If you enable a monitor channel in ThermoTrak II that is
not configured in the controller, you will simply see 0.0 as the
value.
• The Run Params button opens the Run Parameters dialog
box, which allows you to define profile execution parameters.
For more details, see “Assigning and Running a Profile” later in
this section.
• The Lock/Unlock button allows you to lock and unlock the
chamber controller. Use this feature if you do not want anyone
to change the controller mode from the controller’s keyboard
or display. For more details, see “Assigning and Running a
Profile” later in this section.
NOTE: Locking the controller itself at the display has no effect on ThermoTrak II operation. Doing so
only locks the display, not the computer I/O ports.
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Viewing and editing control parameters
CAUTION: Incorrect parameter values could damage your equipment and/or product. The controller
was factory-tuned and should not need to be re-tuned unless the product requirements change enough
to affect the performance of the chamber. For information on tuning your controller’s control parameters,
refer to your controller’s instruction manual.
NOTE: Control parameters can be configured only for 3800, 7800, 8200, and 8800 controllers.
1. To view or edit a selected chamber’s control
parameters, with the Chamber Status window
highlighted open the Options menu and click
Control Parameters. Here you can view and edit
any parameter in any parameter group.
• The proportional bands (PBand/Gain) are
programmed in the same units—such as
degrees Celsius or percent relative humidity—
as the process variable.
• The Integral bands are programmed in
seconds.
• Throttle limits (ThLimit/Offset) are
programmed in percentages.
2. To view or edit one of the other control parameter
groups, click the appropriate Group name.
NOTE: Only 7800, 8200, and 8800 controllers have more than one group of control parameters.
3. To save any changes, click the Send Changes button. To exit without saving any changes, click the
Cancel button.
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Creating and editing profiles
A profile is a description of a test. ThermoTrak II’s Profile Editor can be configured for use as either a form or a
spreadsheet. Both profile editor styles are illustrated on the following page. To change the profile editor style,
open the Options menu, click General Options, and select Form or Spreadsheet in the Profile Editor Style
field.
Once a profile is saved to disk, you can associate that profile with any chamber available to ThermoTrak II. The
software will appropriately translate your profile to the specific controller you assign it to. For example, if your
profile contains a three-channel profile, and a controller can use only two of the channels, ThermoTrak II assigns
only the two channels that apply to the controller’s configuration.
Keep in mind that some options are not compatible with all controllers. For example, a 2800/4800 controller
does not support the purge option, while an 8800 controller does. However, no harm will result from uploading
to a 2800/4800 controller a profile with the purge option enabled.
The same flexibility holds true for available auxiliary outputs. For example, a 4800 controller can use three
groups of four auxiliaries, while a 6850 controller can use two groups of eight auxiliaries.
• If you program all three auxiliary groups of the 4800 in the profile, ThermoTrak II sends only the first two
groups to the 6850.
• If you program all eight auxiliary outputs in the two groups of the 6850, ThermoTrak II sends only the first
four outputs of each group to groups 1 and 2 of the 4800.
If a profile using guaranteed soak is transferred between ThermoTrak II and an older controller (2800/4800,
6850, or 7800), the profile is converted. If the profile is being loaded into ThermoTrak II from an older controller,
ThermoTrak II will compress each pair of ramp-and-soak intervals into one interval to make them compatible
with ThermoTrak II. If the profile is being saved to an older controller, ThermoTrak II will split each guaranteed
soak interval into two intervals: one ramp and one soak. For example, if you create a profile in ThermoTrak II
that is five intervals long and contains two guaranteed soak intervals, the profile will be seven intervals long
when sent to a 7800.
NOTE: The following procedure assumes you have a good working knowledge of each chamber and
Thermotron controller on your ThermoTrak II network. For more detailed explanations of the concepts involved
in creating profiles, refer to your chamber controller manual.
Using the profile editor
1. Double-click on a chamber name in the Available Chambers
list. This will open the Chamber Status window for that
chamber.
• To edit a profile already associated with the selected
chamber, click the Edit Profile button on the Chamber
Status window.
• To create a new profile, either click the New Program
button on the toolbar, or open the File menu and click
New Program.
2. When creating a profile, first click the Channel Setup tab and
define the configuration of the chamber’s channels. Set each
channel as it is configured on your chamber, either as a
temperature channel (including product temperature control
channels), or as a humidity, altitude, or other type of channel.
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3. Once the channels are set up, click the Interval Setup Form profile editor
tab. Here is where you will enter your profile interval by
interval.
4. Both profile editor styles include a profile preview graph
that updates itself as you create a profile.
• Temperature channels appear as solid lines.
• Non-temperature channels appear as dashed lines.
• Vertical dashed bars highlight the currently selected
interval.
• To switch between an interval-based graph and a time
proportional graph, click Interval or Time in the
Graph Type field.
• To hide the preview graph, click the Hide button. To
show the preview graph again, click the Preview
button.
5. To start with, define initial values for the first interval.
CAUTION: Check the specifications listed in your chamber
manual for acceptable ranges for temperature and other
process variables.
• In the form profile editor (above), enter the initial
values your profile requires in the Initial Value fields. Spreadsheet profile editor
• In the spreadsheet profile editor (below), the four fields
on the left side of the dialog box represent the initial
values of channels 1 through 4. Fill in the initial values
as your profile requires.
6. For each interval you may select either guaranteed soak
(GSoak) or normal operation. If you are using the form
profile editor, select GSoak or Normal from the Operation
field pull-down menu. If you are using the spreadsheet
profile editor, click the cell next to Operation at the top of
the grid and select either GSoak or Normal.
• In an interval with guaranteed soak (GSoak) enabled,
ThermoTrak II will immediately set the set point equal
to the interval’s final value and then wait until the
process variable is within the deviation band of the
final value. Once the process variable is within the
deviation band, the interval time will begin counting
down. For multiple channel programs, all non-zero
deviation bands must be satisfied before the interval
time will begin counting down.
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• Normal indicates the interval is based on time, so you must enter a non-zero time for the interval.
During a timed interval, the controller increases its set point based on the time allotted to reach
the final process variable. During process variable pull-ups or pull-downs, this creates a smooth
ramp between the initial and final set points. During process variable soaks, the controller
maintains the process variables at constant levels for the duration of the timed interval.
7. In the fields labeled Final Value (form) or FV (spreadsheet), enter the final values (set points) for this
interval.
8. In the fields labeled Deviation (form) or Dev (spreadsheet), enter the deviation value based on the
following definitions:
• During GSoak (guaranteed soak) intervals, the interval time will begin counting down once all
process variables are within their deviation bands. NOTE: A GSoak interval may never begin if the
deviation settings are too narrow.
• During Normal (timed) intervals this is the deviation alarm band: the allowable difference between
the process variable and the current set point. For example, a humidity system may have an alarm
band of ±5% relative humidity (RH). During the interval, the relative humidity of the chamber must
be within ±5% RH of the current humidity set point.
9. In the fields labeled Interval Time (form) or Time (spreadsheet), enter the assigned duration of the
interval (in hours:minutes:seconds format).
10. The fields labeled Next Interval and Loops (form) or Next and # Loops (spreadsheet) allow you to
include programmed looping in your profile.
• Next Interval indicates the interval to transition to after completion of the current interval.
• # Loops is the total number of times the programmed loop will be executed.
For programmed looping, the Next Interval value is valid only if it is less than or equal to the number
of the current interval, and if the # Loops value is greater than 1. The interval will actually loop back to
the target interval the # Loops value minus 1. The following rules apply to looping:
• The target interval may be the target of another loop, but must not cross into another loop.
(When a loop is crossed, the target interval is between the beginning interval and the ending
interval of the loop).
• Nested looping is legal. In nested looping, one loop starts and finishes inside another loop. Both
loops can have the same target interval.
• The final value of the looping interval should be the same as the initial value of the target interval.
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11. To set the auxiliary outputs, options, and/or
refrigeration mode per interval, click the Edit
Options button. The options dialog box for that
interval will open. Auxiliary outputs and options
such as product temperature control (PTC),
humidity, or cascade refrigeration can be turned
on and off per interval (if your chamber has these
features installed). After selecting the desired
options for this interval, click OK.
12. Once an interval is defined and all options set, click
the Add/Insert button (form) or the New Interval
button (spreadsheet) to add another interval to
your profile, and repeat steps 6 through 11.
NOTE: In the form profile editor you can use the
four arrow buttons (located to the right of the Edit Options button) to jump to the first, previous,
next, or last interval of your profile. To insert an interval immediately after any interval you are viewing,
click the Add/Insert button.
