Sigma C4 manual

C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 SIGMA SYSTEMS MODELS C4 & CC-3 .5 PROGRAMMABLE TEMPERATURE CONTROLLER / INTERFACE OPERATING & PROGRAMMING MANUAL Firmware Version 7.5.2 Manual Revision 4 June 3, 1999 SIGMA SYSTEMS CORPORATION 1817 John Towers San Diego, California 92116 USA TEL: (619) 258-3700 WWW.SigmaSystems.Com FAX: (619/258-3712)[...]

C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 Copyright 1997, 1998 Sigma Systems Corporation 1817 John Towers El Cajon, California 92020 USA All rights reserved The manual may be reproduced, in whole, or in part, solely for the purposes of use and training for the use, of Sigma Systems equi pment, or as required to assist in the sale of new Sigma Systems equipment. No modif[...]

3 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................. 9 1.1 Models C4 & CC-3 .5 E x p l a i n e d ................................. 9 1.2 General Description ........................................ 1 0 1.3 Custom Features / Interchangeability WARNING .................. 1 1 1 . 4 R e l e a s e[...]

4 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 3.2 Updating Firmware ......................................... 2 4 3 . 2 . 1 U p g r a d i n g F i r m w a r e b y P R O M R e p l a c e m e n t .............. 2 5 3.2.2 Upgrading Firmware by Uploading through C4 Serial Port .... 2 5 Making the physical connection for upload ................ 2 6 Running the upload software on[...]

5 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 Invalid Loop Count Error ............................. 5 0 Setpoint Out of Range Error .......................... 5 0 6.8 Special Commands ........................................ 5 0 6.8.1 Controlled Program Looping ........................... 5 1 6 . 8 . 2 E x t e r n a l C o m p r e s s o r O n .............................[...]

6 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 7 . 7 . 8 T O & T F T u r n A u x / P o w e r C o n t r o l P o r t O n ................ 7 2 7.7.9 QU Quit Controlling ................................. 7 3 7.8 Error and Status Reporting - Overview .......................... 7 4 7 . 8 . 1 S t a t u s B y t e ........................................ 7 4 7 . 8 . 2 E r r o r[...]

7 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 9 . 8 T e m p e r a t u r e C o n t r o l ( P I D ) T u n i n g & P r o b l e m s.................. 1 0 5 Adjusting for changing needs ......................... 1 0 6 The Proportional Term .............................. 1 0 7 T h e I n t e g r a l T e r m ................................. 1 0 7 T h e D i f f e r e n t i a [...]

8 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2[...]

9 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 1. INTRODUCTION This manual describes the operating procedures for the Sigma Systems Models C4 & CC-3 .5 Controllers, microprocessor based controllers and control communications interfaces for the family of Sigma Sy stems temperature chambers and thermal platforms. 1.1 Models C4 & CC-3 .5 Explained The models C4 & [...]

10 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 1.2 General Description Using the model C4, temperature control is available manually from the front panel, by use of user entered programs, or via remote control via either a EIA-232 or IEEE-488 GPIB. The controller has a precision temperature reading capability with a digital read-out. Two temperature probes can be connecte[...]

11 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 1.3 Custom Features / Interchangeability WARNING Each Sigma Systems C4 Controller has been custom configured for the chamber or platform with which it was supplied or for which it was specified. Many units include special wiring for custom control applications, precision fail-safe additions, non-standard voltages, external un[...]

12 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 1.5 C4 vs. CC-3 Differences (What’s New) 1.5.1 Hardware & Stability Improvements The new C4 introduces a number of new improvements to make the controller faster and more reliable than its predecessor. The C4 has a completely new digital processing board. The new board has a much faster processor, more memory, and a muc[...]

13 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 1.5.3 Firmware Uploads When new firmware is available for your C4, you can easily upload it into the controller using the controller’s serial port. The procedure requires only a diskette bootable PC and a serial cable and takes only about ten minutes. Firmware updates, when available, may be obtained on diskette for a fee f[...]

14 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 1.5.7 Internal Error Shutdown Conditions The C4 monitors system health by keeping track of three additional areas; they are: Processor health Tracked by watchdog timer Memory condition Checked at startup Setup parameter table Checked continuously as used Some detected internal errors can be repaired on the fly. If this is pos[...]

15 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 However, when the change in the Setpoint is very small, this “start from the beginning” search routine can search over such a wide range that it will introduce a “bump” in the platform or chamber temperature that can exceed the amount of the Setpoint change. The C4 includes an intelligent PID routine that constrains t[...]

