Huky Phidget connection question

[SJM]

The Huky comes with 2 thermocouples installed and one more which I can put in place of the current analog temp reader.
The K-type thermocouples have those little mini plugs on the ends of them.

The Phidget seems to want bare wires inserted.
http://www.phidgets.com/docs/1048_User_Guide

I'm guessing that I can just remove the plugs at the ends of the t/c wires and that I will have the two wires I need for each connection? 

[jano]

Hi there - those green connections on the phidget do take the bare wire.

You'll want to do one of two things:

1. Either get thermocouple wire with female end to connect to the  Huky's plug to plug , and just dangle it into the phidget  (this isn't really recommended, becuse the TC wire is stiff and irritating to work with), or

2. mount the phidget in a project box, get some extra wire (ideally thermocouple wire, but not totally necessary), and get some suface-mount female plugs, into the project box:
http://www.omega.com/pptst/MPJ.html

I did #2 with my TC4 (something like the phidget).

Attached picture of my setup (lots of other stuff in there - I setup a circuit to read/log voltage from my variac).  The mpj connectors are there on the right, and I clipped excess thermocouple wire I had to wire it to my logger board.  Let me tell you, dealing with the thermocouple wire and sticking it into the green pluggy things is a real PITA.

[SJM]

That sounds much more complicated than I was envisioning.

It looks to me like there are convenient tightening holes on the top of the box that correspond to where each of the wires would go into the side....

Really?
Hmmmph....

[jano]

I didn't know the phigdet came with a box.

If you don't plan on moving it around, then you "can" dismantle the yellow connectors on the Huky's TCs and plug directly into the phidget.  I set mine up with connectors so I could plug and unplug, because I have to move stuff around.  Consider some hot glue blobs on the outside of the box where the TC connects go in, to help provide some strain relief, otherwise, you'll deal with the wires pulling out of the green connector doohickees if you move the box a little.

[SJM]

The acrylic enclosure is separate, but I did get it:
http://www.phidgets.com/products.php?product_id=3810

And thanks, that is definitely more encouraging.
I will probably set to it tomorrow.

And, wheeeeee.  Look at this Phidget addresses my issue right here and I didn't even see it until now:
 If you want to use a thermocouple with a Subminiature (Flat Pin) connector, you can use the 3106 - Thermocouple Adapterhttp://www.phidgets.com/products.php?product_id=3106

[jano]

Cool! That was my option #1 above

[SJM]

Yup, and I ordered those parts as soon as I saw that Phidget had them.
Thank you !!!

[kjr55w]

I second jano's point about strain relief for the thermocouple wires going into the phidget. The wire is stiff and will jerk out of the connection easily. The phidget enclosure could be mounted onto a piece of plastic or plywood and the tc wires tied down to that so the connection dosn't move. I could not find what kind of thermocouples are in the Huky, I assume they are K type, but get that right in the Phidget utility and in the artisan device setup, along with polarity of tc wires, it should work.

[SJM]

All well and good except that Phidget expressly says:  If you have thermocouples with these plugs on the end, you need these parts.  And those parts caused all the trouble.  I spent two days trying to figure it out.  Kinda pissed me off....

Except, of course, that I learned a lot about stuff along the way....even if I forget more than I learned before I need to use it again....

[jano]

Susan: sorry to convince you spend money on the connectors.. yes, you are right, it's possible to dismantle.

The drawback is, if you move the phidget around, or bump the wires, there's a good chance they will wiggle out or disconnect.  Getting them permanently stuck to the green screw in things is not possible, they will eventually slip.  Actually, you can probably hot glue them in place, that'll last for some time, alternatively, put a good chunk of epoxy there, but that will be permanent.

It sounds like you aren't planning on moving the parts much at all, so you should be good.  But, in case you don't put any strain relief on the wire, and you do end up with weird results in your logging, file this away in your memory: check the connections of the TC at the phidget.  I had many, many hair-pulling encounters early on that were simply the result of a lousy connection.

[SJM]

Susan: sorry to convince you spend money on the connectors.. yes, you are right, it's possible to dismantle.

The drawback is, if you move the phidget around, or bump the wires, there's a good chance they will wiggle out or disconnect.  Getting them permanently stuck to the green screw in things is not possible, they will eventually slip.  Actually, you can probably hot glue them in place, that'll last for some time, alternatively, put a good chunk of epoxy there, but that will be permanent.

It sounds like you aren't planning on moving the parts much at all, so you should be good.  But, in case you don't put any strain relief on the wire, and you do end up with weird results in your logging, file this away in your memory: check the connections of the TC at the phidget.  I had many, many hair-pulling encounters early on that were simply the result of a lousy connection.

Jano, you are not to blame at all.  I opted for the connector path my very own self.  Turns out, however, that something in those connectors was not compatible with the K-wiring even though they were supposed to be for K-types.  I have simply reverted to the direct wires because IT WORKS THAT WAY.  Long term I may need something else.

I do think Phidget owes it to me to allow the return of these particular plugs since they don't do the job, but that's another story....