NOTE: In the spreadsheet profile editor a scrollbar will appear at the bottom of the form once the
profile exceeds three intervals.
13. Both profile editor styles allow you to edit and clear interval data:
• If a mistake was made in a previous interval, you can select any field in that interval to edit any
values you need to (including the options).
• To delete the current interval in the form profile editor, click the Delete button.
• To clear all data from all intervals in the profile, click the Clear All button (form) or the Clear Data
button (spreadsheet).
14. When you are done creating or editing the profile, do one of the following:
• To keep the profile and any changes you made to it, click the OK button. This associates the
profile with the currently selected chamber.
• To exit the profile editor without keeping any changes you made, click the Cancel button.
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15. To save the profile to disk, do one of the following:
• If you want to save changes to a previously
saved profile, either click the Save button on
the toolbar or open the File menu and click
Save. The changes will be saved to disk.
• If you are creating a new profile, either click
the Save button on the toolbar or open the
File menu and click Save or Save As. The Save
As dialog box will open.
• If you want to save changes to a previously
saved profile under a different profile name,
open the File menu and click Save As. The Save As dialog box will open.
• If you want to save either a new or a previously saved profile in the format used by 7800
controllers, open the File menu and click Save As. The Save As dialog box will open.
16. In the Save As dialog box you can enter a file name and select a file format. By default ThermoTrak II
saves all profiles with a *.PRF file extension. To save the profile in the *.PRG format used by 7800
controllers, click the arrow at the end of the Save as type field to display the file type pull-down
menu.
17. Now that the profile is saved to disk, you can associate the profile with any other chamber available to
ThermoTrak II. (See “Assigning and Running a Profile” later in this section.) The software will
appropriately translate your profile to the specific controller you associate it with.
18. You can also save a profile directly to the programmer/
controller using the Upload Program selection from the
File menu.
a. To upload a program from the host computer to the
programmer/controller, highlight the selected
chamber’s Chamber Status window, then open the
File menu and click Upload Program. The Upload a
Program window will open listing the programs
currently stored in the selected chamber’s controller.
b. Select the slot you wish to upload the current program
into, then click OK. The program will be associated
with the selected chamber.
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19. Because 8200/8800 controllers do not have
program slots, selecting Upload Program from
the File menu opens the Program Files dialog.
From here you can navigate to the folder you wish
to upload the current program into.
Loading a program from a chamber controller
With ThermoTrak II you can download a program stored in the memory of a chamber controller and
associate it with any other chamber available to ThermoTrak II. NOTE: You can download a program only
when the selected controller is in stop mode.
1. To download a program from a chamber controller and
associate it with a chamber, highlight the selected
chamber’s Chamber Status window, then open the File
menu and click Download Program. The Download a
Program window will open listing the programs currently
stored in the selected chamber’s controller.
2. Select the program you want to download, then click OK.
The program will be associated with the selected chamber.
3. Because 8200/8800 controllers do not have
program slots, selecting Download Program from
the File menu opens the Program Files dialog.
From here you can navigate to the folder
containing the program you wish to download.
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4. To save the program and associate it with other
chambers, open the File menu and click Save As.
The Save As dialog box will open asking for a
filename.
• By default ThermoTrak II saves all profiles with
a *.PRF file extension.
• To save the profile in the *.PRG format used by
7800 controllers, click the arrow at the end of
the Save as type field to display the file type
pull-down menu.
5. Now that the profile is saved to disk, you can
associate it with any other chamber available to ThermoTrak II. (See “Assigning and Running a Profile”
later in this section.) The software will appropriately translate your profile to the specific controller you
upload to.
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Assigning and running a profile
1. To load a saved profile and assign it to a chamber,
with the selected chamber’s Chamber Status
window highlighted either click the open folder
icon on the toolbar, or open the File menu and
click Open. This brings up the Open dialog box
and lets you open any *.PRF profile, associating it
with the selected chamber.
To open a profile in the *.PRG format used by 7800
controllers, click the arrow at the end of the Files
of type field and click 7800 Profiles (*.prg). Select
the desired profile from the list of *.PRG filenames.
2. Once you have a profile associated with a chamber, you can run the profile immediately by clicking the
Run button on the Chamber Status window for the selected chamber. (If the selected chamber’s
Chamber Status window is highlighted, you also can run the profile by opening the Control menu
and clicking Run.) When you do, ThermoTrak II uploads the entire profile to the controller and initiates
program execution. When the profile starts running, the Run button turns green.
You can open and close a chamber’s Chamber Status window without affecting the operation of the
controller or interrupting the communications between the controller and ThermoTrak II.
You can change the profile while it is running and save it to the disk; however, the changes will not
take effect until the next time you run the profile. The current profile will continue to run until it is
finished or stopped, then when you start it again the new settings will take effect. If you load or save a
profile in ThermoTrak II it uses that name as the program name currently assigned to the chamber,
even if the chamber is running a different program.
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To modify the profile’s run parameters before running the profile, or to set up a delayed start, see
steps 6 through 8 below.
3. To place the chamber’s controller in hold mode while a profile is running, click the Chamber Status
window’s Hold button. The controller enters hold mode and the Hold button turns yellow. To exit
hold mode, you can either click the Hold button again, or click the Run button. The controller starts
the program running from the same interval and time as when you placed it in the hold mode.
4. To place the chamber’s controller in stop mode while it is running or holding, click the Chamber
Status window’s Stop button. (If the Chamber Status window is highlighted you also can stop
running the profile by opening the Control menu and clicking Stop.) The profile stops running and
the Stop button turns red.
5. The Chamber Status window’s Lock/Unlock button limits the use of the controller.
• To allow users at the controller to view but not change the controller’s status, click the
Lock/Unlock button. The button’s label will change to Locked.
• To unlock the controller, click the button again. Its label will change to Unlocked.
6. By default ThermoTrak II loads the associated profile to the
controller’s first program slot and begins the profile at
interval 1. To modify these settings, click the Run Params
button. The Run Parameters dialog box will open.
7. Specify which program slot you want the profile loaded in
and which interval you want the profile to start with, then
click OK.
CAUTION: The starting interval is a chamber-by-chamber
setting, not a profile-by-profile setting. If you start a profile
on a chamber at interval 5, then all profiles you run on that
chamber will start at interval 5 until you change the value in the Start program at interval field.
8. The Delayed Start function starts running the profile associated with the chamber at a pre-set time.
To set up a delayed start, click Delayed Start in the Run Parameters dialog box, enter the date and
time you want the profile to begin running, then click OK.
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Running in manual mode
Manual mode allows you to operate the chamber’s controller functions. Manual mode operates the
chamber using set point and ramp rate (rate of change) settings. You can enter manual mode only when
the chamber controller is in stop mode.
1. Click the Manual Mode button on the selected chamber’s Chamber Status window. The Manual
Mode window will open.
2. From this window you can enter the new Set Point and Ramp Rate, set the Deviation alarm band,
and select the desired group of control parameters (Param Group) and auxiliary outputs (Auxiliary
Groups).
3. To change the chamber options, click the Options
button. The Manual Mode Options dialog box
will open. From here you can select options such
as product temperature control, humidity, or
cascade refrigeration (if your chamber has these
options installed). To save any changes, click OK.
4. To begin running in manual mode, click the
Run/Step button. Both the run indicator on the
Manual Mode window and Run button on the
Chamber Status window will turn green, with a dark green M indicating manual mode.
5. To place the chamber in hold mode, click the Hold button on the Chamber Status window. Both the
hold indicator on the Manual Mode window and Hold button on the Chamber Status window will
turn yellow. To resume running from hold mode, click either the Run or Hold button on the Chamber
Status window.
6. To stop running in manual mode, click the Stop button on either the Manual Mode or Chamber
Status window. Both the stop indicator on the Manual Mode window and Stop button on the
Chamber Status window will turn red.
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Setting up event notification
You can set up each chamber on your network to automatically report a number of events and alarms by
sending an e-mail message. For e-mail notification to work, ThermoTrak II must be on a local network
running an e-mail server.
NOTE: Alarm reporting is not available for 2800, 4800, or 68XX controllers.
1. In the Available Chambers window right-click the
chamber name and click Edit Chamber. The Edit
Chamber Configuration dialog box will appear.
Click the Event Notification tab.
2. To enable event notification for this chamber, click
the Enable Event Notification box.