16 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 1.5.13 Program Mode Step Insert & Delete Program steps may now be deleted from or inserted into programs. See Sections 6.5 & 6.6. 1.5.14 Program Mode Any Step Points to Step 100 Any program step may now point to step 100 (program end) as the next step to execute. 1.5.15 Program Mode Safer Program Clear Some deliberate[...]

17 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 1.5.18 Remote Mode EIA-232 Port Initialization The CC-3 required that to use the EIA-232 port, the port had to be initialized by switching the mode switch to SETUP before switching to REMOTE mode. The C4 eliminates this requirement. The EIA-232 port is initialized each time the remote switch is switched to REMOTE mode. 1.5.19[...]

18 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 1.5.22 Remote Mode Setup Parameter Commands S C S e t C o r r e c t i o n ( C a l i b r a t i o n ) f o r P r o b e ........... S e e S e c t i o n 7 . 6 . 1 W P S e t P I D C o n s t a n t s ........................... S e e S e c t i o n 7 . 6 . 2 B F T u r n B l o w e r s O f f ............................ S e e S e c t i [...]

19 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 2. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION The SIGMA SYSTEMS Model C4 Controller fits into an area 3.5" x 5.5" x 9.5" long. Connection to the chamber or platform is made through an umbilical cable with a 12 pin connector that is standard for all SIGMA chambers and thermal platforms. Controllers destined for use with SIGMA thermal[...]

20 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 COOL indicator lights when cooling is ac tive, typically during the time the cryogenic valve is open on cryogenically cooled units. HEAT indicator is pulsed along with the on and off function of the heaters. These indicators are active in all modes of operation. RUN indicator shows whether the chamber temperature is being con[...]

21 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 parameter F15. Likewise, at the end of a local or remotely controlled program, chamber blowers will continue to run, but heating and cooling will be disabled. Note that a chamber in this condition, with blowers running, will exhibit some heating due to blower air friction. This effect is exaggerated in units equipped with hig[...]

22 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 2.2 Rear Panel Connections At the rear panel of the controller, a cable is provided to connect to the power, cooling solenoid, mechanical refrigeration and heaters of the chamber. In addition, a six lug screw terminal block (J1) is provided for eyelet terminal connection of the temperature probes and for connection of one add[...]

23 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 3. GENERAL OPERATION & ERROR CONDITIONS 3.1 Startup Displays 3.1.1 Model Number and Firmware Version Number Display The C4 identifies itself upon power up. It will display the model number for 1 second, then the firmware version number for 2½ seconds as follows: c3-5 rel 7.5.2 c4 rel 7.5.2 3.1.2 Temperature Range Display[...]

24 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 3.1.3 Serial Number Display The controller serial number can be displayed at startup by pressing <DISP/CTRL> while the model number ( c3-5 or c4 ) is displayed. The serial number will be displayed in the format: 4-0 3276 The first digit (either a 3 or 4 ) indicates whether the controller is a CC-3 .5 or C4, and the 5 di[...]

25 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 3.2.1 Upgrading Firmware by PROM Replacement Before starting, be certain that you have a properly grounded antistatic surface and a grounding strap to prevent damaging the C4 components during disassembly and reassembly. Remove the C4 from its cabinet or rack, then remove the EEPROM chip that contains the firmware and replace[...]

26 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 Use a DOS bootable diskette and a PC type computer to load the new firmware through the C4's serial port. You can obtain the required diskette from Sigma Systems for a fee, or you can provide your own DOS bootable diskette and obtain the necessary files for the upload proce ss from the Sigma Systems site on the Internet.[...]

27 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 uploads so that you can upload to one controller while connecting and disconnecting the other. Starting the upload on the C4 When the PC is ready, turn the C4 controller on. During the 1 second display of the model number, rapidly press <CLEAR/PROG> three times. The display will read: rs load The firmware upload should [...]

28 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 When you have set the necessary parameters for your needs, you are ready to go to LOCAL, PROGRAM, or REMOTE mode.[...]

29 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 3.4 Fahrenheit Operation The C4 can use either Celsius or Fahrenheit temperature scales. Celsius is the default mode. When the controller is operating in Celsius mode it’s behavior is identical to the model CC-3 controller. When the controller is operating in Fahrenheit mode, both the displays and the bus communications are[...]

30 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 3.5 System Operating (Temperature) Range The C4 controller operates within the limits of the system devices. There are 3 pairs (low-high) of temperature limits that constrain the range of operations. 1. The range of the C4 as it is set at the factory 2 The range of the controlled device (chamber or platform) as described by s[...]

