2
Setup and Operation
Connections
1. Connect the thermocouple and heater power cord to the ITC2 rear panel.
NOTE: Take care to verify the polarity of the thermocouple input, as described below.
2. Plug the power cord into the ITC2 and into a properly grounded outlet
3. Turn the power switch to “On”.
On initial power up, the controller will go through a boot sequence in which the ther-
mocouple is checked for proper connection. If the red temperature display shows “
nnnn
”,
the thermocouple is not connected properly. Turn the power off and fix the connection
before proceeding.
When a proper connection is detected, the controller starts controlling at the setpoint
indicated in the green LED readout. The ITC2 leaves the factory with a setpoint of 20.0,
so there will probably be no power applied to the heater until the setpoint is increased.
Adjusting the Temperature Setpoint
Use the up and down arrows on the controller (
Figure 3
) to select the desired
temperature setpoint.
Verifying Thermocouple Polarity
To verify the correct polarity of the thermocouple input, increase the set point and verify
that the temperature increases. If the temperature in the readout is decreasing, the
thermocouple is not polarized correctly. Correct before proceeding.
Running Autotune
As mentioned previously, the controller utilizes a PID algorithm for configuring the best
scheme according to the mass, power applied, and heat loss. We recommend using the
autotune feature to establish these values. To learn more, refer to
“Appendix A: Operation
Terms and Principles”
on page 6. All other functions of the controller have been factory set
for optimum performance; it is recommended that these settings remain unchanged.
Autotune has two modes: Fast, for the shortest execution time, and Full, for maximum
temperature stability.
Initiating the Autotune Sequence: Fast Mode
1. Press hold the P key for five seconds. “
Atun
” will appear in the upper red LED and “
oFF
”
will appear in the lower green LED
2. Momentarily press the down arrow. When “
FASt
” appears in the lower green LED, press
the P key again to select the fast mode.
3. Press the P key eight more times. At this point, the TUNE LED illuminates, the setpoint
and actual temperatures are displayed, and the fast autotune sequence begins.
4. Use the up and down arrows on the controller (
Figure 3
) to adust the temperature
setpoint to the desired reading. This can be done before the autotune sequence is
completed.