Temperature Calibration/Adjustment

[AgentSPS]

The temperature my Profilux is reading is several degrees off. A cannot find anything in the manual addressing temperature adjustment. Is there a way to do this? Every other controller I have ever owned allowed the user to adjust/calibrate the temperature.

[tee-em]

No there is no calibration for it, as there is no need, apparently pre calibrated there a re a few post about this. Cant find the exact one I am looking for but here is one of them anyway... http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...re+calibration

[AgentSPS]

Nonsense....I spent 3 years in the calibration business and digital temperature devices and standards do not stay calibrated permanently. I would also like to see the calibration procedure and NIST traceability of the standards used to calibrate the temperature component and probes during the manufacturing process. IMHO they don't exist with this brand nor most others in the hobby. I have a lab grade analog thermometer which has a lower tolerance than the Profilux and I am trusting that. Its telling me the Profilux is off by about 2 degrees. Without any way of adjusting my profilix temp, I might as well rely on my chiller for the temp...at least it allows me to calibrate.

GHL team, please take serious consideration of building in temperature adjustment capability into the next firmware update regardless of how confident you are in the factory 'calibration'.

[AQD_ottawa]

In the software in the temp setting you can adjust the calibration to suit!

We to date after 7 years of production have not had the need for any client to touch this, but its there if you so choose.

When was your lab grade calibrated and by what method? As you come from the industry you will also be aware of the 1 degree +/- tolerence rule so i am assuming you are employing this in your calculations also.

Hope that helps

[AgentSPS]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12619404#post12619404 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by AQD_ottawa
In the software in the temp setting you can adjust the calibration to suit!

We to date after 7 years of production have not had the need for any client to touch this, but its there if you so choose.

When was your lab grade calibrated and by what method? As you come from the industry you will also be aware of the 1 degree +/- tolerence rule so i am assuming you are employing this in your calculations also.

Hope that helps

This does help and I am relieved to hear there is a way to adjust so thank you.

Yes tolerance is +/- 1 degree, as are all analog (liquid) thermometers. Calibrated Sept 07 using Isotech standards traceable to NIST. If I can, I might try borrowing a more sensitive thermocouple from the lab to calibrate profilux.

Thanks

[jamesdawson]

Don't forget, 1 degree celsius equals 1.8 degrees fahrenheit.

If the probes were factory calibrated at the celsius standard and they can be +/- 1 degree celsius then that means a probe at the maximum 1 degree celsius variation is going to be off 1.8 degrees fahrenheit (damn close to 2 degrees F) and still be within standard!

James

[AgentSPS]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12622423#post12622423 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jamesdawson
Don't forget, 1 degree celsius equals 1.8 degrees fahrenheit.

If the probes were factory calibrated at the celsius standard and they can be +/- 1 degree celsius then that means a probe at the maximum 1 degree celsius variation is going to be off 1.8 degrees fahrenheit (damn close to 2 degrees F) and still be within standard!

James

Im not a metrologist and do not have calibration procedure or standards spec in front of me but I believe tolerance is in degrees F. Either way it should not be hard to get a hold of a thermocouple with tolerance much better than 1 degree F. Can use this to tune the Profilix. Either way I am happy to find out that ability to adjust temp is present on the Profilux. For me, my tank always tends to run on the upper edge of acceptable temp. Temperature differential between 80-82 is, in my experience, more potentially dangerous than say 76-78.

[tee-em]

In the software in the temp setting you can adjust the calibration to suit!

I must be missing something ... what FW/Software version is this, is this profilux control or on the controller itself?
Chrs

[LRS]

I also would like to know where this adjustment can be done!

Many thanks...

[AQD_ottawa]

+/- 1 degree is in celcius industry worldwide standard set by CE and UL

[AgentSPS]

GHL-

Can you please provide detailed instructions as to how to adjust temp in the software. The two fields, Current Value and Calibration Data, do not allow you to alter the number in those boxes.

Thank you for your help

[AQD_ottawa]

Correction to above statement.

In the software you can NOT change the value due to the fact it is not required. This from what I remember was covered by GHL in a thread a while back and I believe it was suggested that these figures could be adjusted in later software versions, hense my confusion.

But as you are within industry standard our personal advise is there is no specific reason to change these values. No matter what thermometer you employ whether lab grade or bargain bucket Chinese import, put them together and you will always see a fine tolerance of below 2 degrees F or 1 degree C it is the common nature of thermometers and the reason for the industry approved tolerance.

I will however check the facts fully with GHL tomorrow for you to see if they are looking at implementing self adjustments.

In regards to dangers to a tank, after two personal visits to the maldives I did many checks on water paremeters as an interested hobbyist and one thing is very common and that is temperature fluctuations of anythign up to 4 degrees in one day +/- with an average temperature of 79F so having a 2 degree swing in my personal experience both in the wild and in my own system is of little concern

[AgentSPS]

Thank you for checking and please encourage them to take a serious look at allowing users to adjust regardless of tolerance and any optimization done at the factory.