31 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 “LO” indicates that the reported temperature was 20-50 / C below the System Operating Range. “HI” indicates that the reported temperature was 20-50 / C above the System Operating Range. The number following the p is the number of the probe that reported the excessive temperature. In the event that the control temperat[...]

32 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 The Probe Out of Range Shutdown condition can be cleared by pressing <START/STOP> in Local or Program mode, by rotation the mode switch on the front panel to a different position, or by issuing a Device Clear in Remote mode. 3.7 Internal Error Shutdown Conditions The C4 monitors system health by keeping track of four in[...]

33 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 The mode switch must be subsequently tu rned to the SETUP position to clear the display and resume normal operations. Be sure you remember to restore any setup parameters that have been changed by the system reset. 3.7.3 Setup parameter integrity checking Each time the system must rely on a system setup parameter the conditio[...]

34 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 U1 2.3 C1 0 U2 99 C2 100 The C4 will then calculate a new slope and offset for the entire probe curve. All temperatures reported by the corrected pr obe will be adjusted by applying this new slope and offset to the raw tempe rature data reported by the probe. Note: Software probe correction is done se parately for each probe.[...]

35 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 Some errors, especially those unique to the C4, are only defined in the Error/Status String. In the event of one of these errors, bit 1 of the Error Byte (this bit was not used by the CC-3) is set to indicate an extended error. The Status Byte and SRQ are thus set as well. The Error/Status String is a bit mapped 64 byte strin[...]

36 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2[...]

37 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 4. INTELLIGENT 2 PROBE CONTROL (Probe Averaging) (Not in this release. Available in nex t release, without charge. Contact Sigma Systems to receive a revised firmware EEPROM.) Intelligent 2 Probe Control allows the internal temperature of the UUT (Unit Under Test) to be used in the temperature control algorithm. Both the prim[...]

38 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 4.1 How Intelligent 2 Probe Control functions Intelligent 2 Probe Control takes advantage of the fact that increasing the temperature differential between two objects increases the rate of heat transfer between them. For instance, if a thick and heavy object is to be heated from 0 / to 100 / , and the object is placed in a te[...]

39 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 than cold, or visa versa. To properly protect your object you need to be able to constrain the air temperature in the chamber (and thus the surface temperature of the object) such that the difference between surface temperature and the core temperature does not exceed some difference the object can tolerate. It would be usefu[...]

40 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 air stream temperature, based upon this 60 / limit, would not be allowed to drop to -100 / until the UUT core temperature had reached -40 / The same rules hold true for the high end of the UUT range except that the high differential limit (F30) is applied at the high limit of the UUT range (F28). For UUT core temperatures bet[...]

41 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 5. LOCAL MODE ( Basic Operation ) The C4 Local mode of operation provides simple control of the chamber or platform through the front panel controls. In this mode, a single setpoint is entered from the front panel and the controller will attempt to have the chamber or platform reach and hold that temperature. In local mode th[...]

42 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 probe mode, n can be 1 or 2 as the temperature display toggles between probe 1 and probe 2 with each press of the Display Temperature <DISP/TEMP> key. If Intelligent 2 Probe Control is implemented (probe number set to 0), the display will rotate from probe 1 to probe 2 to probe 0 (average), then back to probe 1, etc. wi[...]

43 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 4. Enter a setpoint temperature using the numeric, decimal point and sign keys. Numbers may be entered with a maximum of 1 decimal place. Pressing the sign <+/-> key will toggle the value between positive and negative. Positive values will have no indication, negative values will show a minus (-) sign to the left of the[...]

44 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 5.4 Compressor Control (mechanically refrigerated unit control only) The compressor of a system employing mechanical refrigeration can be manually toggled at any time during local mode controlling operation by pressing the <REFER> button. The REFER LED on the front panel indicates the state of the refrigeration compress[...]

45 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 6. PROGRAM MODE The Program Mode allows more complicated front panel control than the Local Mode. The Program Mode allows a temperature control program to be entered into the controller memory for subsequent execution as required. Up to 100 program steps may be entered. Multiple programs may be entered and executed as long as[...]

46 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 6.1.1 Format of a Program Step FORMAT OF A STEP substep )))))), step )))0, * -----------data------------ ** * 00.0 -TTT.T - temp (setpoint) 00.1 HH.MM - ramp time 00.2 HH.MM - hold time 00.3 NNN - next step 00.4 P - control probe where: step is the current program step number (00 - 99) substep is the current program substep ([...]

