EE 213: Electrical Instrumentation

& measurement
(2 Credit Hours)
Change of Table Reference

It has already been pointed out that thermocouple tables are prepared for
a particular junction temperature.

It is possible to use these tables with a TC that has a different reference

temperature by an appropriate shift in the table scale.

The key point to remember is that the voltage is proportional to the

difference between the reference and measurement junction temperature.
Thus, if a new reference is greater than the table reference,
all voltages of the table will be less for this TC.

The amount less will be just the voltage of the new reference
as found on the table.
Reference Compensation

A problem with the practical use of thermocouples is the necessity of

knowing the reference temperature.

Because the TC voltage is proportional to the difference between the

measurement and reference junction temperatures, variations of the
reference temperature show up as direct errors in the measurement
temperature determination.
Controlled temperature reference block

In some cases, particularly when many thermocouples are in use, extension

wires bring all reference junctions to a temperature-controlled box in the
control room.

Then, a local control system maintains this box at a precisely controlled

temperature so that the reference is regulated.
Reference compensation circuits

The modern approach to reference correction is supplied by

specialized integrated circuits (ICs) that add or subtract the correction
factor directly to the TC output.

These ICs, which are called cold junction compensators or ice point
compensators, are actually temperature sensors themselves that
measure the reference junction temperature.

The ICs include circuitry that provides a scaled correction voltage,

depending on the type of TC being used