TORREY PINES SCIENTIFIC EchoTHerm RIC40 User manual

OPERATING MANUAL
EchoTHermTM
DIGITAL, ELECTRONIC CHILLING/HEATING DRY BATH
MODEL RIC40 and RIC40XR
DOCUMENT NUMBER RIC40-100
Revised June 30, 2020
TORREY PINES SCIENTIFIC, INC.
2713 Loker Ave. West
Carlsbad, CA 92010
TELEPHONE: [phone]
TOLL FREE: (866)-573-9104
FAX: [phone]
E-Mail: [e-mail]
Web site: www.torreypinesscientific.com

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Table of Contents
I. INTRODUCTION................................................................................................3
II. WARRANTY......................................................................................................3
III. RETURN OF ITEMS ........................................................................................3
IV. LABELS...........................................................................................................3
V. CAUTIONS.......................................................................................................4
HEATER PLATE SURFACE...........................................................................4
ELECTRICAL..................................................................................................4
VI. GENERAL DESCRIPTION..............................................................................5
HEATER/CHILLER PLATE.............................................................................6
TEMPERATURE STATE LED........................................................................6
TIMER.............................................................................................................7
CALIBRATION................................................................................................7
VII. RIC40 POWER AND RS232 CONNECTOR ..................................................8
VIII. SET UP PARAMETERS................................................................................9
SET UP PARAMETERS.................................................................................9
SET UP INSTRUCTIONS...............................................................................9
ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION...............................................................9
IX. TEMPERATURE CALIBRATION ..................................................................10
IX. TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT ERROR CODES ...................................11
X. CLEANING, MAINTENANCE, AND CONSUMABLE PARTS........................12
CLEANING ...................................................................................................12
MAINTENANCE............................................................................................12
SPARE PARTS AND CONSUMABLES........................................................12
XI. ADDITIONAL SYMBOLS ..............................................................................13

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I. INTRODUCTION
Congratulations on yourpurchase of a EchoThermTM Remote Controlled Chilling/Heating
DryBathModelRIC40. Please read the instructions carefullytoinsurethat you receivethe
maximum benefit from it. Also, be sure to go to our web site and register your unit for
warranty coverage. When users in the USA and Canada do they will receive a Torrey
Pines Scientific, Inc. T-Shirt free.
II. WARRANTY
Torrey Pines Scientific warrants this product to be free from defects in material and
workmanship for a period of one yearfrom thedate of purchase. If repair oradjustment is
necessary and has not been the result of abuse or misuse within the one year period,
please return---freight prepaid---and correction of the defect will be made without charge.
Out of warranty products will be repaired on a charge basis.
III. RETURN OF ITEMS
Authorization must be obtained from our Customer Service Department before
returning items for any reason. When applying for authorization, please include data
regarding the reason the items are to be returned. For your protection, items must be
carefullypackaged to prevent damagein shipment andinsured againstpossibledamage
or loss. Torrey Pines Scientific will not be responsible for damage resulting from careless
or insufficient packing. A 15% restocking charge willbe made on all unauthorized returns.
Note: Torrey Pines Scientific reserves the right to make improvements in design,
construction, and appearance without notice.
IV. LABELS
There are various labels on the body of this unit. Listed below are the labels and their
meanings.
This symbol means: ATTENTION. The INSTRUCTION MANUAL IS TO
BE CONSULTED FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
This symbol means: WARNING. HOT SURFACE.
This symbol means: GROUND OR EARTH CONNECTIONS

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V. CAUTIONS
HEATER PLATE SURFACE
RIC40 units are capable of chilling and heating the plate/block surface from -10ºC to
100ºC.Temperaturesabove50ºC (122ºF)will burn skin if touched. Use extreme caution at
all times. Never leave your unit accessible to others when it is hot. Never touch the plate
surface unless you are sure it is cold.
ELECTRICAL
The RIC40 and RIC40XR cooling/heating modules run off 12 volts dc at 5.0
amp for the RIC40 and 10.0 amp for the RIC40XR. These instruments are
supplied with a universal power supply that can take inputs from 100 to 260 volts AC
"10%”. The units are supplied with an AC input cord for the power supply. Be certain to
use a line cord with the same rating and of the same type as the one supplied by the
manufacturer. Use the normal care and precaution one would use with any electrical
appliance. Be certain to use a line cord of the same type and rating as the one
supplied with this unit. Note: all fuses are fast blow.
Bien vérifier que le cordon utilisé est du même type que celui livré avec
lunité. Note: tous les fusibles sont à action rapide.