47 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 Program step.substep Data Effect/Purpose 05.0 78.0 Sets temp setpoint to 78° 05.1 00.20 Sets ramp time to 20 minutes 05.2 00.20 Sets hold time to 20 minutes 05.3 6 Sets step 6 as next step to execute 05.4 1 Selects probe 1 for active control 6.1.2 Maximizing Ramp Speed & Other Ramp Considerations When a ramp time is spec[...]

48 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 6.2 Clearing Program Memory (Reinitializing program steps) When the controller is shipped from the factory, all program steps are initialized to their default values as shown below. To create a usable program for the controller to run, the user enters replacement values in those program steps to be used. All program steps are[...]

49 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 6.4 Entering or Changing a Program Step There is no difference between entering a program step and modifying an existing one. To change any part of the program, firs t display the current step by pressing <DISP/CNTL> . If you wish to make changes to a step other than the current step, enter the 1 or 2 digits for the ste[...]

50 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 6.6 Delete Program step 1. Enter the step number to be deleted and press <DISP/CNTL> 2. Press <CLEAR/ENTRY> . 3. Press <CLEAR/ENTRY> again. The display shows “ del nn”, where nn = step number to be deleted. 4, Press <ENTER> to delete the step and move all higher steps down one step. 6.7 Running (Ex[...]

51 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 6.7.1 Program Run Time Information/Considerations When a program is running, the display shows the currently executing program step number on the left and the total amount of remaining run time for that step on the right. The time displayed is the sum of any remaining ramp time and/or hold time. The temperature may be display[...]

52 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 No Probe 2 Error If a program step calls for control by probe 2 when setup parameter F1 = 1 (number of probes) the C4 will generate a No Probe 2 Error. Example 007 nop2 You must either remove the step that calls for probe 2 or enable probe 2 with setup parameter F1 (See Section 8) before the program will run. See Section 8.3.[...]

53 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 6.8 Special Commands There are special commands that use the substep data within a step for different purposes than normal. These commands are (6.8.1) Creating controlled loops, and (6.8.2 - 6.8.5) External port controls. In each case only some of the substeps are used. To enhance program readability, we suggest that you set [...]

54 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 encountering the loop statement in step 7, then steps 1-6 will already have been executed once and then again 5 more times as a function of the loop, for a total of 6 times. 6.8.2 External Compressor On When the Probe (substep 4) is specified as 4, the program step turns the refrigeration compressor control port on. Substeps [...]

55 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 When the Probe (substep 4) is specified as 7, the program step turns the optional load control port off. Substeps 0 - 2 are ignored. Upon power up and changing the rotary switch this port will be on . At start and end of program execution, this port will be automatically set to off . 6.9 Common Programming Issues 6.9.1 Step N[...]

56 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2[...]

57 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 7. REMOTE MODE Remote mode provides for control of the C4 from a remote computer or terminal using either standard EIA-232 serial communication or Instrumentation Standard IEEE-488 (GPIB) communication. Selection of the type of interface is made from the setup mode, see Section 8. NOTE: The IEEE-488.2 requirement for lockout [...]

58 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 7.3 Command Summary (by functional group) System Information Queries See Section: QV Query Firmware Version 7.4.1 QN Query Controller Serial Number 7.4.2 QR Query Controller Temperature Range 7.4.3 QS Query Setpoint & Control Probe Number 7.4.4 QF Query Setup Parameter (binary) 7.4.5 QFA Query Setup Parameter (ASCII hex) [...]

59 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 7.4 System Information Queries 7.4.1 QV Query Firmware Version This command returns the current internal firmware release number in ASCII text in the following format: QV<space> nnn.nnn.nnn <CR><LF> Where nnn is the number of each part of the release number, padded on the left with leading zeros if necessary[...]

60 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 7.4.3 QR Query Controller Temperature Range This command returns the controller temperature range in ASCII text in the following format: QR<space> thhhh-lll <CR><LF> where t = C or F hhh = high limit lll = low limit Example: For standard range controller in Celsius mode: QR C200-100<CR><LF> The [...]

61 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 7.4.5 QF, QFA Query Setup Parameter Value This command returns the current (SRAM) value of a setup parameter field. QF requests the data to be returned in bi nary form, QFA requests the data to be returned in ASCII text form. The syntax of the command is: QF nn <CR><LF> QFA nn <CR><LF> (Query for binar[...]

62 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 these working values in SRAM have modified by Remote Mode setup commands (See Section 7.6) they will not be the same as the non volatile EEPROM copy unless an UP command was subsequently used to permanently store the SRAM values to EEPROM. Upon exiting Remote mode, including by power loss, the SRAM values are discarded. Each [...]

