Nice to meet you, I’m Gianluca, an italian student of Engeneering.
I would like to develop a thermocouples display which have to visualize the temperature readed by four different TC. The temperature range is not wide, from 0°C to 80°C.
As I am a mechanical engeneer I’m not very good in electronic so I am looking for some suggestion to realize this work. The reader will be simply four 7segments displays.
I found that the MAX31855 is a new but cheaper component which contains many features in the inside so I choose it, then I choose the “type T” thermocouples wich are more used for my same purpouse but now I have to choose what to connect to the SPI.
Is there someone who can kindly suggest me how to proceed and how to manage the TC signals in order to visualize them togheter in realtime? Which micro controller is better? Which develpment tools is better?
I saw that the 31855 is an upgrade of the old MAX6675, is there any working project that I can follow?
I don't know if any of the ready made boards have the version of the Max31855 that is for a T style thermocouple. If you are handy with a soldering iron, you can make you own with an 8-pin SOIC breakout board. That's what I did. Once you have the chips on a breakout board, you can put them on a prototyping shield and easily hook them up to an Arduino.
I've already bought a SOIC to DIL adapeter where I soldered the MAX31855. My problem start from the SPI interface onwards...
Do I really need a microcontroller such is the Arduino, or BASIC Stamp 2 if I have just to visualize the four temperatures?
Maybe the answer is yes, because you need to linearize the signalas and to compensate the noise, isn’t it?
Gianluca88:
Dear all,
Thank you very much for your reply.
I've already bought a SOIC to DIL adapeter where I soldered the MAX31855. My problem start from the SPI interface onwards...
Do I really need a microcontroller such is the Arduino, or BASIC Stamp 2 if I have just to visualize the four temperatures?
Maybe the answer is yes, because you need to linearize the signalas and to compensate the noise, isn’t it?
Thank you again!
No, you don't need a microcontroller if you have a USB to SPI interface to plug your DIL adapter into you're good to go.
0-80* range ? so why to use thermocouple? Better use maxim-dallas onewire thermometers, if You are a student then You can get them for free from samples program !
Gianluca88:
Dear all,
Thank you very much for your reply.
I've already bought a SOIC to DIL adapeter where I soldered the MAX31855. My problem start from the SPI interface onwards...
Do I really need a microcontroller such is the Arduino, or BASIC Stamp 2 if I have just to visualize the four temperatures?
Maybe the answer is yes, because you need to linearize the signalas and to compensate the noise, isn’t it?
Thank you again!
No, you don't need a microcontroller if you have a USB to SPI interface to plug your DIL adapter into you're good to go.
Actually, I was being a little sarcastic. You will most likely need an Arduino or a Stamp to get the temperature data out of the chip. The MAX31855 is pretty capable all by itself. It takes care of linearizing the signal from the thermocouple and if you keep your leads short you shouldn't have any problem with noise. I just finished trying a K type out on a breadboard and I used this library by Andy123:
Give it a try. I don't think you'll have any problems.