Temperature controllers are used to maintain temperature within a set range. They are mostly used in heating applications but cooling is also possible using some temperature controllers. W3230 is such a dual-purpose temperature controller. In this article, we will be discussing the W3230 and how to use it for temperature regulation.
What is W3230 Temperature Controller
W3230 temperature controller is a generic, on/off type temperature controller. There are multiple types of temperature controllers: on/off, proportional and PID. On/off type is the simplest type of temperature controller. They regulate temperature by turning a heating/cooling device on or off depending on the current temperature reading.
The W3230 temperature controller is a very simple device to use. It has a dual-display front panel with four buttons. The two displays are named PV and SV. PV stands for Process Value, which indicates the current temperature of the system. SV is the Set Value, also known as Set Point. This is the target temperature the system should be maintained.
This particular model has two modes: heating and cooling which is selectable through modes. Depending on the mode and the attached load (heating element or the refrigerator compressor), the device can control temperature.
W3230 Specifications
The W3230 temperature controller is a device that can work with almost any industrial control system. Let’s have a look at its hardware specifications:
- Operating voltage: 12V/24VDC or 110V/220VAC
- W3230 can be integrated into systems that operate with standard voltages such as 12V DC or 220V AC without having to use an external power supply.
- Temperature Control range
- W3230 can control temperatures from -55℃ to 120℃. This means that the controller can not only control heating, but also cooling too.
- The unit supports both Fahrenheit and Celcius scales.
- Measurement and control accuracy
- The W3230 controller reads the system temperature using a standard NTC10K waterproof temperature sensor. The OEM sensor has a standard wire length of 1m.
- With this sensor, this controller has a measurement and control accuracy of +/- 0.1°C
- Output
- As with every other on/off type temperature controller, W3230 also has relay outputs. The contacts are rated for 20A at 12VDC or 10A at 220VAC.
- Modes of operation
- The W3230 temperature controller has two main operating modes; cooling and heating. Heating mode can be used to activate a heater when the system temperature drops below the set point. Cooling mode can be selected to actuate a refrigeration compressor when the system temperature rises above the set point.
How to set W3230 Temperature Controller
Let’s discuss how to configure the basic functionalities of the W3230 temperature controller.
Factory reset W3230
The W3230 temperature controller comes with a factory reset button. When the module is powered on the first time or whenever needed, this button can be used to reset the device. Pressing the button reset all settings to factory default.
In some models, you may need to power on the module while pressing ‘+’ and ‘-’ buttons to reset to factory defaults. On the standard model, selecting the P8 mode in advanced parameters and enabling it resets the module to its default state.
Set W3230 control mode for heating
The temperature controller supports both heating and cooling control. To access the setting, press and hold the ‘set’ button for 5 seconds or until ‘P0’ is displayed on the screen. Then, release and press ‘set’ key again to access P0 setting mode. Using up/down keys, select ‘H’ mode for heating. Press’ restart’ key to confirm and go back to normal state.
W3220 hysteresis setup
Hysteresis controls the temperature region where the controller waits to turn on/off the output. For example, a set point of 30°C and a hysteresis of 5°C indicates that the controller will turn on the heater at 30°C and turn it off when the temperature is 35°C.
To access the hysteresis setting, press and hold the ‘set’ button until ‘P0’ is displayed. Then press ‘up’ button once to go to P1 code and press ‘set’ button once. Then using up/down buttons, adjust the value to 5.0 and press the ‘restart’ button to confirm.
Set W3230 temperature set point
The blue display shows the temperature set point. The red one is displaying the current temperature. This is also known as ‘process value’.
By default, the temperature controller is set to Celcius scale and in heating mode. To set the temperature setpoint, press the ‘set’ button once and use the up/down buttons to increase or decrease the temperature set point. To confirm, press the ‘restart’ button. It will automatically save the set value and start compensating immediately.
Setting advanced parameters of W3230
This temperature controller has a set of special parameters that the user can configure depending on the requirements. You can access these advanced settings by long pressing the ‘set’ button for a few seconds. When P0 is being displayed, press the ‘set’ button to navigate P0 through P9 modes. Use up/down arrow buttons to change the
P0: Heating / Cooling
P1: Hysteresis 0.1°C – 30°C
P2: Setting Limits to the Maximum P3 ~ +120°C
P3: Setting Limits to the Minimum -55°C ~ P2
P4: Temperature Correction -10.0°C ~ 10.0°C
P5: Delay Start 0 – 10 minutes
P6: High-temp. Alarm (depends on model) ON-OFF
P7: Data Lock ON-OFF
P8: Factory Reset ON-OFF
P9: Celsius / Fahrenheit
These parameters are detailed in the W3230 user manual. Let’s go through the main ones in brief.
W3230 User Manual
The W3230 temperature controller supports -50 to 120 degree celcius temperature regulation of a system. The device sensitivity is +/-1°C. It has two displays, red and blue. The first one displays the PV of the system and the latter displays the set value (SV) of the controller.
W3230 temperature controllers operate on 110-220AC or 12-24V DC. This is a hardware configuration and can be purchased in either configuration.
The controller has a relay output that can handle upto 10A continuous current.
W3230 settings explained
- P0 – Mode
- This is the operation mode. There are two modes, cooling or heating. Cooling mode turns on the output when the temperature rises above the setpoint.
- P1 – Hysteresis
- The hysteresis is the temperature difference between turn on and turn off of the output. This prevents the controller from rapidly switching on/off when the PV is very close to SV.
- P2 and P3 – Min/Max thresholds
- These are the lower and upper thresholds of the operating temperature range. These are optional parameters and can be kept unchanged if not required.
- P4 – Temperature offset
- The offset can be used to compensate for any temperature difference between the system and the PV value read by the controller.
- P5 – Delayed start
- Delayed start is particularly useful in refrigeration applications. After each run, the compressor needs to cool down. The delayed start option allows to set the time in minutes to cool down the compressor.
- P6 – High temperature/fault alarm
- Enabling this option will flash ‘CCC’ on the red display when temperature rises above 120°C. In the event of a short circuit, the red display will flash ‘LLL’.
- P7 – Data lock
- To prevent someone from accidentally changing the setpoint or other parameters, this can be enabled. Once enabled, all other settings are locked in their current selections. You will need to disable this again to access the other settings.
- P8 – Factory reset
- Turning this option ON resets the device to factory defaults.
What is inside W3230 Digital Thermostat Temperature Controller
The W3230 temperature controller has the following key components inside:
- Main terminal block
This is a screw type terminal block that is used to power the module and provides access to the relay contacts. VCC and GND can be connected to 110/220VAC or 24/12VDC depending on the configuration. Refer to the user manual for the specification.
The SI and SO are the contacts of the relays. When the controller is activated, it shorts these two contacts. These contacts are recommended to be used as a signal rather than driving a high current load like a 1000W heating element.
- Temperature sensor connector
The typical sensor used with W3230 is the RTD type.
- Relay
A normally-open contact relay that can be used as a signal relay or a low current contact.
- Display driver and logic control circuit
The control circuit is built around a microcontorller and the complementary circuit to support its functionality.
On the other side of the board, we can see the display modules, indicator LED and the buttons.
Conclusion
In this article, we discussed about W3230 temperature controller. It is a very affordable, but useful module used to control temperature in industrial environments and generic applications. Its small footprint allows it to be used in the most compact applications.