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VI. GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The TorreyPines ScientificModelsRIC40and RIC40XRare Peltierdrivenchilling/heating
drybaths.Theycomewitha universalpowersupplyandthechilling/heatingmodule.These
units have only one moving part, the DC fan that cools the unit. Everything else is solid
state and should last years without problem. All functions of the unit are accessed via the
RS232I/O port. The ProgrammingManualis provided at the end of this manualandhas all
instructions necessary for running the unit. There is no display or keypad on the units.
FIGURE 1: RIC40 Dimensions
FIGURE 2:RIC40 Cooling Fan

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HEATER/CHILLER PLATE
The plate surface is a very flat aluminum plate designed for good contact with any flat
surfaced item placed on it. It is supplied with magnets that match magnets in the sample
blocks that hold the blocks firmlyin place for use with roboticsystems. Units are available
on special order with threaded holes in the plate that will match holes in the blocks for
screwing down the sample blocks.The plate size of the RIC40 andRIC40XRis 2.875"(7.3
cm)x 4.375" (11.1 cm).It isdesignedto accommodate allthealuminumblockssuppliedby
Torrey Pines Scientific. The temperature of the plate is sensed by a platinum RTD
mounted under the plate. The computer in the unit compares the plate temperature with
thetargettemperatureandinstructsthePeltiermodule to heat or chill the plateas required
to reach and hold the target temperature.
FIGURE 3:RIC40 Heater/Chiller Plate Dimensions
TEMPERATURE STATE LED
There is a green LED on the inside of the units visible through the vent slots which flashes
whenthe unit ispoweredand continuesto flash evenwhena targettemperaturehas been
set. The LED will stop flashing and be constantly illuminated when the target temperature
is reached and is stable to within +/- 0.2ºC for more than 60 seconds.
FIGURE 4:RIC40 Temperature Steady Green LED

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TIMER
All units have a countdown timer reading in hours, minutes, and seconds. It can be set to
a maximum of 99:59:59. When the timer reaches 00:00:00 it will count up to show how
much time has elapsed since the timer timed-out
CALIBRATION
The units have been calibrated in the factory to NIST standard prior to shipment. In the
event that the user wants to calibrate to a different standard, the abilityto recalibrate each
of the two calibration pointsis provided. Additionally, the abilitytoeasilyrestorethefactory
calibration values is included. See section “IX Temperature Calibration” and the attached
Programming Manual at the end of this document for more details.
NON-VOLATILE MEMORY
The unitsareequippedwithEEPROMmemorythat willstoreusersettingssuchasthelast
set point, MENU options, user changed calibration points, and program steps. These
stored values will be recalled each time the unit powers up tomaintain the configuration of
the previous session.

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VII. RIC40 POWER AND RS232 CONNECTOR
Figure 5: RIC40 Power and RS232 Connectors
The RIC40 power is supplied using the 12VDC, 5A (10A for RIC40XR) power supply
provided via the 2.1mm barrel connector on the input power cable as shown in Figure 5.
Serial communication is wired by plugging the RS232 serial cable provided into the DB9
connector on the second cable shown in Figure 5. Com connection to the PC or
equivalent is by either direct connection to the DB9 connector on the PC or by
connecting to a DB9 to USB dongle
The RS232 cable provided is straight through wiring (pin 1 to pin1, 2 to 2, etc.). Pins 2, 3
and 5 on the DB9 connector are the only pins used. It operates at 9600 baud, 1 stop bit,
noparity. No handshake hardwareorsoftwareisnecessary. Allcommunicationssettings
and queries are done using ASCII characters with carriage return as the terminating
character. See instructions at the end of this manual for the Serial Command Set.
Note: To comply with CE and to avoid possible EMI radiation from the RS232 cable,
use a shielded cable.

