TE Technology TC-48-20 - Manual (Page 8)

8
Features
TC‐48‐20 Controller
The TC‐48‐20 is thermoelectric temperature controller capable of controlling up to 50 volts and 20 amps. Housed
in a die‐cast aluminum box, it incorporates a keypad and a liquid‐crystal display capable of displaying two lines of
text, each up to 16 characters long. The display allows the user to monitor the sensor temperature, output level,
and menu settings. The integrated keypad accesses an easy‐to‐use menu system, allowing the user to adjust all of
the basic controller parameters such as the set temperature, tuning parameters, and alarm parameters.
The controller can also be connected to a computer via RS232 port for more advanced program control, data
graphing, and data logging. All of the controller parameters, including some of the advanced parameters not
adjustable through the onboard menu, can be adjusted via this software. (The RS‐232 cable is optional and can be
purchased separately; the software is included.)
By choosing the appropriate power supply(s), the controller can control loads from 0 to <50 VDC via pulse‐width
modulation with the onboard power transistors. The turn‐on and turn‐off transition times for these transistors
have been adjusted to reduce electro‐magnetic interference when controlling high current levels. However, if a
true linear‐output control system is desired, the TC‐48‐20 can be used as the control head for controlling high‐
power, linear‐output supplies. Some of these linear output supplies are available as basic switching power
supplies, allowing the user to create a relatively low cost linear control system which generates much less waste
heat when compared to a typical linear system. The TC‐48‐20 can also be configured to control DC heaters.
The TC‐48‐20 controller can be easily configured through its built in keypad. However, it can also interface with a
computer through its serial port using the included software. The software provides all of the same configuration
options that are available through the keypad plus additional programming features and the ability to log data to a
computer. The command set for the controller is also provided to allow the creation of custom software
applications with National Instruments LabVIEW, for example.