3. Select which events you wish to be notified on.
NOTE: Different models of chamber controllers
support different events. The events list will show
only the events supported by the chamber you are
configuring.
4. To set up e-mail notification, click the E-mail
Setup button. The E-mail Notification Setup
dialog box will open. From here you can select and
test the e-mail settings.
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Graphing and data logging
1. To set up graphing and data logging, click the Edit
Chamber button on the Chamber Status window, or
right-click the chamber name in the Available
Chambers window and click Edit Chamber. The Edit
Chamber Configuration dialog box will open.
NOTE: If the Available Chambers window is hidden
by other windows, open the Windows menu and
click Available Chambers.
2. Click the Data Log tab. From here, you can select the
information you want displayed on the graph and
saved to the data log text file. Every time you make a
change to these settings, the data log file will create
a new header line showing the new options selected.
NOTE: The Data Log is illustrated on page 3-20.
3. Next, click the Log Settings tab. From here you
select the settings for the data logging functions.
4. Along with ThermoTrak II’s Data Log window (see
step 13 below), you can have data sent to a data log
text file by clicking Log to file and either entering
the path and name of a new data log file, or clicking
the Browse button to locate an existing file.
If you choose to log data to a text file, you will be
able to open the file as delimited data in a standard
spreadsheet program.
5. To tell ThermoTrak II to clear all data from the data
log file when a profile starts running, click Clear Log
On Run.
6. To tell ThermoTrak II to log data only when the
chamber controller is in run mode, click Only Log
When Running.
7. To choose how often you want to sample the
chamber status, click the Log data every [ ]
seconds field and enter a number of seconds from 2
to 3,600 (one hour). ThermoTrak II will inform you
how much graphable memory is available.
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ThermoTrak II allocates enough memory from Windows to store 32,768 graph plot points per
chamber. If you start a profile that runs longer than the available graph memory, ThermoTrak II will
throw out the oldest plot point to make room for the new plot point.
For example, if you choose to log data every two seconds, ThermoTrak II will inform you that you have
18 hours of graph memory available. After running a 19-hour test you will only have data for the last
18 hours of the test, with the first hour’s data thrown out to make room for the last hour’s data.
NOTE: Regardless of the amount of graph memory available, any data log text file you created in
step 4 above will not throw out any values and is limited only by your available hard drive space.
8. Next, click the Graph Settings tab. From here you
select the settings for the graph functions:
• The X Axis represents an amount of time in
days:hours:minutes format. For example, to see
a one-hour slice of the graph, select an X axis
minimum of 0:00:00 and a maximum of
0:01:00.
To allow the graph to move as new plot points
are sampled, click Scrolling. When scrolling is
enabled, instead of setting an X axis minimum
and maximum, you select a time span to view
in days:hours:minutes format.
To label the graph’s X axis with real times and
dates, clear the Use relative times check box.
• The Y Axis represents the minimum and
maximum process variables that will be
displayed on the graph. For example, a
temperature/altitude chamber might need a
scale of -80 to +800 to display low
temperatures and high torr values.
• The Graph Settings tab also allows you to
name process variable, set point, throttle, internal, and monitor channels, and to assign different
line styles to them.
9. When you have all your graph and datalog parameters defined, click the OK button.
10. To view the graph while a profile is running, click the Graph button from the Chamber Status
window. The Data Graph window will be displayed. (Refer to the illustration on the following page.)
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As your testing moves along, more and more plot points will be sampled from the chamber status. As
this happens, your graph will be updated and re-plotted. A color-coded bar above the graph indicates
chamber operating mode (green = run, yellow = hold, red = stop).
If you clicked Scrolling in the Log Settings tab, the graph will move as new plot points are sampled,
which allows you to always view the most recent data at the end of the graph.
To disable automatic scrolling, right-click inside the Data Graph window and
deselect Scrolling Graph.
To manually scroll the graph, left-click-and-hold anywhere inside the graph and
move your mouse back and forth. You should see the graph re-plotting itself in
response to your mouse movements. Technically you’re changing the X axis
view, but it’s easier to think of it as scrolling the graph.
You also can scroll the graph by clicking the left and right arrow buttons in the
window’s bottom right corner. NOTE: Clicking either button when scrolling is enabled will deselect
Scrolling in the Log Settings tab and re-establish the most recent X axis minimum and maximum
settings.
To move forward or back 24 hours, right-click inside the Data
Graph window and select Forward 1 Day or Back 1 Day.
11. To change the colors used in the data graph, right-click inside the
Data Graph window and select Graph Colors. In the dialog box
that opens you can select colors for the background, grid, label,
frame, and (using the top pull-down menu) the colors used to plot
process variables, set points, throttles, and monitor channels.
12. To copy the current graph view to the Windows clipboard, right-
click inside the Data Graph window and select Copy.
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13. To print the graph while the Data Graph window is the active window, click the printer icon on the
toolbar, or open the File menu and select Print.
14. To change your settings, right-click inside the Data Graph window and select Properties.
15. To view the data log while a profile is running, click the Data button from the Chamber Status
window. The Data Log window will be displayed.
The Data Log window will display the items you selected in the Data Log tab (step 2 above), and will
add another row of information as often as you chose in the Log Settings tab (step 7 above). Every
time you make a change to your data log settings, the data log file will create a new header line
showing the new items selected.
Depending on the items you selected in the Data Log tab, the following headings will be used in the
data log header lines:
• DATE: Date data was logged • SP: Set point
• TIME: Time data was logged • THTL: Throttle setting
• INTERVAL: Interval number • IC: Internal channel process variable
• TIME LEFT: Time left in interval • MON: Monitor channel
• PV: Process variable
16. To keep the data log display focused on the most current data, right-click
anywhere in the Data Log window and click Always View Current.
17. To change the data log display font, right-click inside the Data Log window
and click Font. Thermotron recommends using a fixed-width font, such as
Courier, for the Data Log display.
18. While the Data Log window is the active window you can select some or all
of the data, with or without units, and copy it to the Windows clipboard.
• To select some of the data in the Data Log windows, use a mouse to click-and-drag a selection.
• To select all of the data in the Data Log window, right-click on the window and click Select All.
• To copy the selected data with its associated units, right-click and select Copy with Units.
• To copy the selected data without its associated units, right-click on the window and select Copy.
This is useful for pasting data into a spreadsheet program such as Microsoft Excel.
19. To print the data log while the Data Log window is the active window, click the printer icon on the
toolbar, or open the File menu and select Print.
20. To remove all data from the data log file, open the Options menu and click Clear Data Log. A window
will open asking if you are sure you want to clear the data log. Click Yes to confirm your decision.
21. To change your settings, right-click on the window and select Properties.
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Customizing ThermoTrak II
The ThermoTrak II window can be modified to suit your needs. To view or hide the Toolbar, Status Bar, or
Usage Log, open the View menu and click the item you want to change.
Changing the options
1. Open the Options menu and click General Options.
The Options dialog box will open to the General tab.
2. In the Temperature Units field you can set
ThermoTrak II to use either the Celsius or Fahrenheit
temperature scale. This setting is independent of the
chamber controller’s temperature scale setting.
3. In the Date/Time Format field you can select United
States or European.
• United States-style dates use a month-day-year
format.
• European-style dates use a day-month-year
format.
• Changing the format affects only the Data Log and Usage Log views.
4. In the Profile Editor Style field you can select Form or Spreadsheet. Both styles are illustrated in
“Creating and Editing Profiles” earlier in this section.
5. In the Log Usage field you can disable or enable the Usage Log by selecting either no or yes. For
more information, refer to “Viewing and Clearing the Usage Log” below.
6. Click the Connection tab to view and/or change the
network settings. NOTE: For information on using
ThermoTrak II with remote networks, see Section 6 of
this manual.
a. To lock or unlock the local host upon client
connection, select yes or no in the Lock local host
field.
b. To allow or prevent multiple connections to
ThermoTrak II, select yes or no in the Allow
multiple connections field.
c. To allow ThermoTrak II to disconnect from a
remote network, check the Disconnect After box
and enter a value into the Minutes field. NOTE: When set this automatically disconnects you from
the server after a set amount of time.
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7. To change the colors used in the data graph, click the
Graph Colors tab. You can select colors for the
background, grid, label, frame, and (using the top pull-
down menu) the colors used to plot process variables,
set points, throttles, internal channels, and monitor
channels.
8. To save any options changes you made, click the OK
button. To exit without saving any changes, click the
Cancel button.
Viewing and changing the access level
The current access level is indicated on the right side of the status bar at the bottom of the ThermoTrak II
screen. If the status bar is hidden, open the View menu and click Status Bar.