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VIII. SET UP PARAMETERS
SET UP PARAMETERS
1. Ambient operating room temperature range is from 5ºC to 40ºC.
2. Maximum altitude of operation should not exceed 2000 meters.
3. Maximum ambient operating relative humidity should not exceed 80% at 31ºC
decreasing linearly to 50% relative humidity at 40ºC.
SET UP INSTRUCTIONS
1. Place the unit securely on the surface.
2. Plug the power supply into a properly grounded, 3-wire outlet of proper voltage.
3. Plug the power supply cable into the jack on the chilling/heating module.
4. Place the sample block on the plate surface.
5. Connect the RS232 cable to the serial port on the computer. The LED on the inside
of the unit will illuminate and be blinking. The LED will stop blinking when the plate
temperature is within 1C of the Set Point temperature for 60secs.
Note: Do not use this equipment in any manner not specified by the
manufacturer.
ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION
1. This unit is for installation category II.
2. This unit is rated pollution degree 2.

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IX. TEMPERATURE CALIBRATION
The temperature calibration set into the units is stable and will hold without drifting.
However, our standards for temperature measurement may not be the same as the
users. Therefore, the RIC40 & RIC40XR are designed to be calibrated in the field by
the user. Calibration instructions are provided in Programming Manual included at the
end of this document.
Note: The calibration is two-point for optimum accuracy. The unit is calibrated at
the factory at 5.0°C and 70.0°C.
To calibrate the units at a particular temperature, set the unit to go to that temperature.
Give the unit time to equilibrate, usually 20 minutes. Now measure the plate
temperature (or the block or the samples to be controlled) using an electronic
thermometer with a good surface temperature probe (a good immersion probe if
calibrating a solution in a sample container).
*NOTE: PLATE SURFACE MEASUREMENTS ARE DIFFICULT TEMPERATURE
MEASUREMENTS TO MAKE ACCURATELY. Use temperature probes specifically
designed for surface temperature measurement and a digital meter that can accurately
measure to 0.1C. Ensure that the unit and the measurement device have had sufficient
time to stabilize at the new calibration temperature prior to entering in Measured
Temperature Value. If the temperatures are not stable when the measured temperature
valueisentered,significantdisplayand unitperformanceerrorsmayresult. Checkwith the
factory if help is needed. Also, a calibration kit is available.

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X. TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT ERROR CODES
If an issue occurs with the temperature measurement circuitry or with a calibration
value, the unit will return the error code in place of the returned plate temperature value
when the “p” command is sent. If an error is detected, the unit will go into Heater OFF
mode (power to the heater plate will be turned off). Table 2 below lists the error codes,
the likely cause, and recommended action to address the error. Calibration errors
(cal0-cal4) are easily addressed by performing the action to reset the appropriate
calibration points to the factory settings. The unit can then be re-calibrated if
necessary.
Error Code
Possible Cause
Recommended Action
RTDo The RTD Sensor is not connected or has
failed Inspect Sensor and Sensor Connector
and/or Contact Torrey Pines Scientific
RTDs
The RTD Sensor has shorted or has failed
cal0
The Calibrated Temperature Value is out
of range
Reset High, Low, or Both Cal Points
cal1
Low Cal Point out of range
Reset Low Cal Point
cal2
High Cal Point out of range
Reset High Cal Point
cal3
High Point Measured Cal Value is Lower
than Low Point Measured Value (or
reverse) Reset High, Low, or Both Cal Points
cal4
High Point Temperature Value is Lower
than Low Point Temperature Value (or
reverse)
Table 3: Temperature Measurement Error Codes

