Watlow DIN-A-MITE SSRs -use with Auber PID or BCS?

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biertourist

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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
 
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.
 
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
 
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"

  • 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
 
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.
 
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?
 
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.
 
...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.....

What is the benifit of the SCR over a SSR?
 
I should have been a bit clearer and said the chromalox/watlow/crydom relays are a bit better than the china stuff. It'll work, but the quality may be questionable and if you can score quality industrial components then you'll only be farther ahead. But if you're on a budget most of the china stuff will be more than sufficient for what we are doing.

The whole SCR vs SSR stuff is a ways over my head for me to give a rundown, but the switching can be faster on SCR, is a bit more robust, and can lead to longer equipment life in some cases from what I gather. We're dealing with simple heaters and somewhat low power so we'll never realize any huge benefits other than a lifetime of brewing on quality original equipment.
These guys give a decent rundown on the principals and equipment.

http://www.sdiohio.com/Pages/Power Control.htm

A decent run down of the principles of the equipment.
 
Cheers WPStrassburg :mug: and sorry for the thread hijack biertourist!
I know what you are saying with the China vs. non-China comment. Sometimes their QC can leave a lot to be desired, and at times it seems that the philosophy is more make crap loads for cheap so that even if we have to replace 10% on warranty we are still making more profit that scraping 20% for non-conformance! Pinto anyone?
 
What is the benifit of the SCR over a SSR?

they are not exactly comparable like that. SSRs can be made out of SCRs, or also MOSFETs or some other types of solid state switches.

most zero crossing SSRs are made out of a pair(s) of SCRs (silicon controlled rectifiers, a type of thyristor). they are zero crossing because of the fact that SCRs dont stop conducting until the current falls below a threshold level, like when the AC waveform crosses zero. SCRs are used in pairs because they only conduct current in one direction, so two are needed to conduct AC.

non-zero crossing SSRs normally have MOSFETs doing the switching, as their state is not dependant on the amount of current flowing thru it, and can turn on or off at any given time.
 
See, I knew there would be a more better answer than I could give...

they are not exactly comparable like that. SSRs can be made out of SCRs, or also MOSFETs or some other types of solid state switches.

most zero crossing SSRs are made out of a pair(s) of SCRs (silicon controlled rectifiers, a type of thyristor). they are zero crossing because of the fact that SCRs dont stop conducting until the current falls below a threshold level, like when the AC waveform crosses zero. SCRs are used in pairs because they only conduct current in one direction, so two are needed to conduct AC.

non-zero crossing SSRs normally have MOSFETs doing the switching, as their state is not dependant on the amount of current flowing thru it, and can turn on or off at any given time.


I do think the op's original SCR's would be compatible with the auber controllers, but without an exact model number it's tough to tell.

OP,
Did you have a model # of the one you were looking at?
 
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"

  • 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




    • these two items are compatible with each other, and will work just fine. 5-24vdc is a standard ssr drive signal voltage that is commonly used in industrial controls. it is a simple on-off pulse, the duty cycle is determined by the pid controller, not the ssr...
 
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