ThermoTrak II operates in one of two access levels: user mode or manager mode. User mode has the
following limitations:
• Users cannot add or remove chambers, modify chamber communication settings, or change control
parameters.
• Users cannot modify profiles, but they can load profiles from the disk or the chamber controller.
Manager mode is password protected. If there is no manager password set, ThermoTrak II opens in
manager mode. If a manager password is set, ThermoTrak II opens in user mode and the password must
be entered to change to manager mode.
1. To change the current access level, open the Options
menu and click Access Level. The Change Access
Level dialog box will open.
2. Select Manager or User in the Choose Access Level
field.
• If you are changing from manager mode to user
mode, click OK. No password is necessary.
• If you are changing from user mode to manager
mode, and a password has previously been set, enter the password and click OK.
3. To set a password, click the Change button. The Change
Password dialog box will open. Enter the old password (if no
password has been set before, leave the field blank), then enter
the new password twice and click OK.
4. To save any access level changes you made, click the OK
button. To exit without saving any changes, click the Cancel
button.
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Viewing and clearing the usage log
When enabled, the usage log tracks ThermoTrak II activities by time, chamber name, and chamber serial
number.
1. To enable the usage log, open the Options menu and select yes in the Log Usage field.
2. To view the usage log, open the View menu and click Usage Log. The Usage Log History window will
open.
3. To print the usage log, with the Usage Log History window highlighted either click the Print button
on the toolbar or open the File menu and click Print.
4. To save the usage log, with the Usage Log History
window highlighted either click the Save button
on the toolbar or open the File menu and click
Save. The usage log will be saved as a tab-
delimited *.TXT file, which can be directly opened in
a spreadsheet program such as Microsoft Excel.
5. To clear the usage log, open the Options menu
and click Clear Usage Log. NOTE: If the usage log
is open when you clear it, the log will not appear
cleared until you close and reopen it.
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Section 4:
Using ThermoTrak II with
Thermal Shock Controllers
The 8825 and 7825 programmer/controllers are specially designed for use with Thermotron thermal shock
chambers. There are several significant differences in the ThermoTrak II interface because of the nature of
thermal shock chambers. This section describes those differences.
Viewing and editing chambers
The Available Chambers window provides a quick overview of all your chambers and their status. To see
more detailed information about a selected chamber, double-click the chamber name in the Available
Chambers window. This will display the Chamber Status window for that chamber.
The Chamber Status window includes the following information about the selected chamber:
• The current temperature of Load #1 and Load #2 (if applicable)
• The number of the current cycle and the total number of Cycles
• The current Soak method
• Which Auxiliaries are enabled
• Current Set Point of all boxes. NOTE: Red text indicates that a product basket is present in that box.
When all of the text is black, a product basket transfer is in progress.
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• Current Box Temp
• Current Test Temp
• Output Throttle
• The current Soak Time of each product basket
• The amount of soak Time Left for each product basket
• Cause of the Last Stop
NOTE: Not all thermal shock chambers support all of the types of information listed above. For example, a
vertical two-zone chamber has only two temperature zones while other thermal shock chambers have
three temperature zones.
To the right of the Chamber Status window an image graphically displays the type of thermal shock
chamber as well as the current position of the product basket(s).
Vertical two-zone Horizontal three-zone
Vertical double duty Horizontal double duty
NOTE: The dark teal color represents the current position of the basket. (Double duty chambers contain
two product baskets.) During transfers the graphic acts as a short animated clip indicating the basket
movement to another zone.
Below the image of the type of thermal shock chamber is the
Temperature Profile Mode button. Click this button to enter
temperature profile mode. For more details, see “Running In Temperature
Profile Mode” later in this section.
Along the top of the Chamber Status window are six buttons that open other dialog boxes:
• The Edit Chamber button will take you back to the Edit Chamber Configuration dialog box, where
you originally defined each chamber (see “Adding and Removing a Chamber” in Section 3). Here you
can make changes to a chamber configuration if your network setup has changed, or if you want to
change the chamber’s descriptive name. From here you can also access the graphing and data logging
parameters, which are described in “Graphing and Data Logging” later in this section.
• The Edit Test button opens the Test Editor, used to create and edit thermal shock tests. For more
details, see “Creating and Editing Tests” later in this section.
• The Manual Mode button opens the Manual Mode panel, used to operate a thermal shock chamber
in manual mode. For more details, see “Running In Manual Mode” later in this section.
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• The Monitors button opens the Monitors dialog box.
Here you can tell ThermoTrak II which monitor channels
and/or internal channels (if any) you have configured on
your chamber.
ThermoTrak II will only query a chamber for monitor or
internal channels you tell it to. If you leave a monitor or
internal channel left unchecked, ThermoTrak II will not
attempt to query the chamber for its value, and will record
0.0 as its default value.
• The Run Params button opens the Run Parameters
dialog box, which allows you to define test execution
parameters. For more details, see “Assigning and Running
a Test” later in this section.
• The Lock/Unlock button allows you to lock and unlock
the chamber controller’s keyboard. Use this feature if you
do not want anyone to change the controller mode from
the controller’s keyboard. For more details, see “Assigning
and Running a Test” later in this section.
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Viewing and editing thermal shock control parameters
CAUTION: Incorrect parameter values could damage your
equipment and/or product. The controller was factory-tuned
and should not need to be re-tuned unless the product
requirements change enough to affect the performance of the
chamber. For information on tuning your controller’s control
parameters, refer to your controller’s instruction manual.
1. To view or edit a selected chamber’s control parameters,
with the Chamber Status window highlighted open the
Options menu and click Control Parameters. Here you
can view and edit any parameter in any parameter group.
• The proportional bands (PBand/Gain) are
programmed in the same units—such as degrees
Celsius or percent relative humidity—as the process
variable.
• The Integral bands are programmed in seconds.
• Throttle limits (ThLimit/Offset) are programmed in
percentages.
2. To view or edit the control parameters for a box or load, click the appropriate box or load.
3. To save any changes, click the OK button. To exit without saving any changes, click the Cancel button.
Viewing and editing thermal shock operating parameters
The operating parameters screen allows you to set up the
automatic operations for the thermal shock chamber. For
addition information, refer your programmer/controller
instruction manual.
1. To view or edit a selected chamber’s operating parameters,
with the Chamber Status window highlighted open the
Options menu and click Operating Parameters. Here you
can view and edit any parameter.
• Pre-transfer Cool Time: The number of seconds
before transfer the controller locks the cooling output
on at 100% to help compensate for the loss of cooling
during a basket transfer.
• Post-transfer Cool Time: The number of seconds
after transfer the controller locks the cooling output on
at 100% to help compensate for the loss of cooling
during a basket transfer.
• Post-transfer Purge Time: The number of seconds
the controller will leave the purge output energized
after transfer.
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• Aux Cool Frame Time: The time frame the controller uses to split up the ON and OFF times for
the auxiliary cooling output.
• Aux Cool Duty Cycle: The percentage ON time the controller will apply to the above frame time.
• Defrost at end of test: Allows you to program a defrost period at the end of a test. You should
enable this function if the thermal shock chamber does not have a few hours of down time
between tests, or if your location has high humidity.
• Defrost every ‘N’ cycles: Allows you to program a defrost period every ‘n’ cycles, where ‘n’
represents a numerical value. Use this function if you are running long tests or if your location has
high humidity. To disable this function enter a zero.
• Defrost Setpoint: The temperature the cold box will go to during the defrost period. Thermotron
uses a set point of +40.0°C. You may need to adjust the temperature to compensate for the
humidity levels in your area.
• Defrost Timer Period: The number of minutes the cold box will remain in defrost mode.
Thermotron uses a time period of 30 minutes. The time will vary according to the humidity levels
in your area.
• Wait while defrosting in: Allows you to select which box the shuttle should wait in during
defrost:
� Default: Shuttle will wait in whatever box it was in when defrost started.
� Cold Box: Shuttle will always wait in the cold box during defrost.
� Hot Box: Shuttle will always wait in the hot box during defrost.
• Add Precondition Half-Cycle: Allows you to disable the pre-condition half-cycle that Thermotron
has always performed as part of a normal thermal shock test. If Yes is selected the thermal shock
chamber will act as it always has, with a pre-condition half-cycle performed at the start of the test
to allow the boxes to get to their test temperatures. If No is selected the chamber will not perform
this pre-condition half-cycle.