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XI. CLEANING, MAINTENANCE, AND CONSUMABLE PARTS
CLEANING
These units are subject to splashes and spills during normal use. Be sure to wipe up all
spills with a soft cloth or paper towel as soon as they occur. If a cleaning solution is
necessary, use a mild soap or detergent solution and a soft cloth. Do not use solvents.
Caution: Do not attempt to clean the plate surface when hot. Burns might occur.
MAINTENANCE
There is no ongoing maintenance program needed with these units other than the normal
care and cleaning as instructed above, and a simple inspection done whenever the unit is
to be used. This simple inspection should include:
1.CheckingthatthePowercordand the serialcable to and from the heatermodule arenot
frayed or burned.
2. Checking that the unit is not dirty to a point where proper performance is impaired.
This is especially important relative to the membrane switch and LCD window.
3. Being certain to store the unit properly, when not in use, in an area that will not have
items placed on top of the unit, and covering the unit in a way that will keep dirt and
other foreign bodies out of the unit.
SPARE PARTS AND CONSUMABLES
There are very few spare or consumable parts. A simple list is below. For more
information contact the factory.
Part Number Description
730-0001 Power Cord, US
730-0006 Power Cord, German (European)
730-0008 Power Cord, UK
730-0004 Power Cord, Italian
730-0005 Power Cord, Australian

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XII. ADDITIONAL SYMBOLS
The following are additional symbols found on labels on the instrument
Symbol Description
V Voltage
~ Alternating Current
A Current
Hz Frequency
W Power
Contact Info:
For assistance, contact the factory at:
Torrey Pines Scientific, Inc.
Email: [e-mail]
Phone: [phone]

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RIC40 Programming Manual
Rev A (June 30, 2020)
Applicable to RIC40 and RIC40XR firmware v1.0

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Features
Identification Unit Model and version
Unit Serial Number
User Defined String (10 chars max)
Set Point (C) Tenth Degree Precision
Settable Range: -10.0 to +100.0
“off” (idle mode—temp controller turned off)
Plate Temperature (C) Tenth Degree Precision
Calibration Calibrated at Factory
2 Point User Settable
Timer User Settable Start Time (format -- hh:mm:ss)
Range: 00:00:00 to 24:59:59
Count Down ( 00:00:00 min)
Count Up (24:59:59 max)
LED Event Notification LED Blinking Plate Temp Changing
LED Steady On Plate Temp Within 0.2C of Set Point for 60
seconds
Serial Event Notification Plate Temp (User settable period 0-99:59)
TEMP_STEADY (User settable enable/disable)
TIMER=0 (User settable enable/disable)
Non-Volatile Memory On Power Down, the following values are stored:
•set point
•high and low calibration values
•event broadcast settings

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Manual Conventions
<CR>
The notation “<CR> “ refers to the ASCII character for “carriage return” which is decimal 13 or hex D.
Every valid RIC40 command must be terminated by this character. In HyperTerminal the character is
sent when the “enter” key is pressed. Programs written in C for example, typically send this character
when “\r” is appended to the transmitted command string.
<LF>
The notation “<LF> “ refers to the ASCII character for “line feed” or “new line” which is decimal 10 or hex
A. Every string that is returned from the RIC40 will be terminated with this character. Actually, every
string that is returned from the RIC40 will be terminated with a <CR> then a <LF>. In HyperTerminal the
combined characters will cause the cursor to return to the beginning of the next line. Programs written in
C for example, can use this character (often “\n”) for parsing returned strings.
(string)
Characters within parenthesis are strings consisting of 7-bit ASCII characters and the string itself is the
argument for a command. The length of the string is clarified in the discussion of the command and the
two parenthesis are not included in the transmission of the command string.

