The MWP units come with a Standard temperature control system which is able to increase and hold the temperature up to 10°C above current ambient room temperature.
Alternatively, the Peltier temperature control system, which has a temperature control range of 8°C below to 12°C above ambient room temperature, is offered as an optional add-on.
The time taken to change the chamber's temperature will vary according to what is in the chamber (e.g., a well plate), but this is typically completed within 30 minutes.
This support page will explain how to set and record temperature in Zantiks systems. The standard temperature control system is included with all MWP systems and is an optional add on for the LT system and can raise the temperature in the systems above ambient room temperature. Users wishing to both increase and decrease the temperature in their MWP system, above and below ambient room temperature, can purchase the PELTIER temperature control system as an optional add on for the MWP.
Please refer to the 'Standard Temperature Control - Assembly Instructions section of the MWP Introduction manual for details on connecting the standard temperature control in the MWP and LT, or the Peltier Temperature Control - Assembly Instructions for the MWP.
Commands for setting the temperature
The Zantiks unit will adjust the temperature until it reaches the temperature set by the thermostat, as recorded on the Zantiks Control Console. The temperature will be maintained at this level within ±0.5°C. The thermostat setting will be retained and used even if the script is not running. No thermostat will be set when the unit is first turned on.
There are two commands to use when setting the temperature of your system.
#SET(TCS_MODE,PELTIER) SET(THERMOSTAT,#)
SET(THERMOSTAT,#) - sets the temperature in the chamber to the number following the comma. This must be within the ambient room temperature and 10°C above.
SET(TCS_MODE,PELTIER) - this command is needed to use to Peltier control system. Leave this hashed out if using the standard temperature control system.
NOTE: If you are using software from before mid-2020, and have a Peltier system, DO NOT remove the # from the script above. The older software will not recognise this line of code.
How to record temperature in results data
If you would like to record the temperature in your processed results data file, you can adapt the code in the script below.
DEFINE NUMBER_OF_BINS 30000000
DEFINE BIN_TIME_SECS 10
#SET(TCS_MODE, PELTIER)
SET(THERMOSTAT,20)
ACTION MAIN
WAIT(1)
LOGCREATE("TEXT:TIME|TEXT:INLET_TEMP")
LOGAPPEND("TEXT:TEMP2|TEXT:TEMP3|TEXT:TEMP4")
LOGRUN()
INVOKE(MTEMP,NUMBER_OF_BINS)
COMPLETE
ACTION MTEMP
WAIT(BIN_TIME_SECS)
LOGCREATE("RUNTIME|TEMPERATURE1")
LOGAPPEND("TEMPERATURE2|TEMPERATURE3|TEMPERATURE4")
LOGRUN()
COMPLETE
The script above tells the temperature control unit to set the thermostat at 20°C and adjusts the temperature in the experimental chamber accordingly (this may take up to 10-15 minutes depending on the difference between the temperature set and the current temperature within the chamber).
LOGCREATE("TEXT:TIME|TEXT:INLET_TEMP")
LOGAPPEND("TEXT:TEMP2|TEXT:TEMP3|TEXT:TEMP4")
LOGRUN()
The LOGCREATE command details the labels for the cell data in a line of cells (i.e., the text labels 'TIME' in cell 1 and 'INLET_TEMP' in cell 2 for columns of data) etc. The final LOGRUN() line tells the unit to output the previous LOGCREATE line.
LOGCREATE("RUNTIME|TEMPERATURE1")
LOGAPPEND("TEMPERATURE2|TEMPERATURE3|TEMPERATURE4")
LOGRUN()
The LOGCREATE command above tells the unit to output in a line of cells the actual runtime at that point in the experiment in cell 1, and the temperature recorded by the thermistor(s) in cells 2, 3, 4 and 5. If you are using the standard temperature control with the MWP system you will only have 1 thermistor plugged into CN2 on the top board of the top box. If you are using the standard temperature control as an add on for the LT system you will have 1 thermistor plugged into CN2 and 3 extra thermistors plugged into CN4 on the top board of the top box.
Script download
To download the set_record_temp demo script as a .zs file (file type Zantiks software reads), choose the Save File As option in the right-click dialogue box. Clicking on the script name hyperlink will open a read-only version of the script.
Script download: Set_record_temp.zs
Troubleshooting temperature control issues
There are a number of reasons why a temperature control system may not be providing/maintaining the intended internal temperature. Listed below are the most common reasons for the temperature control not working as expected. If you have checked all of these points and are still encountering problems, please contact us.
- Not using the correct code for your temperature control system. When using the PELTIER temperature control system an additional line of code is required. It will also interfere with the standard temperature control system if the line for the PELTIER system is included in the code. Check the coding under script explanation above, to ensure you have the correct settings.
- Temperature has not been SET in the script. This may seem obvious. However, the system will retain the last temperature control setting it received (Unless the system has been shut down and rebooted, then the thermostat will default to off). If a previous user has been operating at a different temperature, or the system has been shut down or rebooted, it is important to reset the thermostat to the temperature required for your experiments and wait until it has reached its target.
- The fan and/or heater/cooler is not working. You can check the fan by looking/listening/feeling if it is running. You can check the heater/cooler by adjusting the temperature in a script and looking at the thermistor data readout. If either are not working, check the wires are firmly attached to the green connector cables and are securely placed into the side socket on the top box. If you have checked the connectors and it is still not working, contact us.
- The temperature of the room/lab is too close to the set temperature. when using the standard temperature control, the system is a heater only and id designed to raise the temperature in the system above ambient room temperature. The system itself does generate a small amount of heat so, for example, with a room temperature of 27°C, it is possible that the temperature inside the system can be 28°C even with the thermostat set to off (i.e., 0). If trying to maintain a temperature of 28°C within the system with accuracy, the lab should be cooler (e.g., 22°C). It is also worth noting that the lab/room thermostat could have a +/- feedback loop of a few degrees, whereas the thermistor in the Zantiks systems are accurate to fractions of a degree. Setting the lab/room thermostat to a cooler temperature would ensure that the temperature in the lab never exceeds the temperature that you are trying to maintain within the Zantiks system.
