Serial Temperature Sensor Interface

SKU
VK011
In stock
$39.95
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Overview

Serial Temperature Sensor interface module that can support up to four Dallas DS18S20 sensors.
Serial version. 9600,8,N,1 Female DB9.

Feb 1 2022 the VK011 now offers DS18B20 support, the DS18S's cousin, who's a little slower and a little less accurate, but lower cost.

You can mix and match these devices on a single VK011


Fully Assembled Product now surface mount and, as always, Made here in Canada.

 

November 1 2024, Version 2_2B firmware is now available. If anyone needs their unit upgraded they can send it in and we will upgrade it.
Anyone with a quantity of these that need to be upgraded should contact us, so we can do whatever we can to get you the latest firmware with the least amount of disruption.


Due to a shortage of DS18S20 temperature sensors, we are not able to include a DS18S20 sensor with the VK011 board at this time. We have added support for the DS18B20 sensor. You can mix sensors.


Free software for the VK011 written by Jeff Connolly

Allows each temperature sensor to be displayed in its own window with assignable colors for over under temperature conditions. You can select Celsius or Fahrenheit and the number of digits for precision. Saves its setting on exit and allows you to select any COM port not just COM ports 9 and down. Requires .NET framework Version 2.

 

Allows large Fonts that can be viewable using a CCTV camera for remote monitoring.


New Version has the ability to drive serial relay cards, like our VA108, with logging to a text file.


VK011 temperature sensor data logging and serial relay card controller with any size floating temperature displays. QKits

VK011 PDF manual

Specifications


Power Requirements
* 9 - 15vDC (from adaptor or through the serial port)
* Screw terminals for easy connection of up to four Dallas DS18S20 temperature sensors

 

Additional
* Measures in both degrees C (Celcius), and degrees F (Fahrenheit)
* Adjustable sample rate from 1 second to 99 seconds, or 1 minute to 99 minutes
* Advanced CRC error checking
* Will alert you to a short or disconnection in a sensor, and which one
* Setup menu helps in locating faulty devices by displaying accumulated CRC errors and current status of data along with serial number.


If a CRC error occurs when reading the device the reading is appended with an !.
The exclamtion point is not kept in the Hi Lo data but the number of CRC errors is recorded.
If it rolls over this is also stated by an R.
If a device or a cable is open the device will state Open if the bus is shorted the setup will state Short and if the data is corrupt it will state Bad.
If every thing is working then it will report OK.

 

Data can be formatted short:

 

Sensor 1 +20.06 DegC

 

or Extended:

 

Sensor 1 +17.87 DegC Hi+20.18 DegC Low+17.87 DegC

 

or CSV Celcius data output below,

 

Sensor 1 +17.93 , DegC, Hi,+20.18, DegC, Low,+17.87, DegC 

 

Typical Fahrenheit output displayed below,

 

Sensor 1 +64.28 DegF Hi +68.33 DegF Low +64.17 DegF

 

or both

 

Sensor 1 +17.87 DegC +64.17 DegF Hi+20.18 DegC +68.33 DegF Low+17.87 DegC +64.17 DegF

 

CSV is available for whichever mode is selected.

 

* User settings stored in onboard eerom

 

The VK011 will display Qkits.com to let you know it has successfully connected. It will then begin to display the data from your connected sensors in the format previously selected. Press the question mark. It will print a list of the four sensor ports. It will say Open next to a sensor port that you are not connected to, whereas if there is a short in the wires, it will say Short, and if you have successfully connected your sensors, it will display each ones unique serial number, the result of the CRC check (any number other than zero means the data is corrupt), whether the data is intact (OK means not corrupt), and the number of CRC errors (if any).

 

There are three choices when navigating the menu. Displayed at the bottom is Set Next eXit ? and above is the currently selectable mode, for example DegC. This means that if you press S, then it will cycle through the various degrees settings (Fahrenheit, celcius, and both). Press X when you have the one you want selected. To view the next mode option, press N. The choices are degrees system display, CSV (for comma separated values mode, for easy handling if you write your own software, for entry into databases or arrays), short or extended data mode (extended data mode will print the high and low recorded temperature for each sensor, as well as the current temperature), and the sampling rate, which can be set for every second, minute, or a settable amount of seconds, all the way to 99 seconds or 99 minutes.

 

VK011 PDF manual