Temperature Controller with LabVIEW compatibility

[terrence278]

Apologies if this is not the right forum for the question: I am looking to build a project that requires temperature control from room temperature to 200C. I do also have other auxiliary hardware that I need to control - it will all be done via LabVIEW. I thought it may be easier to buy a commercial temperature controller that can communicate with LabVIEW, and I will just control the set point of the temperature controller via LabVIEW and the temperature controller itself can manage the PID and heating element.

Anyone has suggestions on where I can buy such temperature controller? or maybe another more efficiency way to build this temperature control setup? thanks!

[john93burgess]

Hello!

For temperature control (room temp to 200°C) with LabVIEW, buying a commercial temperature controller with communication (RS-232, RS-485/Modbus, Ethernet) is generally easier and safer than implementing PID directly in LabVIEW. Key suppliers include Omega, Watlow, Eurotherm, Delta, and OMRON. Look for controllers matching your temperature range, sensor, output, and offering LabVIEW drivers or communication examples. While direct LabVIEW control offers flexibility and potentially lower cost (if you have a DAQ), it requires more development and expertise in PID and power control. Prioritize ease of integration and safety by choosing a commercial controller. 

[PsyenceFact]

Where I work we do a lot of rig testing with temperature control, and we nearly always find it best to offload the actual control part to a dedicated device - usually a Eurotherm 3200 or 3400 series.  There are LabVIEW drivers available on the NI instrument driver network and they're pretty straightforward to set up for basic writing of setpoint and reading of process value.

Edited to add: it's the RS-485/Modbus version I usually work with and it's quite happy with an RS-485/USB adapter based on the FDI Chip converter (link to FTDI Chip ).

PsyenceFact

[RTSLVU]

There are plenty of companies that make temperature controllers. Omega and Watlow are the first two I can think of. Amazon is full of lower cost temperature controllers.

Just get one that has a communications option, RS-232 serial is the most common. 

Also make sure it has good documentation on the communications and does not require proprietary software for remote control.

[Kyle97330]

First, can you clarify what you mean by "temperature control"?

It sounds kind of like you are going to use something like an oven, but there are other kinds of temperature control:

• TEC controllers
• Forced air controllers
• Liquid coolers/heaters

So it would be best if you could clarify.

You also don't mention things like how tight of a temperature band you need to maintain, and if you have a budget to comply with.

What other people said about communications stuff is important, but I have my own set of preferences:

• Top tier is equipment that communicates over Ethernet, either ASCII or MODBUS
• Next tier is either Serial or GPIB using ASCII or MODBUS, or something that uses Ethernet but we have to use a DLL to do the communication
• After that is anything else that requires a DLL or other binary driver to work, other than USB
• After that is anything that only has a USB connection, but that connection is just a USB to serial adapter built into the device, or it's USB that complies with the Test and Measurement equipment standard
• Bottom tier is anything that's USB but is completely proprietary, needing USB drivers for the OS and some sort of DLL or other janky interface in LabVIEW to communicate with it

There's also other interfaces, like things controlled by analog voltage input and the like, but you'd just need other devices to control that so I wouldn't even consider them on the off chance you come across temperature controller.