Measuring thermocouple temperature requires that the voltage at the end of the thermocouple be measured at a isothermal block. The temperature of the isothermal block must be known. For the E1347, the isothermal block temperature is determined by a thermistor embedded in a block of aluminum.

The procedure to convert B-type thermocouple voltage to temperature:

1. Use the subprogram Degrees_init to set "F" or "C" for degrees F or degrees C (line 510).
2. Measure the resistance of the 5000 ohm thermistor on a E1347 isothermal terminal block (lines 560-590).
3. Use the function FNThr5(Thr_ohms) to convert this resistance to the temperature of the isothermal block (line 660).
4. Measure the voltage of a thermocouple (lines 600-630).
5. Use the function FNThmc_b(Voltage,Ref_temp) to convert the thermocouple voltage, and block temperature to the to temperature of the thermocouple (line 700). This routine was ported from the DACQ/300 Temperature Library. It is valid from 130 deg C to 1820 deg C.

Lines 450-710 measure a thermocouple directly using the MEAS:TEMP command and then using the MEAS:RES, MEAS:VOLT:DC measurement functions and the FNThr, FNThmc, Degrees_init routines. The result are in degrees C. The two methods produce the same result. When this program was run, the thermocouple was at room temperature which is below the valid range. Thus the overload readings, but it does demonstrate how to verify operation.

Lines 730-810 print out a table of voltage vs temperature with a block reference temperature of 0 degrees C. The results are in degrees C. Comparison of this table to standard thermocouple tables shows validity.

10 ! re-save "TEMP_B"

20 ! This main line code is reserved as a error handling shell

30 ! All application code must be at lower level context

40 ASSIGN @Sys TO 70900 ! define I/O paths

50 ASSIGN @Dvm TO 70903

60 COM /Instr/ @Sys,@Dvm

70 COM /Hpnav_temp/ Hpnav_degrees$[1],Hpnav_errvalu

80 ON TIMEOUT 7,3 GOTO End !Turn TIMEOUTS to errors--this branch never taken

90 ON ERROR RECOVER Kaboom !This handles timeouts and errors not handled

100 ! at lower level contexts

110 Main ! Put application code in this sub

120 PRINT "Checking for E13xx Errors at the end of the program"

130 E13xx_errors

140 GOTO End

150 Kaboom:PRINT ""

160 PRINT ERRM$

170 PRINT "Checking for E13xx Errors as a BASIC Error has occurred"

180 E13xx_errors

190 End:END

200 !

210 SUB E13xx_errors !This sub reads all errors from E13xx instruments

220 COM /Instr/ @Sys,@Dvm

230 COM /Hpnav_temp/ Hpnav_degrees$[1],Hpnav_errvalu

240 DIM A$[128]

250 ABORT 7

260 CLEAR @Dvm

270 REPEAT

280 OUTPUT @Dvm;"SYST:ERR?"

290 ENTER @Dvm;A,A$

300 PRINT "DVM ERROR ";A$

310 UNTIL A=0

320 !

330 CLEAR @Sys

340 REPEAT

350 OUTPUT @Sys;"SYST:ERR?"

360 ENTER @Sys;A,A$

370 PRINT "SYSTEM ERROR ";A$

380 UNTIL A=0

390 SUBEND

400 !

410 SUB Main !This subroutine is treated as the main line

420 COM /Instr/ @Sys,@Dvm

430 !Put application code here

440 COM /Hpnav_temp/ Hpnav_degrees$[1],Hpnav_errvalu

450 ! MEASURE TEMPERATURE USING THE BUILT IN TEMP FUNCTION

460 OUTPUT @Dvm;"MEAS:TEMP? TC,B,(@100)"

470 ENTER @Dvm;Temp1

480 PRINT "Measured temperature of channel 0 ";Temp1

490 !

500 ! NOW MEASURE TEMP BY MEASURING VOLTS AND OHMS THEN COMPUTING TEMP

510 Degrees_init("C")

520 ! MEASURE BLOCK TEMPERATURE "

530 OUTPUT @Dvm;"MEAS:TEMP? THER,5000, (@193)"

540 ENTER @Dvm;Meas_block_temp

550 PRINT "MEASURED BLOCK TEMPERATURE ";Meas_block_temp

560 ! MEASURE THERMISTOR RESISTANCE

570 OUTPUT @Dvm;"MEAS:RES? (@193)"

580 ENTER @Dvm;Therm_res

590 PRINT "THERMISTOR RESISTANCE ";Therm_res

600 ! MEASURE CHANNEL 0 VOLTAGE

610 OUTPUT @Dvm;"MEAS:VOLT:DC? (@100)"

620 ENTER @Dvm;Ch0_volts

630 PRINT "CHANNEL 0 VOLTS ";Ch0_volts

640 !

650 ! Now convert resitance to isothermal block temperature

660 Block_t=FNThr5(Therm_res)

670 PRINT "Calculated block temp ";Block_t

680 !

690 ! Now convert channel 0 voltage to temperature

700 Temp2=FNThmc_b(Ch0_volts,Block_t)

710 PRINT "Calculated temperature of channel 0";Temp2

720 !

730 ! Now generate a table of voltage vs temp

740 PRINT ""

750 PRINT " Table of voltages vs temp in C for block temp of 0 deg C"

760 PRINT " Compare this to your thermocouple tables "

770 Degrees_init("C")

780 FOR V=0.E+0 TO 1.E-3 STEP 1.00E-4

790 Temp=FNThmc_b(V,0)

800 PRINT "Voltage ";V;" Temperature ";Temp

810 NEXT V

820 SUBEND

830 !

840 SUB Degrees_init(Degrees$)

850 REM COPYRIGHT HEWLETT PACKARD CO. 1992, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

860 Degrees_init:!

870 COM /Hpnav_temp/ Hpnav_degrees$[1],Hpnav_errvalu

880 Hpnav_errvalu=1.E+38

890 SELECT TRIM$(UPC$(Degrees$))

900 CASE "F"

910 Hpnav_degrees$="F"

920 CASE ELSE

930 Hpnav_degrees$="C"

940 END SELECT

950 Exit:SUBEND

960 !

970 !

980 DEF FNThr5(Thr_ohms)

990 REAL Rhi,Rlo,T,W,A,B,C,R

1000 COM /Hpnav_temp/ Hpnav_degrees$[1],Hpnav_errvalu

1010 READ Rhi,Rlo,A,B,C

1020 IF Thr_ohms>Rhi THEN RETURN Hpnav_errvalu

1030 IF Thr_ohms70 THEN RETURN Hpnav_errvalu

1250 Cuv=Voltage+Parms(8,1)+Reft*(Parms(8,2)+Reft*(Parms(8,3)+Reft*Parms(8,4)))

1260 IF CuvVhi+1.E-6 THEN RETURN Hpnav_errvalu

1280 I=7

1290 IF Cuv