TEMPERATURE CONTROLLERS

As the name implies, a temperature controller is an instrument used to control temperatures, mainly without extensive operator involvement. A controller in a temperature control system will accept a temperature sensor such as a thermocouple or RTD as input and compare the actual temperature to the desired control temperature, or setpoint. It will then provide an output to a control element.

A good example would be an application where the controller takes an input from a temperature sensor and has an output that is connected to a control element such as a heater or fan. The controller is usually just one part of a temperature control system, and the whole system should be analyzed and considered in selecting the proper controller.