Overall the Profilux is such a great product with so much flexibility. I would hate to have something as relatively small as this become a drawback.

[AQD_ottawa]

No problem i will ask for you, but i do not see how this would be a draw back to a fully functioning certified devise, but I am happy to enquire for you no problem, which i hope will reasure you.

Best wishes
Michael

[Matthias Gross]

Hi

there is a trick to manipulate the temp-calibration:
- save your sensor settings
- open this file with notepad
- manipulate the calibration values - you will find them easily
- load the sensor settings back

More regarding this topic can be read in other threads here, I don't want to repeat my statements again.

[AgentSPS]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12629200#post12629200 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Matthias Gross
Hi

there is a trick to manipulate the temp-calibration:
- save your sensor settings
- open this file with notepad
- manipulate the calibration values - you will find them easily
- load the sensor settings back

More regarding this topic can be read in other threads here, I don't want to repeat my statements again.

I cannot locate any calibration values in the list of settings. Can you elaborate? Let me know if you want me to post my settings.

[Matthias Gross]

you will find 4 numbers in this file:
the ADC1 and ADC2 (compare to your values which are displayed in ProfiLuxControl under Calibration Data), also 200 and 300 (20°C and 30°C)

[boboxx]

Are you refering to :

CODE_CAL1ADC_TEMP1 982
CODE_CAL2ADC_TEMP1 983

if so, I dont see those in Settings.par or Sensor data.par

[Matthias Gross]

no, it looks like this

30, "CODE_SENSORPARA1ITEM0", 200
31, "CODE_SENSORPARA1ITEM1", 300
32, "CODE_SENSORPARA1ITEM2", 677
33, "CODE_SENSORPARA1ITEM3", 319

in Sensordata.par
677 and 319 are my calibration values, 200 and 300 is the temp.

[badazztealcobra]

Anyone else checked theirs by any chance ???

I just checked mine....

Fluke IR thermometer - 78.3
Fluke handheld - 78.6
Profilux temp sensor - 78.5

I dont think it can get any closer than that.

[AgentSPS]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12639064#post12639064 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by badazztealcobra
Anyone else checked theirs by any chance ???

I just checked mine....

Fluke IR thermometer - 78.3
Fluke handheld - 78.6
Profilux temp sensor - 78.5

I dont think it can get any closer than that.

That looks perfect.... unless you used one to calibrate the others LOL.

[houms]

Originally Posted by Matthias Gross

you will find 4 numbers in this file:
the ADC1 and ADC2 (compare to your values which are displayed in ProfiLuxControl under Calibration Data), also 200 and 300 (20°C and 30°C)

Hello,
I just buy a profilux 3.1NEx. every thing is fine except the temperature which is wrong: I think my temperature reference is 1.5°C wrong.
I understand and was able to change the parameters for temperature calibration by editing my sensor parameters file and sending it back to my profilux.
I just wanted to know if you see a way to find the right parameters to set?
I thought I should calibrate it for instance with some water with Ice (so it should be at 0°C, and also with some water which is around 37°C to being able to use a medical digital thermometer which is probably accurate?
I also compare your parameters, my parameters when I receive the profilux and also another profilux (of a friend which is working correctly and accurately), and they are not the same. So as we can at any time bye a new probe, I wanted to understand, how it's possible to having valid calibration parameters independently of the probe we want to use?
Thanks for your help.

[AQD_ottawa]

If the unit is new the probe will be reading new they are lab set in the factory, if an older unit then we do not know what the original client has done with the unit before.

By doing a factory reset you reset the ADC values, so please do that first.

If still not sure if correct then measure it against a known quality mercury thermometer, you can then change the calibration slope in the temperature settings until it reads what you want it to. However you are then in charge of its accuracy not the manufacturer.

[houms]

Originally Posted by AQD_ottawa

If the unit is new the probe will be reading new they are lab set in the factory, if an older unit then we do not know what the original client has done with the unit before.

By doing a factory reset you reset the ADC values, so please do that first.

If still not sure if correct then measure it against a known quality mercury thermometer, you can then change the calibration slope in the temperature settings until it reads what you want it to. However you are then in charge of its accuracy not the manufacturer.

Ok & thanks for the fast answer. Yes the unit is new. Ok I'll do the factory rest.
Just wanted to know what is reseted?
- All sensors? I suppose yes.
- All settings like level sensors, socket functions,...?

So I suppose I have to recalibrate all probes (except temperature) and set again every thing? Or I can reload the saved settings except temperature probe parameters?

[AQD_ottawa]

It will reset everything including ADC values in the Temperature settings.

Unless you have proven reason to no trust the temperature (never had a case yet) then I would leave the settings alone.