Chromalox Temperature Controller Alarm Output

T

Thread Starter

TheSource

Hello everyone,

I'm working with a company that manufactures Distillery Equipment. I'm currently the IT guy, but I am also tasked with the electrical work. (I have experience and training from the US Navy) We Manufacture controllers for heating elements for the stills. I'm currently redesigning them with Raspberry Pi/Arduino custom controllers, but at the moment we still use Chromalox controllers. I can get them programmed to function easily enough, the problem is, the owner wants us to include an audible alarm in some systems. Using a Chromalox 6040-RRA, we have a Type J Probe leading into the input, and have the alarm setup on output one. I can get the alarm light on the unit to trigger when an overtemp condition occurs. However, I cannot seem to get any voltage on the output when it triggers. Any insight or guidance would be appreciated.

V/R
Jon
 
Those single loop controllers can have different devices for their outputs, a relay, a solid state relay, a triac or even a DC voltage or current; it depends on the model.

In the configuration, if it says rLY under "Option 1 (or Option 2 or Option 3) module type", then the output device on output 1 is a relay.

A relay acts as a switch that is 'dry contacts'. Neither contact has a voltage applied to it. You apply a voltage by connecting a wire to one of the relay terminals (typically the Common or C or COM terminal) whose other end is connected to a voltage supply. The other connection goes to the load device (heater element).
 
It looks like for the Chromalox 6040-RRA output 1 is just a relay. The controller itself does not supply any voltage to the relay. When the alarm condition occurs, the relay moves from normally closed to normally open. You need to supply 120 V to the common terminal for output 1, and connect the horn supply wire to the NO terminal for output 1.
 
Thanks a lot David and bgall. I ended up figuring that out and ran a jumper from the power input to the common and got the alarm working. I appreciate your replies though :)
 
> Thanks a lot David and bgall. I ended up figuring that out and ran a jumper from the
> power input to the common and got the alarm working. I appreciate your replies though :)

Good Evening,

One more point :)

Hope you have considered individual fuses (Fuse Terminal Blocks or Fuse 1Pole will do too) for each of the 2 output 'loops' as you have jumpered the power loop into these 2 output loops. This ensures 'electrical isolation' between these loops which means any potential problem faced in the future in any one of these 2 output loops will not 'trip' the MCB which is suppling power to the Controller.

To put in other words, in future, a problem that pops up in either of the 2 output loops should not cause your controller to not continue to do its function (which in our case is activating the other output loop)

Anybody else thinking in same angle? Interested to know why this was not mentioned.
 
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