Temperature Control

Hi
I want to be able to regulate temperature in an incubator.
Apart from Thermocouple /RTD probe (sensor), which other hardware(s) is required to control a heater On/Off using Delta or Do More mini PLC?

Hi Meyers,
It will depend on how you want to switch your heater. This will depend on the specifications of your heater. Typically a relay output will be used to trigger your heater On/OFF to control. If the current is greater than the output relay can handle, then an interposing relay can be used.
The actual control can be ON/OFF or PID. Use PID for more accurate control of the temperature.
https://accautomation.ca/click-plc-pid-using-factory-io/
This post will give you a good idea of how PID will work in a control system.
The Do-More has a built-in PID control.
https://accautomation.ca/brx-plc-pid-with-pwm-output/
Here is a link to the entire Do-More Series.
https://accautomation.ca/series/brx-do-more-plc/

I hope this helps you out.
Regards,

just some friendly advice ...

if this is going to be for an incubator for baby chicks (or something else along those lines) I'd check with someone who breeds chickens for a living ... my family used to raise chickens for an egg-farm operation back when I was a boy ... I can remember that there was more to keeping them alive than just the right temperature ...

if I remember correctly, there was something about the way the heaters (basically incandescent light bulbs) were arranged in "zones" - so that the little chicks could move back and forth from warmer to hotter by themselves ... and (again from memory) I think that humidity was a concern too ...

now if you're working on a project just to learn about PLCs then you've come to the right place ... but if you're trying to raise little chicks - I'd recommend that you talk to a company that sells ready-built incubators before you dive in too deep ...

either way - good luck with your project ...

My memories from back on the farm coincide with Ron's. We also used heat lamps hung over a small pen. The biggest problem was the chicks crowding together and smothering a few of the bunch.

I wouldn't bother with PID or anything besides a simple thermostat - on/off temps with a few degrees of bandwidth between them. A few degree temp swing won't matter to the chicks.