PID Temperature Controller

Controlling the temperature of the crystat

 Connecting LakeShore (Model 218) temperature monitor to the PID box allows controlling cryostat temperature during LN2 cooling.

Connecting LakeShore to PID

1. Close Cold Finger Monitor.vi if it is running and switch off the LakeShore unit.
2. Disconnect thermocouple from the PID box.
3. Connect LakeShore’s analog output 1 to PID’s thermocouple input (see pictures below).
4. Connect Cold finger heater cables.
5. Load PID parameters for the Cold finger; recipe Elind ColdFinger LN2 (see Eurotherm iTools for more details).
6. Switch on LakeShore, activate (set up) LakeShores’s analog output 1 (see below).

Setting LakeShore Model 218 analog output

Note: In order to activate and set-up the analog output, the unit must be in local mode otherwise it doesn’t respond to the front panel buttons. If it is in the remote mode (indicated by R letter in the top-right corner of the device LCD screen), close the Cold Finger Monitor.vi if it is running, then press Local key (number 9) on the device pront panel. The R letter should disappear.

1. Press Local (number 9) key on the Lakeshore front panel.
2. Press Analog Outputs (number 0) on the front panel.
3. Select output 1, press Enter.
4. Select Input or Off if you want to activate or deactivate the analog output. Press Enter to confirm.
5. Select Input 5, Units K, Bipol.-off.
6. In settings set 0V -> 0K, 10V -> 500K. Always confirm with Enter. (Note that the same parameters are set for PID input in Elind ColdFinger LN2 recipe configuration file.)

Disconnecting LakeShore from PID

1. Set PID from "AUTO" to "MAN" (press the circular button on the left) and set output to 0 (press and hold down arrow).
2. Close Cold Finger Monitor.vi, if opened.
3. Press Local (number 9) key on the Lakeshore front panel.
4. Set the analog output 1 to OFF (see previous section, points 2-4).
5. Disconnect cable form LakeShore’s analog output and PID’s Tc input.
6. Connect thermocouple to the PID box.
7. Load PID parameters other than those for the cold finger (for example recipe Elind PBN no LN2).