63 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 7.5 Operation Information Queries & Commands 7.5.1 RS, RSA Request Status Byte These commands retrieve the status byte. See Section 7.8.1. If RS is used, the status byte is returned as a one byte binary value imbedded in an ASCII text string as follows: RS<status byte><CR><LF> If RSA is used, the status [...]

64 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 7.5.2 RE, REA Request Error Byte These commands retrieve the error byte. Note: The error byte and byte 00 of the Error/Status String are cleared each time this command is used. See Section 7.8.2. If RE is used, the error byte is returned as a one byte binary value imbedded in an ASCII text string as follows: RE<error byte&[...]

65 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 Note: Byte 00 of this string is the same error byte that is available using RE and REA commands. Byte 01 of this string is the same EIA-232 status byte that is available using RE and REA commands in EIA-232 mode. The EIA-232 version of the status byte is used in the Error/Status String, Byte 01 even in IEEE- 488 mode. Byte 00[...]

66 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 7.5.4 QC Query Last Command This command returns the last non-null co mmand string sent to the controller. The returned string is the string that was delivered to the controller after the internal parser did any “fixing”. It does not have to be a valid command. The string is ASCII text and is terminated with <CR><[...]

67 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 7.5.7 PT Read Temperature This command is used to read the specified probe temperature. The format of the command is: PT n <CR><LF> where n is the number (0, 1 or 2) of the probe to be read. Probe 2 is only available if enabled by Setup Parameter F1 (See Section 8). Specifying probe 0 will return the average tempe[...]

68 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 7.6 Setup Parameter Commands The commands in this section allow a user to change the value of some of the setup parameters that are stored in SRAM and used by Remote mode. The SRAM copy of the setup parameters is created upon entry to Remote mode from the non- volatile copy that is kept in EEPROM for use by Local and Program [...]

69 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 Note: Software probe correction is done se parately for each probe. The following table shows the U1, C1, U2, C2 setup parameter assignments: Probe 1 Probe 2 U1 F17 F21 C1 F18 F22 U2 F19 F23 C2 F20 F24 The syntax for the SC command is ASCII text as follows: SC n <space>U1<space>C1<space>U2<space>C2<[...]

70 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 where p = proportional term constant (integer) i = integral term constant (integer) d = differential term constant (integer) Example: WP 6 5 5<CR><LF> There is no response to this command from the controller except to set the appropriate bit in the Error Byte in th e event that the command or parameters are incorr[...]

71 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 7.6.4 SL Set UUT Temperature Limits The SL command sets the lower UUT limit (setup parameter F27) and the upper UUT limit (setup parameter F28). For a detailed explanation of the effect of these parameters, see Sections 3.5 and 4. The command sets the lower and upper temperature limits at the same time. The syntax of the comm[...]

72 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 7.7 System Operation Commands 7.7.1 SI Select Immediate Mode This command selects the immediate mode of operation. In immediate mode, a command is executed immediately when it is received over the interface. If a previous command is executing, it is canceled. Query or status commands do not cancel outstanding commands. Comman[...]

73 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 7.7.4 GT, GTF Go To Temperature This command instructs the controller to control to the setpoint specified in the command. Bit 4 (setpoint reached) of the Status Byte is set when the chamber or platform has stabilized within .1 degree of the setpoint for 15 seconds. The command syntax is: GT<space>[-] ttt.t <CR>&l[...]

74 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 7.7.6 DL Delay (Dwell Interval) The DL command causes the controller to dwell at the setpoint for a specified interval of time before executing the next command. The Interval Complete bit of the Status Byte is set when the chamber or platform has completed the requested delay interval. The command syntax is: DL<space> h[...]

75 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 7.7.9 QU Quit Controlling The QU command stops the C4 from controlling. All heating and cooling is turned off, the blowers are set to the mode determined by setup parameter F15 (Blower Shut-off Mode). The command syntax is: QU<CR><LF> After a QU command, the display will show: u1c 65.0 (Celsius mode) u1f 102.6 (Fa[...]

76 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 7.8 Error and Status Reporting - Overview There are three sources for error and status information: The Status Byte CC-3 compatible The Error Byte CC-3 compatible The Error/Status String (64 bytes) CC-3.5 & C4 only 7.8.1 Status Byte The Status Byte is a one byte block of data in which each of the eight bits reports the st[...]

77 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 Interval Complete, Setpoint Reached, and Error will trigger the SRQ if it is enabled. The Status Byte is replicated as byte 01 in the Error/Status String. See Section 7.8.3. 7.8.2 Error Byte The Error Byte is a one byte block of data in which each of the eight bits reports the status of an item. The bits in the Error Byte rep[...]