2. To save any changes, click the OK button. To exit without saving any changes, click the Cancel button.
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Creating and editing tests
The Test Editor is used to create and edit thermal shock chamber tests. Once a test is saved to disk, you
can associate that test with any thermal shock chamber available to ThermoTrak II. The software will
appropriately translate your test to the specific controller you assign it to. For example, if your test
contains three temperature zones, and a controller can use only two of the zones, ThermoTrak II assigns
only the two zones that apply to the controller’s configuration.
NOTE: The following procedure assumes you have a good working knowledge of each thermal shock
chamber on your ThermoTrak II network. For more detailed explanations of the concepts involved in
creating tests, refer to your chamber controller manual.
Using the test editor
1. Double-click on a chamber name in the Available Chambers list. This will open the Chamber Status
window for that chamber. NOTE: If the Available Chambers window is hidden by other windows,
open the Windows menu and click Available Chambers.
• To edit a profile already associated with the
selected chamber, click the Edit Profile button
on the Chamber Status window.
• To create a new profile, either click the New
Program button on the toolbar, or open the
File menu and click New Program.
NOTE: Thermal shock tests are edited in form style
only.
2. To start with, set the test temperature, offset
temperature, and pre-conditioning time for all
available boxes.
• The Test Temperature is the required
temperature of each box. To produce the set
point ThermoTrak II adds the offset value or
pre-condition value to the test temperature.
ThermoTrak II operates the thermal shock
chamber to maintain the hot and cold box temperatures at the set point temperature.
• The Offset Temperature is the number of degrees past the test temperature the hot or cold box
may deviate to achieve the test temperature at the product.
� In double-duty chambers the offset value is added to the test temperature to produce a set
point for each box. The boxes will be at this set point temperature before the product enters
the box.
� In vertical two-zone or horizontal three-zone chambers, the offset value is added to the test
temperature only when the basket is in the box. When the basket is not in the box, the pre-
condition offset value is added to the test temperature.
The hot box offset value must be a positive number, and the cold box offset value must be a
negative number. (An offset value of 5 for the hot box and -5 for the cold box is a good place to
start.) If you do not want the set point to be different from the test temperature, enter zeros.
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• In vertical two-zone or horizontal three-zone chambers, the pre-condition offset value is added to
the test temperature only when the basket is not in the box. NOTE: This field does not appear
when product temperature control (PTC) is enabled.
NOTE: Check the specifications listed in your chamber manual for acceptable ranges for temperature
and other process variables.
3. Set the Soak Time (in minutes and seconds) and Auxiliaries for all available boxes. The soak time is
the total time in minutes and seconds on the “soak timer” for each box. See Soak Method below for
information on how the soak timers are used.
NOTE: The time values for vertical two-zone and horizontal three-zone chambers are for the hot and
cold box, while in double duty chambers these values are when both baskets are in the up/left
position or down/right position.
4. In the Cycles field, enter the total number of cycles in the test.
5. From the Soak Method drop-down menu, select the type of soak to be used for the test:
• Time Only — The timing starts when the basket completes its transfer into the respective box.
Once the timer starts, it counts down to 00:00 and then transfers the basket to the other box.
• Time + Temp — After the basket completes its transfer, the controller will wait until the boxes are
at their required test temperatures before it starts timing. This usually takes only a minute or two.
After the boxes reach their test temperatures, the timer starts timing. When the timer counts to
00:00, the controller will check to see if the load is at the test temperature. When the load reaches
the test temperature, the controller will transfer the basket to the other box.
• Temp + Time — The controller waits until the load temperature (sensed by the sensor traveling
with the basket) reaches the programmed test temperature before starting the timer. Once the
timer starts, it counts down to 00:00 and then transfers the basket to the other box.
6. From the PTC drop-down menu, select whether or not product temperature control (PTC) is enabled
during the test. During normal thermal shock testing, the product temperature will lag behind the box
air temperature. When PTC is enabled, you must program two test temperatures: one for the hot box
and one for the cold box. The controller then senses the temperature at the product and operates the
heating or cooling system at a faster throttle and higher set point to make up for the temperature lag.
The PTC software increases temperature performance at the product by computing the two air
temperature set points based on the load test temperatures, the offset, and the gain parameters. For
more information on PTC gain parameters, refer to your programmer/controller technical manual.
NOTE: PTC is not available for double-duty thermal shock chambers.
7. When you are done creating or editing the test, do one of the following:
• To keep the test and any changes you made to it, click the OK button. This associates the test with
the currently selected thermal shock chamber.
• To exit the test editor without keeping any changes you made, click the Cancel button.
8. To save the test to disk, do one of the following:
• If you want to save changes to a previously saved test, either click the Save button on the toolbar
or open the File menu and click Save. The changes will be saved to disk.
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• If you are creating a new test, either click the
Save button on the toolbar or open the File
menu and click Save or Save As. The Save As
dialog box will open.
• If you want to save changes to a previously
saved test under a different test name, open
the File menu and click Save As. The Save As
dialog box will open.
• If you want to save either a new or a
previously saved test in the format used by
7825 controllers, open the File menu and click Save As. The Save As dialog box will open.
9. In the Save As dialog box you can enter a file name and select a file format. By default ThermoTrak II
saves all thermal shock tests with a *.TES file extension. To save the test in the *.TST format used by
7825 controllers, click the arrow at the end of the Save as type field to display the file type pull-down
menu.
10. Now that the test is saved to disk, you can associate the test with any other thermal shock chamber
available to ThermoTrak II. (See “Assigning and Running a Test” later in this section.) The software will
appropriately translate your test to the specific thermal shock chamber you associate it with.
11. You can also save a test directly to the programmer/controller using the Upload Program selection
from the File menu.
a. To upload a test from the host computer to
the programmer/controller, highlight the
selected chamber’s Chamber Status window,
then open the File menu and click Upload
Program. The Upload Thermal Shock Test
window will open.
b. Enter the number of the test slot you want to
upload the current test into, then click Upload. The test will be associated with the selected
chamber.
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Loading a program from a chamber controller
With ThermoTrak II you can download a test stored in the memory of a thermal shock controller and
associate it with any other thermal shock chamber available to ThermoTrak II.
1. To download a test from a chamber controller and
associate it with a chamber, highlight the selected
thermal shock chamber’s Chamber Status
window, then open the File menu and click
Download Program. The Download Thermal
Shock Test dialog box will open.
2. Enter the number of the test you want to
download, then click Download. The test will be associated with the selected chamber.
3. To save the test and associate it with other thermal
shock chambers, open the File menu and click
Save As. The Save As dialog box will open asking
for a filename.
• By default ThermoTrak II saves all tests with a
*.TES file extension.
• To save the profile in the *.TST format used by
7825 controllers, click the arrow at the end of
the Save as type field to display the file type
pull-down menu.
4. Now that the test is saved to disk, you can associate it with any other thermal shock chamber available
to ThermoTrak II. (See “Assigning and Running a Test” later in this section.) The software will
appropriately translate your profile to the specific thermal shock chamber you upload to.
Assigning and running a test
1. To load a saved test and assign it to a thermal
shock chamber, with the selected chamber’s
Chamber Status window highlighted either click
the open folder icon on the toolbar, or open the
File menu and click Open. This brings up the Open
dialog box and lets you open any *.TES profile,
associating it with the selected thermal shock
chamber.
To open a profile in the *.TST format used by 7825
controllers, click the arrow at the end of the Files
of type field and click 7825 Tests (*.tst). Select
and open the desired profile from the list of *.TST
filenames.
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2. Once you have a test associated with a thermal shock chamber, you can run the test immediately by
clicking the Run button on the Chamber Status window for the selected chamber. (If the selected
chamber’s Chamber Status window is highlighted, you also can run the profile by opening the
Control menu and clicking Run.) When you do, ThermoTrak II uploads the entire test to the controller
and initiates program execution. When the test starts running, the Run button turns green.
You can open and close a chamber’s Chamber Status window without affecting the operation of the
controller or interrupting the communications between the controller and ThermoTrak II.
You can change the profile while it is running and save it to the disk; however, the changes will not
take effect until the next time you run the profile. The current profile will continue to run until it is
finished or stopped, then when you start it again the new settings will take effect. If you load or save a
profile in ThermoTrak II it uses that name as the program name currently assigned to the chamber,
even if the chamber is running a different program.
To modify the test’s run parameters before running the test, or to set up a delayed start, see steps 6
through 8 below.
