Simple USB interface for thermocouple

[Barry Hardhouse]

Hi All,
I've a need for a simple (quick, easy & cheap) way to read a temperature from a thermocouple, in soft real time, into some PC software. This doesn't need to be a project in itself - I'd just like to get the data in the least stressful way possible.

Does anyone have any recommendations for an approach?

This module, using the MCP9600, looks like a promising start. You can plug in a thermocouple and talk to it over I2C.

The de-facto standard for PCs of course is USB. Are there any recommendations for a device that can talk both USB and I2C with minimal programming, and appear as an easy-to-handle device at the PC (possibly virtualising an RS232 port would be simplest)?

All ideas much appreciated folks!

[EDIT: Doesn't have to be Arduino... just posted here for maximum attention!]

 

[danadak]

https://www.infineon.com/dgdl/Infineon-CE219905_PSoC_3_and_PSoC_5LP_Temperature_Sensing_with_a_Thermocouple-Code+Example-v01_00-EN.pdf?fileId=8ac78c8c7d0d8da4017d0e7656ca0781

https://www.infineon.com/dgdl/Infineon-CE219929_PSoC_3_and_PSoC_5LP_Thermocouple_Calibration-Code+Example-v01_00-EN.pdf?fileId=8ac78c8c7d0d8da4017d0e7668a8078d

https://www.infineon.com/dgdl/Infineon-AN75511_PSoC_3_PSoC_5LP_Temperature_Measurement_with_a_Thermocouple-ApplicationNotes-v06_00-EN.pdf?fileId=8ac78c8c7cdc391c017d0730fc5054bb

The above ap notes all PSOC 5LP, single chip solution. USBUART and I2C and other COM also onboard.

The overall chip has the following (in many cases multiple copies) components in it (in PSOC land
a component is an onchip resource) -

View attachment 138054

IDE (PSOC Creator) and compiler free. For low count I/O use this $15 board -

CY8CKIT-059

Regards, Dana.

 

[rjenkinsgb]

Fairly cheap ready made device:

PhidgetTemperatureSensor 1-Input USB Thermocouple Interface

Thermocouple Temperature Sensor Interface Kit New v300 Firmware USB Interface Powerful Phidget API includes documentation for programming in COM, .NET, C, VC++, VB, Java, Flash and others

www.robotshop.com

 

[danadak]

Fairly cheap ready made device:

PhidgetTemperatureSensor 1-Input USB Thermocouple Interface

Thermocouple Temperature Sensor Interface Kit New v300 Firmware USB Interface Powerful Phidget API includes documentation for programming in COM, .NET, C, VC++, VB, Java, Flash and others

www.robotshop.com

Dev tool is PSOC Designer :

PSoC™ 1 Code Examples for PSoC™ Designer - Infineon Technologies

www.infineon.com

This is the older PSOC 1 family of parts.


Regards, Dana.

 

[Barry Hardhouse]

Thanks both.
I think that the Cypress system may be more work than I was looking for, although the app notes are good.

I had seen the Phidget products, but was hoping I might find something a little cheaper. However, having looked at some of the documentation, they do seem like they might be worth forking out for. I wonder if my boss will agree?

 

[tepalia02]

You can plan something like this too: https://www.pcbway.com/project/shareproject/Datalogger_pH_and_Temperature.html

This is based on Arduino. This board can be applied for monitoring pH and temperature of laboratory-scale solutions. The working system of this board utilizes Arduino Pro Mini as a data processor obtained from the reading of the value of the DFRobot V1 pH meter and the type K thermocouple sensor.