78 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 byte 01 (status byte replica), the first 32 bytes (256 bits) are “event triggered”. The second 32 bytes (256 bits) are “status” or “state set”. Except for bits 0, 1 & 2 of the byte 01 (statu s byte replica), each of the bits in bytes 0-31 are set once when the condition that that bit reports becomes true. If t[...]

79 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 Error/Status String Bit Definitions Byte 00 - Duplicate of Error Byte First Release Used 00:0 Aux input TTL high (Door op en with optional switch) .................................. 7 . 3 . 1 0 0 : 1 E r r o r i n E x t e n d e d E r r o r S t r i n g .................................................... 7 . 3 . 1 0 0 : 2 I l [...]

80 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2[...]

81 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 8. SETUP MODE Setup mode is entered by placing the mode switch in the right most position. Setup mode is used to modify operational parameters of the chamber. When first entering Setup mode, the digital display should display: f-0 n (n = 1 to 10) This first display indicates the setting fo r field 0. There are thirty paramete[...]

Field # Field Purpose Permitted Field Values Factory Setting 82 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 10 PID controller, Integral term Tens of seconds required for I term effect equal to P term effect Adjustment not normally required 5 - 7 Default = 5 11 PID controller, Differential term Seconds required for D term effect to equal P term effect Adjustment not normal[...]

Field # Field Purpose Permitted Field Values Factory Setting 83 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 25 Chamber/Platform Lower Operating Temperature Limit -200 / C -327.9 / F As required Default = -100 26 Chamber/Platform Upper Operating Temperature Limit 500 / C 932 / F As required Default = 200 27 Unit Under Test (UUT) Lower Operating Temperature Limit -200 / C -[...]

84 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 8.2 Changing the Value of a Setup Field A field may be changed with the following procedure: 1. Display the field to be changed using the <DISP/CNTL> key as detailed in 8.1. 2. Press <CLEAR/ENTRY> to clear the current value. 3. Enter the new value Note: For setup parameters F0-F16, the valid choices may be scrolle[...]

85 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 Autostart is enabled, moving the mode from OFF to LOCAL will cause the controller to begin controlling to the last set local mode setpoint without the necessity of pressing <START/STOP> . If the system includes mechanical refrigeration, and the last local control session had the compressor turn on, it will be turned on [...]

86 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 ice water (0 / C) and boiling water (100 / C) when the display shows 2.3 / C for the ice water and 99 / C for the boiling water, the user would enter the following: U1 2.3 C1 0 U2 99 C2 100 The C4 will then calculate a new slope and offset for the probe curve. All temperatures reported by the corrected pr obe will be adjusted[...]

87 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 If the values entered do not comply with the rules as defined above, the display will show cor err . None of the data will have been stored in this case and the process must be begun again with data that complies with the rules.[...]

88 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2[...]

89 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 9. APPENDIX 9.1 Programming Examples & Notes 9.1.1 Simple Local Program Example The following temperature test routine uses basic temperature control commands including controlled and maximum rate ramping and temperature hold (dwell): Using Probe 1 for control... Use 5 minutes to ramp from ambient to 45.2 / C Hold 45.2 fo[...]

90 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 Step Number Displayed Step . Substep Keys to press Description of entry 0 00.0 CLEAR/ENTRY 45.2 ENTER Go to 45.2 / C 00.1 CLEAR/ENTRY 5 ENTER Use 5 minute ramp time 00.2 CLEAR/ENTRY 2 ENTER Hold temperature for 2 minutes 00.3 CLEAR/ENTRY 1 ENTER Execute step 1 next 00.4 CLEAR/ENTRY 1 ENTER Use probe 1 1 01.0 CLEAR/ENTRY 32.3 [...]

91 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 9.1.2 Using shortcuts to shorten program entry time Shortcuts can make program entry easier and faster if the program step memory to be used for the new program contains the values that you need. Default reinitialization values are stored in ev ery program step when program memory is “cleared” by pressing <CLEAR/PROG&g[...]

92 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 Step Number Displayed Step . Substep Keys to press Description of entry 0 00.0 CLEAR/ENTRY 45.2 ENTER Go to 45.2 / C 00.1 CLEAR/ENTRY 5 ENTER Use 5 minute ramp time 00.2 CLEAR/ENTRY 2 ENTER Hold temperature for 2 minutes 00.3 DISP/CNTL Accept default value of 1 00.4 DISP/CNTL Accept default value of 1 1 01.0 CLEAR/ENTRY 32.3 [...]

