SLC500 temperature control

[KParker150]

We want to control temperature with an SLC 5/03 controller and a SLC500 NT4 thermocouple input. Is there any good software available to help with the setup of something like this and a PID loop?
Thanks

 

[ScottyUK]

The SLC5/03 is perfectly adequate for PID control on a slow loop such as a temperature controller. What did you mean by software? RSLogix is the native A-B software for the SLC processors and can do what you're asking. A-B's manuals aren't bad to follow. You will need some form of output card from the PLC to control your heat source.

Tuning a temperature loop is either dead simple or a nightmare - the latter usually arises from long transport delays in the process between a controller demand change and the process variable at the sensor responding. Good control using PID in a loop with a long transport delay is tricky - often feed-forward yields better results.

You might want to check out the Ziegler Nichols tuning method if your process is amenable to it. This link gives a fair explanation, and any control engineering text will have this and a lot more detail.

http://www.act-control.com/ZN.HTM

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