9/17/2020
Page 22 of 44
QNW TC 1 User’s Guide
5. Serial Communications for the TC 1
Temperature Controller
2/5/2016
Note:
This document provides the serial communications protocols for version 2.2 of the firmware
on the TC 1 family of controllers.
TC 1/Single
– for single cuvette holders such as the t2 Sport, Versa 20, Luma 40, CD 250 and Flash 300;
TC 1/Dual
– for dual independent control for sample and reference cuvettes of the t2x2 Sport and Versa
Dual;
TC 1/Multi
– for multi-position sample changers such as the qCHANGER 6 and the Turret 6.
The version number and the ID (see below) are shown briefly on the display when the temperature controller
is turned on. This initial display can be repeated by pressing the down arrow on the front panel of the
controller.
All functions of the temperature controller can be managed from a computer, using the command set
described below. If you purchased your unit as a component of a spectrometer from certain manufacturers,
this feature may be implemented through traditional RS232 serial connectors on the computer, or the
spectrometer and on the controller. In this case they will be connected by a standard 15-pin serial extension
cable (male connector on one end and female on the other). No driver installation should be needed.
Otherwise the serial linkage will be established through a USB connection between the computer and the
controller. In this case the controller includes electronics which convert the USB connection to a serial
communications port. However, for the port to be available to programs on the computer, it will be necessary
to load driver software.
CAUTION
Caution -
It is important that the driver software be loaded before connecting a USB cable
between the controller and the computer. Contact Quantum Northwest for further information.
Quantum Northwest offers the
T-App
control program written specifically for control of all functions of the
temperature controller and to track temperature as a function of time. The resulting data can be saved to a
text file (two columns, time and temperature, tab delimited) or copied and pasted directly into another
program (such as Microsoft Excel). If you expect to create software or firmware that communicates with a
TC
1
controller,
T-App
may prove extremely useful for preliminary testing of controller commands.
In programming for the
TC 1
controller, one must adhere to the conventional notation: 8/N/1.
Baud:
19200
Data Bits:
8
Parity:
None
Stop Bit:
1
Flow Control:
None