93 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 9.1.3 Local Program Example Using the Special Commands The following temperature test routine uses program looping commands and the special port control commands: Turn chamber or platform (or auxiliary load) on Do the following loop 5 times Using probe 2 for control... Turn compressor on Use 15 minutes to ramp from ambient to[...]

Step Number Displayed Step . Substep Keys to press Description of entry 94 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 2 02.0 CLEA R/ENTRY 11.5 ENTER Go to 11.5 / C 02.1 CLEA R/ENTRY 15 ENTER Use 15 minute ramp time 02.2 CLEA R/ENTRY 20 ENTER Hold temperature for 20 minutes 02.3 DISP/CNTL Accept default value of 3 Execute step 3 next 02.4 CLEA R/ENTRY 2 ENTER Use probe 2 [...]

Step Number Displayed Step . Substep Keys to press Description of entry 95 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 7 07.0 DISP/CNTL Accept default value 07.1 DISP/CNTL Accept default value 07.2 DISP/CNTL Accept default value 07.3 DISP/CNTL Accept default value of 8 07.4 CLEA R/ENTRY 7 ENTER Turn aux/power control port off 8 08.0 DISP/CNTL Accept default value 08.1 DIS[...]

96 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 Once you have set the program pointer to a step, you can enter new program information by following the procedure in Section 6.4 or run a program that begins at that step as detailed in Section 6.7. IMPORTANT: When placing more than one program in memory, all programs except the last one must end with SUBSTEP 3 = 100, or a no[...]

97 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 9.3 Sigma Systems C4 Programming Worksheet (O.K. to copy) Date: Program Name: Page of Step Sub- Step Substep Data Notes/Comments Step Sub- Step Substep Data Notes/Comments .0 .0 .1 .1 .2 .2 .3 .3 .4 .4 .0 .0 .1 .1 .2 .2 .3 .3 .4 .4 .0 .0 .1 .1 .2 .2 .3 .3 .4 .4 .0 .0 .1 .1 .2 .2 .3 .3 .4 .4[...]

98 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 9.4 Sample Command Structure for IEEE-488 GPIB Operation All sample commands are written in BASIC for a Hewlett Packard 85F computer and are representative of the required structure for proper operation of the C4's IEEE-488 interface. Assumptions: C4 address is set to 1. All options have been implemented. SI - Select Imm[...]

99 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 GT - Go To Temperature OUTPUT 701 "GT 85.0" or OUTPUT 701 "GT 85" or OUTPUT 701 "GT85" DL - Delay OUTPUT 701 "DL 00,25" OUTPUT 701 "DL00,25" RA - Ramp to Temperature OUTPUT 701 "RA 85.5,00,25" PNn - Select Active Probe OUTPUT 701 "PN 2" PTn - Read Temperatu[...]

100 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 9.5 Installation and Use of TTL Outputs and Input The C4 has incorporated in it the ability to receive one TTL signal and send two TTL signals. Throughout the manual, the outputs are referred to as AUX/POWER CONTROL PORT and REFRIGERATION COMPRESSOR PORT. The input is referred to as the AUX INPUT (previously known as the DOO[...]

101 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 If the controller is equipped with internal solid state relay to control the compressor, the output of the solid state relay is through pin 8 of P1, the 12 pin power cable to the controller. At the end of running a program from the front panel, the chamber control port and the compressor control port will return to their ori[...]

102 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 3. Remove probe connections at the controller's rear terminal strip, J1-1 and J1-4. 4. Locate test points TP1 and TP6 (TP2 on CC-3 .5 ) and adjustments R5 (R29 on CC-3 .5 ) and R2 (R32 on CC-3 .5 ) in the upper rear area of the right hand circuit board (B- board see fig.). 5. Apply power to unit and turn power switch on[...]

103 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 9.7 Troubleshooting 9.7.1 Servicing Considerations - Service WARNINGS WARNING : Sigma Systems C4 Controllers obtain powe r from the chamber or platform to which they are connected. The controllers do not hav e protective side covers on the chassis. It is imperative to disconnect the power to both the chamber or platform and [...]

104 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 train your users to use their finger to discharge the static potential they may have accumulated on something other than the C4 front panel. 9.7.4 Noise Immunity Noise can show up as lost or incorrect da ta sent over the bus. In extreme cases this noise can disrupt controller operation regardless of whether computer bus is i[...]

105 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 Explicit Program End If you are observing behavior that indicates that the controller is continuing to control beyond the end of the steps you have in your program, check to be certain that you have a step at the end of your program that points to step 100 to end the process. Otherwise, if there are some unused steps further[...]

