We've made it possible to use RoastLogger with your Phidget and RTD or thermocouple sensors. Read below for the one-time setup process. As long as you don't change anything after this initial setup, you won't need to worry about it again.
Physical Connection
The Phidget VINT Hub has become a popular solution for many roasters and is our standard recommendation. To connect a 4x thermocouple Phidget (TMP1101_0) with the VINT Hub (HUB0000_0), simply plug in the Phidgets cable from Port 0 on the VINT hub to the TC Phidgets as shown in the picture below.
Important! Ensure the connector between the VINT hub and Thermocouple Phidget is plugged into port 0 on the hub, as shown in the image below.
VINT Hub (HUB0000_0) + 4x Thermocouple Phidget (TMP1101_0) plugged into Port 0
To connect your thermocouple wires, insert them into the green terminal block on the right side of the TMP1101. Each thermocouple uses two terminals—the positive (+) wire goes into the upper terminal and the negative (−) wire goes into the lower terminal for each channel. Said another way, the positive wire will plug into the terminal with the numbers and the negative will go into the terminal with the lines and arrows. The channels are numbered 0–3 from bottom to top. Loosen the screw terminal, insert the bare wire end, then tighten the screw to secure the connection.
The bean probe must be connected to terminal 0. If you have additional thermocouples, we recommend connecting them to 1, 2 and 3, in that order. You can toggle these on/off in RoastLogger later.
Two thermocouples plugged into channels 0 and 1 in the 4x Thermocouple Phidget (TMP1101_0). Note that in the US the negative wire is always red.
For reference, here are the standard wire colors for the most common thermocouple types:
Type K: Red (−) and Yellow (+)
Type J: Red (−) and White (+)
Note that red is always the negative wire for thermocouple standards in the US. Also note that there is no consequence to getting the wires mixed if. If you have them wrong, the temperature will decrease when the roaster heats up. If that occurs, simply reverse the wires.
Phidget Library
If not already installed, you'll need to install the Phidget drivers and libraries for your operating system. You can follow the documentation on the Phidget website for this:
After you've installed that, start the Phidget Control Panel as explained in the Phidget documentation.
Phidget Network Server
RoastLogger communicates to your Phidget device using something called the Phidget Network Server. You don't need to understand the technical details, but you do need to manually start this, and make sure it starts up when your computer restarts.
Depending if you're running a Mac or PC, the windows may look slightly different. Most importantly, be sure to click "Start Network Server" and verify that the "Start Automatically on Boot" checkbox is selected. The Port setting should read "8989".
Phidgets Network Server running on a Mac
Phidget Network Server running on a PC
Again, on the "Network Server" tab, make sure the "Start Automatically on Boot" box is checked. Also ensure the port is set to 8989.
NOTE! If you are using Windows, restart your computer after enabling the network server. We have noticed that the network server often doesn't work until a computer is restarted.
Verify Phidget Connection
Ensure that your Phidgets device is plugged in to your computer. In the Phidget Control Panel (shown above), click the Network Server tab at the top. Click on the View in browser... button (MacOS) or https://localhost:8989 link (Windows).
A browser window will display, and should look like the screenshot below. Your VINT Hub and "4x Thermocouple Phidget" should show up.
Your Phidget device must show up in the window below in order for RoastLogger to work. If you don't see this, stop and contact us!
Network Phidget server running and ready to use with RoastLogger.
If you've completed this step, you're ready to connect from RoastLogger!
Connecting from RoastLogger
In RoastLogger, navigate to the "Device settings" page by clicking your name in the upper-right.
Select "Phidgets" in the drop-down list.
Thermocouples
Toggle the thermocouple channels that you will be using on or off. It's also important to toggle the thermocouple types, by simply clicking the black "J" or yellow "K" circles.
In this example, two type-J and one type-K thermocouples are installed on the Phidget: Bean, Environment, and exhaust. Ensure the channels you are not using are set to the "Off" position as shown in "TC 4"
RTDs
If you are using RTDs with the RTD Phidget please contact us.
Important: The thermocouple settings need to be finalized prior to moving to the final connection step. Please be sure to verify all your settings before you proceed.
Last Step: Connecting to the Phidget device
Click on the Phidgets icon in the upper right of the RoastLogger window.
Once connected, the icon will turn from red to green. You can click the green icon to disconnect from the device. If there is any type of error with your Phidgets device or it's unplugged, you'll see the icon change to red, indicating a dropped connection.