biertourist

Recipes 

Can you use the Watlow DIN-A-MITE SSRs with an Auber PID or a BCS system?


The Watlow DIN-A-MITEs can be found on Ebay for a pretty reasonable price with the appropriately sized heatsinks and terminals and are nice and safe. I've used all my search engine skills to try and find someone using these things with a cheap Auber PID or BCS system but haven't found a single instance of someone doing this yet so I'm thinking that there is probably a reason for that.

(The Watlow PID controllers seem WAY more expensive than an Auber PID and if you HAVE to use a Watlow PID with these things, I think I'll stick with the tried and true solutions...)

http://www.watlow.com/products/controllers/din-a-mite-a-power-controller.cfm


I really like the Watlow DIN-A-MITE SSRs, though; having them prewired with integrated appropriate SSRs and making it very hard to shock yourself is just really convenient. If I could buy a cheap Auber PID and control these I think it would be a no-brainer for me.


Adam

audger

Recipes 

as long as all the specifications are correct and match between the controller and the SSR, sure, you can use those.

if you post a link to a specific controller, and a specific SSR, we can tell you if they will work or not.

biertourist

Recipes 

How does a PID controller communicate with an SSR? Is it a proper communication protocol or is it just a simple "turn on/ turn off" type signal?

Is this communication protocol standardized so that all SSRs will work with all PIDs or do you have to look for a certain standard?

(I'm going to get the spec sheet and I'll post back here shortly.)


Adam

biertourist

Recipes 

SSR: Watlow DIN-A-MITE C:
Specific model: DC1C-5024-C000 Solid State Power Control 240 VAC, 50 Amp

The part # lists what I'm assuming are the most important specs:
DC (DIN-A-MITE "C" series)
1: Single-Phase
50: 50 amp capacity @50 deg C, 120-240VAC line and load voltage
24: 4.5- 32vdc "input voltage"/ "control voltage"
[LIST][*]Called a "Silicon Controlled Rectifier (SCR) Power Controller"[*]Supports single phase, 3 phase 2-leg, and 3 phase 3-leg operation[*]50A switching capacity[*]200KA short circuit current rating tested up to 480VAC[*]Output Firing: Zero Cross[*]Operating Temp: 50C[LIST]


I could go on and on listing specs but the full specs are listed here so I won't bother:

http://www.watlow.com/downloads/en/specsheets/windmc1111.pdf


I think the Auber PID is a well-known quantity.

Are these two items compatible with each other?

Adam

Francus

Recipes 

The PID or other controller (BCS) sends a low voltage signal to the SSR to close the circuit inside it using a switch to close the 120v circuit inside the SSR to send the electricity to the item controlled. This can be 240v circuit or more depending on the SSR but in homebrewing it is rarely more than 240v and usually just the 120v. The internal switch in the SSR is often optical with an LED. Either way, whatever the switch, they tend to generate a lot of heat and so you will need a heat sink for each SSR. It is better to have the heat sink located outside of the control panel as they will generate gobs and gobs (technical term there) of heat. Both from the switch and the current passing through.

mattd2

Recipes 

What price are you getting on that thing? It looks way to over engineered for a homebrewery, which all you need is a basic solid state relay.
The standard Auber PID that everyone buys on here will not work with this becasue that model has a voltage pulse output - basically it sends a single to turn the SSR on only - control signal on = SSR on / control signal off = SSR off.
That thing is looking for either a variable current or voltage control input -for example if it is setup for 4-20mA control it is looking for a input signle between 4 and 20 mA, lets say 12mA. It will then turn the SSR on for a proportioate duty cycle, for the 12mA example it would be 50% duty.
A quick check on Aubers website it seems like they do not offer a varaible current or volatge output model, so quick answer is No it will not work.
Again please tell us what price you are getting this for and why you want to use it?

__________________
My DIY grain mill
First AG mini-BIAB

WPStrassburg

Recipes 

Too deep into beers for the night to do through research, but if the input to the ssr matches the controller output you should be in business. I've got a few chromalox SCR's that would crush standard China issued SSR's that I'll be using with Auber/Chromalox controllers, but the I/O match. Drop Auber a line to see if they have something that will work.

mattd2

Recipes 

What is the benifit of the SCR over a SSR?

__________________
My DIY grain mill
First AG mini-BIAB

WPStrassburg

Recipes 

SCR's are more better, but let me answer more better tomorrow when I remember for realz.


(or I hope someone with real electrical know-ledge answers in the mean time )

mattd2

Recipes 

Classic

__________________
My DIY grain mill
First AG mini-BIAB