3. To place the chamber’s controller in hold mode while a test is running, click the Chamber Status
window’s Hold button. The controller enters hold mode and the Hold button turns yellow. To exit
hold mode, you can either click the Hold button again, or click the Run button. The controller starts
the program running from the same interval and time as when you placed it in hold mode.
4. To place the chamber’s controller in stop mode while it is running or holding, click the Chamber
Status window’s Stop button. (If the Chamber Status window is highlighted you also can stop
running the test by opening the Control menu and clicking Stop.) The test stops running and the
Stop button turns red.
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5. The Chamber Status window’s Lock/Unlock button limits the use of the controller’s keyboard.
• To allow users at the controller to view but not change the controller’s status, click the
Lock/Unlock button. The button’s label will change to Locked.
• To unlock the controller’s keyboard, click the button again. Its label will change to Unlocked.
6. By default ThermoTrak II loads the associated test
to the controller’s first program slot and begins
the test. To modify this setting, click the Run
Params button. The Run Parameters dialog box
will open.
7. Specify which program slot you want the test
loaded in, then click OK.
8. The Delayed Start function starts running the test
associated with the chamber at a pre-set time. To
set up a delayed start, click Delayed Start in the
Run Parameters dialog box, enter the date and
time you want the profile to begin running, then
click OK.
Running in manual mode
Manual mode allows you to operate the thermal shock chamber’s controller functions. Manual mode
operates the chamber using set point settings. You can enter manual mode only when the chamber
controller is in stop mode.
1. Click the Manual Mode button on the selected chamber’s Chamber Status window. The Manual
Mode window will open.
2. From this window you can view the Box Temp, Throttle, and Set Point for all available boxes and the
temperature of product Load #1 and Load #2 (if applicable).
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3. From this window you can also enter the Test Temp (or New Set Point), Offset, and Pre-Condition
temperatures, and select the desired auxiliary outputs (Aux). For vertical two-zone and horizontal
three-zone chambers you can also choose whether or not to enable product temperature control
(PTC).
4. To begin running in manual mode, click the Run/Step button. Both the run indicator on the Manual
Mode window and Run button on the Chamber Status window will turn green, with a dark green M
indicating manual mode.
5. To place the chamber in hold mode, click the Hold button on the Chamber Status window. Both the
hold indicator on the Manual Mode window and Hold button on the Chamber Status window will
turn yellow. To resume running from hold mode, click either the Run or Hold button on the Chamber
Status window.
6. To stop running in manual mode, click the Stop button on either the Manual Mode or Chamber
Status window. Both the stop indicator on the Manual Mode window and Stop button on the
Chamber Status window will turn red.
7. The transfer button(s) in the upper right corner changes
between a single button and two buttons depending on
the configuration of the chamber. Use this button to
move the product basket from one zone to another. For
two-zone and double duty configurations there is only
one other place for the basket to reside, thus only one
transfer button. On three-zone chambers, however, the basket has two places it may be transferred to
and thus two buttons.
Running in temperature profile mode
Thermal shock chambers can function as standard temperature
chambers running simple temperature-only profiles. These
profiles (tests) are always run in the cold box. Temperature
profile mode allows ThermoTrak II to operate a thermal shock
chamber cold box as a stand-alone temperature chamber.
1. To run a standard temperature profile, click the
Temperature Profile Mode button on the thermal shock
chamber’s Chamber Status window.
2. The selected chamber’s temperature profile Chamber
Status window will open. To create a temperature profile,
click this window’s Edit Profile button. A standard Profile
Editor will open.
3. The temperature profile mode works identically to the
standard ThermoTrak II chamber operation. For additional
information, see “Creating and Editing Profiles” in Section
3.
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Graphing and data logging
There are a few changes on the data log tab for
selection of thermal shock-specific variables, such as
basket position and load. The rest of the graphing and
data logging is identical to the standard ThermoTrak II
graphing and data logging. See “Graphing and data
logging” in Section 3.
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ThermoTrak II User’s Guide Using ThermoTrak II with Thermotron Oven Controllers
Thermotron Industries 5-1
Section 5:
Using ThermoTrak II with
Thermotron Oven Controllers
Thermotron oven controllers are manufactured specifically for use with Thermotron ovens. Much of the
ThermoTrak II oven controller interface is identical to the ThermoTrak II interface for standard controllers,
but there are several significant differences because of the nature of ovens. This section describes those
differences.
Viewing and editing ovens
Oven controllers are set up the same as chamber controllers, and are listed in the Available Chambers
window. For information on adding and removing ovens, see “Adding and Removing a Chamber” in
Section 3 of this manual.
The Available Chambers window provides a quick overview of all your ovens and their status. To see
more detailed information about a selected oven, double-click the oven name in the Available Chambers
window. This will display the status window for that oven.
Oven controllers use a scaled-down version of the chamber status window. The oven status window
includes the following information about the selected oven:
• Temperature reading from inside the oven
• Current Set Point
• Output Throttle
• Initial Value and Final Value for the current profile
segment
• Ramp Rate for the current profile segment
• Total Time of the current profile segment and Time
Left in the current profile segment
Along the top of the oven status window are two buttons
that open other dialog boxes:
• The Edit Oven button will take you to the Edit
Chamber Configuration dialog box, where you
originally defined each oven. Here you can make
changes to an oven configuration if your network
setup has changed, or if you want to change the oven’s
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descriptive name. You can also access the graphing and data logging parameters from here, which are
described in “Graphing and Data Logging” in Section 3.
• The Edit Profile button opens the Profile Editor, used to create and edit oven profiles. For more
details, see “Creating and Editing Oven Profiles” later in this section.
Creating and editing oven profiles
Oven controllers have their own profile editor. Oven profiles are made up of segments, with each segment
consisting of a temperature and a time. Oven profiles are managed the same as chamber profiles. You can
create and save them to the hard disk and load them in later.
NOTE: The following procedure assumes you have a good working knowledge of each oven on your
ThermoTrak II network. For more detailed explanations of the concepts involved in creating profiles, refer
to your oven controller manual.
1. Double-click an oven name in the Available Chambers list. This will open the status window for that
oven. NOTE: If the Available Chambers window is hidden by other windows, open the Windows
menu and click Available Chambers.
• To edit a profile already associated with the selected oven, click the Edit Profile button on the
status window.
• To create a new profile, click the New Program button on the toolbar, or open the File menu and
click New Program.
2. The Profile Editor will open. Here you will enter your profile segment by segment.
3. The profile editor includes a
profile preview graph that updates
itself as you create a profile.
• The temperature appears as a
solid line.
• Vertical dashed bars highlight
the currently selected
segment.
4. In the field labeled Temp enter
the temperature for the first
segment.
CAUTION: Check the specifications listed in your oven manual for acceptable temperature ranges.
5. In the field labeled Time enter the duration of the segment in hours:minutes:seconds format.
6. To add another segment to your profile, click the New Segment button. NOTE: Once the profile
exceeds 10 segments, a scrollbar will appear at the side of the form.
7. If a mistake was made in a previous segment, you can select any field in that segment to edit any
values you need to.
8. To clear all data from all segments in the profile, click the Clear Data button.
9. When you are done creating or editing the profile, do one of the following:
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Thermotron Industries 5-3
• To keep the profile and any changes you made to it, click the OK button. This associates the
profile with the currently selected oven.
• To exit the profile editor without keeping any changes you made, click the Cancel button.
10. To save the profile to disk, do one of the following:
• If you want to save changes to a previously
saved profile, either click the Save button on
the toolbar or open the File menu and click
Save. The changes will be saved to disk.
• If you creating a new profile, either click the
Save button on the toolbar or open the File
menu and click Save or Save As. The Save As
dialog box will open.
• If you want to save changes to a previously
saved profile under a different profile name,
open the File menu and click Save As. The Save As dialog box will open.
11. In the Save As dialog box you can enter a file name. By default ThermoTrak II saves all oven profiles
with an *.OVN file extension.
12. Now that the oven profile is saved to disk, you can associate it with any other oven available to
ThermoTrak II.
Assigning and running an oven profile
1. To load a saved oven profile and assign it to an
oven, with the selected oven’s status window
highlighted either click the open folder icon on the
toolbar, or open the File menu and click Open.
This brings up the Open dialog box and lets you
open any *.OVN profile, associating it with the
selected oven.
2. Once you have a profile associated with an oven,
you can run the profile immediately by clicking the
Run button on the status window for the selected
oven. (If the selected oven’s status window is
highlighted, you also can run the profile by
opening the Control menu and clicking Run.)
3. The Starting Segment dialog will open. Enter the number of the
segment you wish to start the test at, then click OK.
