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conductor senses the same thermal gradient as the first, it also produces a Wire of Metal B T
Cold Junction
voltage. This voltage, however, is different from that of the first conductor
Temperature
Measurement
because it is made from a different metal. The small difference between the Isothermal Block
two voltages, which is typically in the millivolt range, is used for measurement
of the thermal gradient.
Cold Junction Compensation Theory
Since the voltage is generated by a thermal difference between the junc- Typically, a voltage is produced by a thermocouple at any given
tions, one junction is called the “hot junction” and the other is called the “cold
temperature. For example, the K-type thermocouple at 300°C will
junction” or “reference junction.” An increase in the temperature difference
produce 12.2mV. To measure this voltage accurately, we must
between hot and cold junctions increases the voltage generated in a non-
linear relation. The degree of linearity is a property of the two metals used to compensate for using any contact made to a thermocouple -- a
make the thermocouple. technique called cold junction compensation (CJC). In case you
Based on this law, it is quite acceptable to make a thermocouple Layer CJC channel Number Comments
junction by soldering the two metals together as the solder will AI-207 Channel 33 Single-Ended
not affect the reading. In practice, however, thermocouple junc-
AI-225 Channel 24 Single-Ended
tions are made by welding the two metals together (usually by
capacitive discharge) because this ensures that the performance Table-1
is not limited by the melting point of solder.
Hardware Setup of Analog Input AI-225 and AI-207 Layers
Cold Junction Compensation Using a PowerDNA Screw Ter-
minal Panel (STP) Analog Input AI-225 and AI-207 Layers have a dedicated CJC
Ambient temperature measurement is done by Cold Junction channel which measures voltage corresponding to the ambient
compensation (CJC). A PowerDNA Screw Terminal Panel has an temperature. The example below shows the hardware set to
isothermal metal block which is at ambient temperature. The
References:
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