Pid controller help

[walker77]

I bought a cal 9900 pid controller. I thought it would be simple to wire up, but the instructions are confusing. Can anyone help me out on this controller?

[ANeat]

Did you see the schematic that Horsemen posted.

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j69/Horsemen1/PIDCONTROL110-1.jpg

[walker77]

Yeah, and the cal controller has power going to 4,5 not 1 and 2.

[Lee W]

look here:

http://www.advindsys.com/ApNotes/CAL9500SSRWiringDiagram.pdf

Let me know if this helps.

[walker77]

that is a 9500 mine is a 9900. Mine doesnt go up to 24 like that one does. Thanks for the help though.

[AJ Peacock]

I looked at the 9900 manual http://www.advindsys.com/Manuals/CALManuals/Cal9900.pdf

The middle of page 6 appears to be what you need. 1,2 are you power. 9,10 go to SSR. 5,4 are you thermocouple connections.

The manual is a bit difficult to follow.

Good luck and keep us posted,
AJ

[walker77]

Thanks i really appreciate it. I thought 4 and 5 was the power. What are the chances of cooking the unit if i wire it up wrong?

[AJ Peacock]

Thanks i really appreciate it. I thought 4 and 5 was the power. What are the chances of cooking the unit if i wire it up wrong?

If you are at all unsure of the connections, call the company on Monday and ask for an application note on it's usage. See if you can talk with a tech and tell him what you're trying to do.

AJ

[walker77]

I just realized that the connections on my unit are even different than the one on the manual. My unit only goes up to 9. I guess ill just have to wait and give them a call monday.

[walker77]

Got it figured out. Want to thank you for your help. Everything is working great on it!

[AJ Peacock]

Got it figured out. Want to thank you for your help. Everything is working great on it!

Tell us about it, how much did it all cost? Pics etc etc etc.


AJ

[walker77]

All in all, it run around 50. I was excited to get the cal 9900 controller on ebay for 10 dollars new. Then i got the ssr and the thermocouple at auburns. All this started because the heating element on my lyman melting pot broke. So once i realized that lyman didnt have any intention on selling me parts or fixing it for me at a decent price i decided to fix it myself. I ordered a heater barrel band for a plastic injection molding machine which ran 25 on ebay. You can get any kind of size you want. I got one that is 4.5 id and 2.5 long. This makes it to where almost the whole pot is covered by heat. The way lyman had it, it just had a heating element looped once around the top and one on the bottom. It gets the lead melted alot faster now. I would show you guys a picture of it. But its a sloppy mess of wires right now. I just threw it together to see if it would work. I need to get a project box for it and all that.

[AJ Peacock]

Don't worry about the mess, we've all done prototyping before!

I'd love the details, as $50 is a terrific deal for a pid controller setup.

Come on, pics now. You gotta!!!

AJ

[walker77]

Ok, well here it is. Nothing fancy really. Really, if i would have known about all this several months ago, i would have never bought a used melting pot. I would have just bought some steel pipe and used the pid and barrel heater. Here is a link to the barrel heater. I got it cheaper on ebay. I think they go up to 12 inch diameter. http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/2VYL5


http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww189/nwalker77/pidlyman.jpg

[snuffy]

For anyone else wondering what the *&%!#@ a PID is;

A proportional–integral–derivative controller (PID controller)

I assume you're using it as a thermostat?

[walker77]

Nope, using it to hold the lid on my flux.....

[Echo]

Nope, using it to hold the lid on my flux.....

That's a big LOL!

[JRW]

For anyone else wondering what the *&%!#@ a PID is;

A proportional–integral–derivative controller (PID controller)

I assume you're using it as a thermostat?

:confused:I had a few other ideas, just figured someone would educate me somohow...

Thanks Snuffy,:drinks:

Jim.

[walker77]

That's a big LOL!


Heeeeeres your sign. Seriously guys, im glad i did this. Always before i would set the dial on the lyman and it would be all over the place. And like i said before, if i would have known how easy and cheap this was i would have just bought some steel pipe and built my own melting pot. It would be an awsome set up for the price of a new lee pot.

[snuffy]

Heeeeeres your sign. Seriously guys, i'm glad i did this.

Smart a**.

Some of us just don't know, maybe don't want to know, what you're building. But it would be nice for you to come down off that high horse to explain it. I still have to guess it's a thermostat control????¿¿¿¿

[walker77]

you seem to know more about it than me. But yes, its a computer controlled thermostat. And if some one didnt want to know they wouldnt sit there and read the whole thread..... And keep your inappropriate comments to yourself.

[snuffy]

Okay, but what else does a person need to build one? Whats a SSR? Thermocouple?

I should have not said smart ***, but you used a reference to Bill Engeval--(sp) who uses the "here's your sign" after showing a stupid act or something. I'm not stupid, or dumb, but I am ignorant. Ignorant in that I don't know how to put together a computer controlled thermostat. I can learn, have to do it nearly every day assembling heavy duty axles at work.

If you're too busy to put together a parts list and how to install them, then perhaps someone else could. Reason is the lee thermostat,(on the pro 20 melter), is just not good enough, I would like to replace it.

[walker77]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=49410&highlight=pid

Check out that thread. That is what i went off of. He also had a lee pot that he was able to alter. He has a web site on there where he ordered his parts from. You can get everything you need from there. I ordered my thermocouple from them and the ssr. It will probably run you around 75 to order everything you need from them. If you get your pid controler from them, you wont have any issues putting it together like i did. The guy has a drawing on the thread of what goes where. Hopes this helps

[Frozone]

One thing those schematics are missing that you may want is a fast blow fuse between the SSR
and the heater. That'll save you a headache in case of a problem. Use a Very fast fuse I2T is a good choice but hard to find at hobby shops.
You could put a 1A slowblow in the line to the PID as well. Both would add a total of ~ $8 to the cost.

[snuffy]

If you get your pid controler from them, you wont have any issues putting it together like i did. The guy has a drawing on the thread of what goes where. Hopes this helps

Thanks Walker77. I looked at that thread, I may do the PID controller for my lee 20# pro pot. The problem I see is having the thermocouple suspended in the lead. Doesn't it get in the way? I see Frozone mounted his through the bottom of the pot, that makes better sense.

[walker77]

I dont really have much trouble with it. Its plently long. I want to say it was 10 or 12 inches long. I just bent mine in a coil like shape to take up the slack. I wouldnt want to put any more holes in the pot then needs to be. But thats just me.

[snuffy]

Well I bit the bullet errrrr the PID, got it all ordered. A link to www.mpja.com got me a die cast project box, a heat sink, and a couple terminal strips. The PID and SSR I got from auber. Dunno when it will all get here, but I'm going looking for cords and wiring tomorrow at the local electronics store.[smilie=w:

Part of why is I get bored doing the same stuff over and over. An occasional challenge helps keep me interested. Then, there's the "COOL" factor, something unusual that actually works. And I like to tinker, but don't we all.

I'll never forget the time when I was about 10, dad came home from work to find I had the lawnmower engine all apart in the middle of his shop floor. I expected a good butt tanning, but he, with my help, put it all back together, even though he hadn't seen it come apart!

[walker77]

Haha, yeah i was always taking stuff apart too. Im really glad i spent the money on mine, well that and i needed to since my pot was shot. You will enjoy it. Just follow the instructions the other guy posted and you wont have near the trouble that i did. My stuff from auber only took a couple days to get here. Have fun!