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kiln logs (excel?)

updated tue 5 mar 02

 

Jonathan Pennington on thu 28 feb 02


Did someone have an Excel file set up for doing kiln logs? (i.e. date,
cone, yada) I thought I remembered seeing something like this but
can't find it. I'd like to develop something like this for myself and
what I'm working on, something that can be tracked and developed for a
desktop. Can whoever has this, or examples of these, send me one? I'd
like to use the ideas as a basis. Thanks.

-J
--
Jonathan Pennington | jwpennin@bellsouth.net
"There are no pots, there is only clay." -original
"It's hard to take life too seriously
when you realize yours is a joke." -also original

Bruce Girrell on fri 1 mar 02


I can't help with your request, but I thought that while you're thinking
about it, you might see if your computer can accept input from the kiln
directly to record the actual firing, not just notes about the firing. Some
kiln controllers are getting pretty sophisticated. I wonder if they have a
serial port or something to allow downloading of important information.

Bruce "forever the engineer" Girrell

Jim Tabor on fri 1 mar 02


I haven't looked into log devices in many years but I know the controllers I've
used have not seemed to work consistently over time. I wanted to log the firing
but never made the financial plunge. The devices I was considering in the early
'80's printed on rolls or on circular paper.

Let me know if you find a way to connect a computer (Mac) to a controller that can
log the firing without buying another system.

I don't have an ethernet port on my kiln/controller, but for it's price, it should
have come "plug and play"; ready for the network.

jt

http://home.earthlink.net/~taborj/index.html

> I can't help with your request, but I thought that while you're thinking
> about it, you might see if your computer can accept input from the kiln
> directly to record the actual firing, not just notes about the firing. Some
> kiln controllers are getting pretty sophisticated. I wonder if they have a
> serial port or something to allow downloading of important information.
>
> Bruce "forever the engineer" Girrell
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
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> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.

Gavin Stairs on fri 1 mar 02


Jim,

Industrial controllers do come ready for the network, but they're even more
expensive. The reason your kiln controller costs so much is that it is
made for a tiny market, in computer terms. Minuscule. If we were in the
millions, controllers would be cheap and full of extra features like
Ethernet ready connections, if we wanted them.

As it is, an Ethernet port would probably double the cost of the
controller, by the time you figured in the programming time, etc. So they
don't come equipped.

I started out designing computers for industrial controls, many years ago,
BP (Before Pentium). Things have changed a lot since. I thought about
designing kiln controls, and I'd do it in a flash if I thought I could make
my investment back. But its a hard game. The small embedded processors
usually used for such things aren't designed to carry Ethernet
controllers. They might be induced to carry a serial port, and to report a
profile as fired. That would be good. If you want one, I'll design it and
build it, but you'll pay for it.

Gavin

At 05:20 PM 01/03/2002 +0000, you wrote:
>I don't have an ethernet port on my kiln/controller, but for it's price,
>it should
>have come "plug and play"; ready for the network.

Fabienne Cassman on sat 2 mar 02



>about it, you might see if your computer can accept input from the kiln
>directly to record the actual firing, not just notes about the firing.


I don't get worked up easily, but this is hitting home for me as I am firing a bisque and it happened AGAIN. I have done everything I was told to record data, upgraded this, manipulated values for that... I am using the RS485 interface between a PC and the orton controller. The software still thinks the controller is timing out on it while it's just fine!

The data is rudimentary; however, once the little I recorded was exported in excel and with a few simple calculations etc, I graphed it for a visual. My hope was to anticipate the deterioration in the elements in order to adjust for my crystalline firing schedule. No luck this far.

Fabienne who needs a shoulder to cry on ;)



--
Fabienne http://www.milkywayceramics.com/

WARNING: I cannot be held responsible for the above
because my cats have apparently learned to type.

--

Arnold Howard on mon 4 mar 02


Paragon's current temperature controller, the "Sentry," made by
Orton, can be ordered with an RS232 port for connection to a
computer.

Arnold Howard
Paragon

--- Jim Tabor wrote:
> I haven't looked into log devices in many years but I know the
> controllers I've
> used have not seemed to work consistently over time. I wanted to
> log the firing
> but never made the financial plunge. The devices I was
> considering in the early
> '80's printed on rolls or on circular paper.
>
> Let me know if you find a way to connect a computer (Mac) to a
> controller that can
> log the firing without buying another system.
>
> I don't have an ethernet port on my kiln/controller, but for it's
> price, it should
> have come "plug and play"; ready for the network.
>
> jt
>
> http://home.earthlink.net/~taborj/index.html
>
> > I can't help with your request, but I thought that while you're
> thinking
> > about it, you might see if your computer can accept input from
> the kiln
> > directly to record the actual firing, not just notes about the
> firing. Some
> > kiln controllers are getting pretty sophisticated. I wonder if
> they have a
> > serial port or something to allow downloading of important
> information.
> >
> > Bruce "forever the engineer" Girrell
> >
> >
>
______________________________________________________________________________
> > Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
> >
> > You may look at the archives for the list or change your
> subscription
> > settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
> >
> > Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
> melpots@pclink.com.
>
>
______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your
> subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.


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