106 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 If you are having no success with bus communications, check to be certain that the correct bus (EIA-232 or GPIB IEEE-488) is selected using setup parameter F2. SI (Immediate Mode) or the default SP (Program Mode) are typically issued at the beginning of a program sequence. However they may be issued at any point. If the C4 r[...]

107 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 unlikely that a problem will cause a bad load, but it is possible and it’s the easiest problem to fix, so try reloading first. Starting the C4 from PROM based firmware If reloading doesn’t work, you can try starting the controller from the older firmware that permanently resides on the PROM in the controller. To initiate[...]

108 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 Proportional term Setup parameter F0 Integral term Setup parameter F10 Differential term Setup parameter F11 Note that you will also find the in setup section of this manual a reference to the Integral Wind-up Limiter Term (Setup parameter F12). Do not alter this field. It is set once at the factory for the C4 model controll[...]

109 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 Before you change any of the PID terms in your C4, write down the existing values. It is not hard for inexperienced users to make enough changes that things get much worse. If this happens to you, you will want to have a list of the original settings so you can at least go easily back to what you had. If you forget to write [...]

110 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 There will always be some oscillation, but a proper setting of the integral term will keep these oscillations very minor and within the range of established control accuracy. When the C4 is shipped from th e factory, the integral term is set such that it will work well for most applications. Small adjustments to the proporti[...]

111 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 9.9 Displayed Messages and Errors Table Display Description Manual Section 06.0 -30.5 Program step display 6.1 200 - 100c Controller range - Celsius mode 3.1.2 392 - 148f Controller range - Fahrenheit mode 3.1.2 4-0 3276 Controller serial number 3.1.3 7.5.2 Controller firmware version 3.1.1 all res Full memory reset 3.7.2 c3[...]

112 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 res err Watchdog timer reset 3.7.1 rs load Ready to upload firmware 3.2.2 s1 -77.7 Setpoint for probe 1 control 5.2 sor or -sor System Operating Range error 5.2, 6.7.2 sp err Setpoint error 5.3 su res Setup parameter default value restore 3.3 su err Setup parameter table error 3.7.3 su done Finished writing to EEPROM 3.3 u1c[...]

113 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 INDEX 2 p r o b e c o n t r o l .................................................... 3 5 A u t o s t a r t m o d e ................................................. 8 0 , 8 2 Aux/power control port C o n t r o l ........................................................ 5 2 C r y o g e n i c b o o s t c o n t r o l ...........[...]

114 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 Q C Q u e r y l a s t c o m m a n d .......................................... 6 4 Q E , Q E A Q u e r y e r r o r / s t a t u s s t r i n g ................................. 6 2 Q F , Q F A Q u e r y s e t u p p a r a m e t e r v a l u e .............................. 5 9 Q N Q u e r y c o n t r o l l e r s e r i a l n u m [...]

115 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 F a i l - s a f e S y s t e m ................................................... 3 4 F i r m w a r e .................................................... 1 1 , 1 0 1 C O M p o r t i s s u e s ............................................... 1 0 5 F i r m w a r e u p l o a d p r o b l e m s ...................................[...]

116 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 W P S e t P I D c o n s t a n t s ............................................ 6 7 P N S e l e c t a c t i v e ( c o n t r o l ) p r o b e ....................................... 7 0 P o r t s ............................................................. 1 0 A u x / p o w e r c o n t r o l p o r t c o n t r o l .............[...]

117 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 L o c a l p r o g r a m e x a m p l e u s i n g t h e s p e c i a l c o m m a n d s ................... 9 1 M u l t i p l e i n m e m o r y.............................................. 9 3 P r o g r a m m i n g w o r k s h e e t .......................................... 9 5 U s i n g s h o r t c u t s t o s h o r t e n p r[...]

118 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 R S , R S A - R e q u e s t s t a t u s b y t e ........................................ 6 1 RS-232 See EIA-232 .................................................... 1 0 R u n T i m e P r e - r e a d E r r o r s ........................................... 4 9 I n v a l i d L o o p C o u n t E r r o r .........................[...]

119 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 Shutdown conditions I n t e r n a l e r r o r .................................................. 3 1 M e m o r y s i g n a t u r e f a i l e d .......................................... 3 1 P r o b e o u t o f r a n g e ............................................... 2 9 S e t u p p a r a m e t e r s c o r r u p t ..........[...]

120 C4 Manual Rev 7.5.2 T h e D i f f e r e n t i a l T e r m ........................................... 1 0 8 T h e i n t e g r a l t e r m ............................................... 1 0 7 T h e p r o p o r t i o n a l t e r m ........................................... 1 0 7 W P S e t P I D c o n s t a n t s ................................[...]