4. ThermoTrak II will upload the profile to the oven controller and
initiate program execution. When the profile starts running, the
Run button turns green.
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Note that you can open and close an oven’s status window without affecting the operation of the
oven controller or interrupting the communications between the oven controller and ThermoTrak II.
You can change the profile while it is running and save it to the disk; however, the changes will not
take effect until the next time you run the profile. The current profile will continue to run until it is
finished or stopped, then when you start it again the new settings will take effect. If you load or save a
profile in ThermoTrak II it uses that name as the program name currently assigned to the oven, even if
the oven is running a different program.
5. To stop the profile, click the oven status window’s Stop button. (If the oven status window is
highlighted you also can stop running the profile by opening the Control menu and clicking Stop.)
The profile stops running and the Stop button turns red.
Viewing the oven events log
Oven graphing and data logging is identical to standard controller graphing and data logging. See
“Graphing and Data Logging” in Section 3.
One feature unique to oven controllers is the oven events log. The events log records various program
events, such as test started, test complete, starting next segment, and so on. To view the oven event log,
click the Events button on the oven status window.
To print the oven events log, click the Print button on the toolbar.
ThermoTrak II User’s Guide Using ThermoTrak II with Remote Networks
Thermotron Industries 6-1
Section 6:
Using ThermoTrak II with
Remote Networks
ThermoTrak II provides the ability to control chambers remotely through another copy of ThermoTrak II.
To do this, one PC must be set up as a server. The client can then connect to the server PC and gain
control of the chambers connected to it. Any remote chambers added to the client’s Available Chambers
list can be operated as if they were local chambers.
A server is limited to no more than ten TCP connections and one modem connection at a time. If at any
time communications fail for any reason, a notification box will pop up on the client PC.
Enabling access to a local network
The PC that is connected to the chamber(s) will function as the ThermoTrak II TCP server. Your IT
department is responsible for setting up the server PC to receive Internet connections.
• The PC should be part of your local area network (LAN).
• The PC should have a unique IP address assigned to it.
• The LAN should be accessible from the Internet.
ThermoTrak II uses port number 11500 to communicate via TCP over intranets and the Internet. If you are
using a firewall on your LAN, set it up to allow requests to be made on port number 11500.
CAUTION: Whatever your firewall settings, you remain responsible for your network’s security.
1. To enable remote access to your local network, open
the Remote Access menu and click Server Setup.
The Remote Access Server Configuration dialog
box will open.
2. Click Enable Remote Access Server.
3. Select an access method:
• If you click Listen to TCP, the client will need to
know your IP address or computer name if using
DHCP. See your network administrator for details.
• If you click Listen to Modem, select the modem
to use from the pull-down list. The client will
need to know what phone number to dial to
connect.
NOTE: You can listen for connections via TCP and/or a modem. ThermoTrak II supports up to ten TCP
clients and one modem client simultaneously.
4. Entering a password in the Server Password field will require a client to supply that password when
trying to connect. This will prevent unwanted access to your local network as a whole.
Using ThermoTrak II with Remote Networks ThermoTrak II User’s Guide
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5. When a client is connected to your server, the connection button will appear on your toolbar.
Clicking the button will bring up the Client Status box (show on the next page), which shows when
the client is connected.
From this dialog we can see that our only client is
connected to Chamber 2 at full access and Chamber
1 at view access. We could disconnect this client at
any time by selecting it and clicking the Disconnect
button. NOTE: The 1 and 2 refer to the number of the
chamber in the server’s available chambers list.
Enabling and disabling access to a specific chamber
Once you have enabled access to your local network,
you must also enable access to the individual
chambers connected to your server. This allows you to
provide access to some of your chambers while
denying access to others.
1. In the Available Chambers window right-click the
chamber name and click Edit Chamber.
2. Select the desired access level:
• No Remote Access disables remote access to
the chamber.
• View Only Access lets the client monitor the
chamber’s status, but does not let it control
the chamber.
• Full Remote Access lets the client take full
control of the chamber.
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Disconnecting a client
1. You may immediately disconnect a client at any time
by clicking the connection button on your toolbar
and clicking the Disconnect button when the Client
Status window opens. This will immediately end the
client’s connection, restoring control back to your
local PC.
2. You also can disconnect the client at any time by
opening the Remote Access menu, clicking Server
Setup, and clicking OK. You will be asked if you really
want to disconnect the client.
Connecting to a remote server
The following instructions assume you are connecting to the server from somewhere on the local area
network. To connect to the server from somewhere not on the LAN, you must manually connect to the
Internet through your Internet service provider (ISP) before performing the following steps.
1. To connect to a remote server, click the Connect
to Host button on the toolbar, or open the
Remote Access menu and click Connect to Host.
The Remote Access dialog box will open.
2. Select a connection type:
• If you click TCP/IP, enter the server PC’s IP
address in the IP Address field, then click OK.
You can also enter a computer name to
connect remotely as well as the actual IP
address. This is helpful for computers
connected to a network that has a dynamic IP
addressing scheme.
• If you click Modem, enter the server PC’s phone number in the Number field, then click OK.
NOTE: If you wait too long to make a selection, the server will disconnect you and you will need to
connect again. Also note that connecting through the Internet may cause long delays when
communicating due to the unpredictable nature of the Internet. Excessive line noise on modem lines
also may disrupt communications when using a direct modem connection.
3. If the server requires a password, enter it in the space provided.
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4. The Remote Chamber List will appear, listing each
chamber on the remote server by type of
controller, chamber serial number, description, and
access mode. Any chamber without remote access
enabled will display as ACCESS DENIED and you
will not be able to select it.
5. Highlight the chamber you want and select the
desired access mode level. There are two options:
View Access or Full Access. View access allows
the client to monitor the chamber’s status but
does not let it control the chamber. Full access
allows the client to take full control of the
chamber.
NOTE: This selection is merely a request for view or full access and does not guarantee the client will
receive full access. The server maintains an internal list of all of the clients connected to it, which
chambers they are accessing, and what access level they have to each chamber. The server allows only
one client to have full access to a specific chamber. What this means is that if Client #1 connects to
Chamber A with full access, any other clients that request full access to Chamber A will be denied and
connected as view access. Likewise if Client #1 connects to Chamber A with view access, another client
could receive full access later on. One and only one client will ever receive full access to a specific
chamber. At a bare minimum a client will always be connected as view access.
6. The remote chamber will be added to your local Available Chambers list with the word REMOTE
indicating it is a remote chamber. If full access was granted to the client, the chamber can now be
operated as if it were a local chamber.
Once the client is connected the Connected to:
window is displayed and remains active
throughout the duration of the connection.
This window lists all of the chambers the client is
connected to and what access level has been
granted to each chamber. This provides a constant reminder of the access levels for each chamber in a
network.
7. To add another remote chamber, click the connect button again and select a new chamber. If you are
already connected you will immediately see the list of chambers available to you.
Downloading chamber information
To download data from a remote chamber, with the selected chamber’s Chamber Status window
highlighted open the Remote Access menu and click Download Chamber Data.
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Disconnecting from a server
1. To disconnect from a remote server, click the Disconnect from Host button on the toolbar, or
open the Remote Access menu and click Disconnect from Host.
2. When you disconnect from the remote server, or whenever you exit ThermoTrak II, all remotely
monitored chambers will disappear from your Available Chambers list. If you wish to monitor the
same chambers, you will need to establish a new connection each time you start ThermoTrak II.
Locking/unlocking a local host
ThermoTrak II includes the option of locking any chambers that are being remotely accessed. If a chamber
is locked out in ThermoTrak II and a local user tries to operate it, a dialog box will pop up, letting the user
know the chamber is locked due to a client connection. (When locked, chambers with 3800, 78XX, 8200, or
88XX controllers will be put into access level 0.)
To lock or unlock the local host upon client
connection:
1. Open the Options menu.
2. Click General Options.
3. Click the Connection tab.
4. Select yes or no from the Lock local host pull-
down menu.
5. Click OK.
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ThermoTrak II User’s Guide Using ThermoTrak II with Non-Thermotron Controllers
Thermotron Industries 7-1
Section 7:
Using ThermoTrak II with
Non-Thermotron Controllers
ThermoTrak II can be enhanced to provide limited support for chamber control systems not manufactured
by Thermotron. If you wish to use ThermoTrak II with a non-Thermotron controller, Thermotron can quote
the cost of developing a custom *.DLL file for you.
This section describes the major differences in using ThermoTrak II to monitor Thermotron and non-
Thermotron controllers. For general information on using ThermoTrak II, see Section 3.
Adding and removing a chamber
To begin with, at least one chamber must be defined and configured as available to ThermoTrak II. Note
that you are not limited to only one network of chambers. For example, you can define a 9600 baud GPIB
network of chambers on COM 1, and also define a 19,200 baud RS-485 network of chambers on COM 2.
ThermoTrak II can monitor and operate up to four multidrop networks at a time, each with a maximum of
15 instruments (GPIB) or 32 instruments (RS-485).
1. The Available Chambers window is always open. If
the window is hidden by other windows, open the
Windows menu and click Available Chambers.
2. Right-click anywhere in the Available Chambers
window and click Add Chamber. This will open the
Edit Chamber Configuration dialog box. From the
Chamber Info tab you can define the parameters
required to communicate with the chamber.
3. Select Other as the controller type and enter the
name of the *.DLL file for your controller type in the
Custom Controller File edit box. The *.DLL file should
be located in the same directory where ThermoTrak II
is installed. Next, select the appropriate computer
interface, baud rate, and COM port. Remember that
the parameters set here must match the computer
interface settings at the chamber controller.
• If the chamber is part of a network of chambers,
enter an address value for that chamber in the
Address field. The RS-232 interface does not
support any protocol for addressing, so you must
use either RS-485 or GPIB.
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• If you select the TCP/IP interface, enter the appropriate IP address in the IP Address field as well
as a valid TCP port in the TCP Port field. NOTE: The ThermoTrak II IP address and TCP port
settings must match the IP address and TCP port settings on the controller or, if the controller
does not directly support Ethernet, the Ethernet-to-serial converter.
• If you select the Demo network type, ThermoTrak II will not attempt any communication with that
chamber. Instead, the software will fill in the chamber’s status with random values, allowing you to
use all of ThermoTrak II’s features for evaluation, training, or demonstration purposes. A Demo
chamber is also useful for creating profiles that later will be assigned to other chambers.
4. Once the communication parameters are defined, click the Test button.
• If ThermoTrak II can communicate with the chamber, you will see the chamber’s identification
string and a software version number displayed in the text fields.
• If there is a communication problem, a message will say “No response from chamber” in the ID
String box. This means either you have a faulty cable connection somewhere, or the
communication parameters are incorrect. You may change any of the parameters to retest the
settings as often as you like. If you need more information on hardware configuration, refer to
Section 2 of this manual.
NOTE: The more chambers you define on the network, the longer it takes ThermoTrak II to scan
the entire network one time.
5. Once the chamber is properly defined, enter a descriptive name in the Chamber Description text
field. You also can enter a serial number in the Serial # field.
6. To save the configuration and add the chamber to the Available Chambers window, click OK.
7. To remove a chamber from the list of available chambers, right-click the chamber name in the
Available Chambers window and click Remove Chamber. NOTE: You must close all chamber status,
data, and graph windows before deleting a chamber.
Viewing and editing chambers
All of the same status screens and dialogs are available for non-Thermotron controllers that are available
for Thermotron controllers. However, some of the fields may not be relevant for your particular controller.
NOTE: For more information on viewing and editing chambers, see Section 3.
Creating and editing profiles
Creating and editing profiles for non-Thermotron controllers works exactly as it does for Thermotron
controllers. However, there are a few things to keep in mind when creating profiles for non-Thermotron
controllers. Not all controllers implement profiles the same way. For example, JC620 controllers use a
separate interval to start a loop, while Thermotron controllers do not. In ThermoTrak II, profiles must
always be created using the “Thermotron” way of doing things. ThermoTrak II will automatically convert
the profile as necessary when it sends it to your specific controller. A byproduct of this is that a profile
might show up as having 10 intervals in ThermoTrak II and 13 intervals when viewed on the actual
instrument. This is okay and is by design.
NOTE: For more information on creating and editing profiles, see Section 3.
ThermoTrak II User’s Guide Frequently Asked Questions
Thermotron Industries 8-1
Section 8:
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of cable do I need for a ThermoTrak II Ethernet connection?
All 3800, 8200, 8800, and 8825 controllers support standard Ethernet cabling.
• To connect a chamber to a hub, use a standard straight-through Ethernet cable.
• To connect a chamber directly to a PC, use a standard crossover Ethernet cable.
My chamber is connected directly to a PC, not on a network. In ThermoTrak II I added a chamber,
selected the TCP/IP interface, set the IP address to match the 3800’s IP setting, and set the port.
I tried the test function and there was no response from the chamber. Can you offer any help?
If your chamber is connected directly to a PC, make sure you are using a standard crossover Ethernet
cable.
How can I update my ThermoTrak II software?
To download and install ThermoTrak II, follow these steps:
1. Open your web browser and navigate to:
http://www.thermotron.com/_customer/downloads/thermotrak-software-upgrade-and-
generic-manual
2. Begin downloading the software by right-clicking on the file name and choosing ‘Save Target As…’
3. Open the file using zip-capable software such as WinZip.
4. For further instructions, view the “readme” file using Microsoft Notepad.
5. For your ThermoTrak II serial number, enter the serial number of your chamber as well as the two-
digit number of the month you received your chamber. For example, if your chamber serial
number is 60354 and the month you received your chamber was September, your ThermoTrak II
serial number will be 6035409. Please record this serial number, as you will need it to obtain
additional software updates.
Why is the data graph different from the profile editor graph, including the colors?
The data graph shows what your chamber has done or is doing (depending on what part of the graph
you are viewing). The profile editor graph shows what your chamber will do when you run the profile
you are editing. Also, the data graph displays whatever process variables, set points, and/or throttles
you selected in the Data Log tab, while the profile editor graph displays only the set points you
entered in the profile.
The reason the colors are different is that you can change the colors displayed in the data graph, but
you cannot change the colors displayed in the profile editor graph.
Why does the chamber status window show a deviation of 1°C while the profile editor shows a
deviation of zero?
Any time you are not running a program the chamber status window reflects the value of the Manual
Mode deviation setting. Only when you are running a program will it show your current interval’s
deviation reading. This is why, when you stop the program, the deviation setting changes.
Frequently Asked Questions ThermoTrak II User’s Guide
8-2 Thermotron Industries
What is the correlation between the chamber status window and the data graph?
The chamber status window always shows the current readings for your chamber. The data graph can
show both current and past readings. If you click Scrolling in the Log Settings tab, the graph will
move as new plot points are sampled, which allows you to always view the end of the graph (that is,
the most recent data). At any given time those readings at the end of the graph should be the same as
the readings in the chamber status window.
Also, the data graph displays whatever process variables, set points, and/or throttles you selected in
the Data Log tab, while the chamber status window displays all process variable, set point, throttle,
initial value, final value, and deviation readings.
What is the meaning of the colored bars above the data graph?
As your testing moves along, more and more plot points are sampled from the chamber status. As this
happens, your graph is updated and re-plotted. The color-coded bar above the graph indicates what
operating mode your chamber was in during the time displayed on the graph (green = run mode,
yellow = hold mode, red = stop mode).
I’m trying to use the Back 1 Day feature to see the data graph for a day when I ran a test, but the
date doesn’t change. Why?
Has ThermoTrak II been running and communicating with the chamber continuously since the test
began? You can only scroll the data graph back as far as ThermoTrak II has been running and
communicating with the chamber. If, for example, you started ThermoTrak II at 11:10 a.m. on January
26, you would not be able to scroll back to an earlier date and time than 11:10 01/26.
How can I print a data graph of an entire test on a single page?
The Graph Settings tab allows you to adjust the data graph’s X Axis. The X axis represents an amount
of time in days:hours:minutes format.
For example, say you have finished running a three-day test and you want to print a one-page graph
of that three-day period. To do so, perform the following steps:
1. Right-click inside the Data Graph window, select Properties, then select the Graph Settings tab.
2. Make sure the Scrolling check box is cleared.
3. Select an X axis Minimum of 0:00:00 and a Maximum of 3:00:00.
4. To label the graph’s X axis with real times and dates, clear the Use relative times check box.
5. Click OK.
6. Manually scroll the graph by left clicking and holding anywhere inside the graph and moving your
mouse back and forth until the graph displays the three-day period of the test.
7. Click the Print button.
Why is it that, after a test, the process variable no longer matches the set point?
The chamber status window always shows the current conditions of your chamber, even if a test is no
longer running. If your chamber has been operating above or below ambient conditions, it is now
drifting back toward ambient.