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Serial Interface
The RIC40 line of products are controlled using a simple serial RS232 interface. Each command sent to
the RIC40 must be terminated with an ASCII carriage return character and every response string from the
RIC40 will be terminated with a character pair consisting of an ASCII carriage return and ASCII linefeed
character. All commands described within this manual are case sensitive. When a command is
successfully received, an appropriate string will be returned. If a command is received with a syntax error,
the character “e” will be returned to indicate the error.
The command set was developed to provide functionality that will enable multiple interface and
programming scenarios. For example, if a user wishes to use a simple application such as
HyperTerminal to control a single unit, linefeed and carriage control characters included in the command
and return strings enable clean formatting within the HyperTerminal User Interface. Additionally,
commands are included to enable different programming methodologies such as polled response or event
driven responses. For example, a program could be written to set a new set point then read the plate
temperature at some time interval (polling) and take specific actions when the plate reaches various
values along the way. Or a program could be written to set a new set point then the program could do
something else until the set point is reached and the “TEMP_STEADY” message is received from the unit
(event driven). NOTE: If the user written controller is event driven and it “misses” the
TEMP_STEADY event message, it may hang waiting for the event that it missed. Asynchronous
Serial communication “misses” are not that uncommon so it is recommended that the controller
algorithm have provisions like a wait-for-event timeout and if a timeout occurs, code to check the
plate temperature and compare that to the set point temperature then take the appropriate action.
As a rule of thumb, the most robust coding approach is to set the set point, read and verify the
new set point, then continuously poll the plate temperature for routines that do things like
determine the user established steady condition and for routines that continuously monitor the
temperature. Code written using set and verify with polling will recover easily if an occasional
corruption of the serial communication occurs.
When the Serial COM settings are configured correctly on the external control computer, every properly
formatted command sent to the RIC40 will return either the requested data string or “ok” to acknowledge
the successful reception of the command. The character “e” is returned when the RIC40 does not
recognize the received command string. The code running in the external computer can use the returned
strings for handshaking and/or to verify that the command was properly executed.
If a serial terminal emulator application like HyperTerminal is used to send commands and receive
responses, the command x<CR> will put the RIC40 into “Terminal Mode”. Terminal Mode will enhance
the screen data captured by HyperTerminal by displaying the RIC40 response on the next line from the
line that issued the command. Terminal Mode is cancelled when the RIC40 is powered off.
COM Settings
9600 baud
1 stop bit
no parity
no hardware handshake
50ms delay after each line sent (after each “;”)

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Unit Identification Commands
Command: v
Function: Return RIC40 Model and Version
Description: When the command v<CR> is received by the RIC40 unit, the model number and the
firmware version will be returned in a text string terminated by <CR><LF>. If the command is not
received in the proper syntax, e<CR><LF> will be returned.
Example:
send: v<CR>
returned: RIC40 v1.00 <CR><LF>
Command: V
Function: Return Serial Number
Description: When the command V<CR> is received by the RIC40 unit, the 8 character serial number will
be returned in a text string terminated by <CR><LF>. The serial number for every RIC40 unit is unique.
If the command is not received in the proper syntax, e<CR><LF> will be returned.
Example – Return the 8 char serial number:
send: V<CR>
returned:12345678 <CR><LF>
Command: >(user defined string)
Function: Store User ID String
Description: Each unit has a unique serial number (ref cmd V) but it may be helpful to assign a custom
“name” to identify a unit. This command enables a string of up to 10 characters to be stored with the unit.
When the command >(user defined string)<CR> is received by the RIC40 unit, the string is stored and
the unit returns ok<CR><LF>. If the command is not received in the proper syntax, e<CR><LF> will be
returned.
Example—assign RIC40 the name “Unit 1”
send: Unit 1<CR>
returned: ok <CR><LF>
Example—verify that the name is “Unit 1”
send: ><CR>
returned: Unit 1<CR><LF>
Command: >
Function: Return User ID String
Description: When the command ><CR> is received by the RIC40 unit, the User ID String will be returned
in a text string terminated by <CR><LF>. If no string has been stored, 10 space characters will be
returned followed by <CR><LF>. If the command is not received in the proper syntax, e<CR><LF> will
be returned.
Example—Return the string that was stored using the >(user defined string) command:
send: ><CR>
returned: Unit 1<CR><LF> if “Unit 1” was previously stored
returned: <CR><LF> if no user string has been stored

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Temperature Commands
Command: s
Function: Return Set Point Temperature
Description: When the command s<CR> is received by the RIC40 unit, the current set point temperature
will be returned in a text string terminated by <CR><LF>. The setpoint format length is variable
depending on the number of digits in the setpoint temperature and whether the value is negative. The
value will always include a decimal point and one character representing the fractional tenth value. If the
command is not received in the proper syntax, e<CR><LF> will be returned.
Note: Putting the RIC40 into Idle Mode (see “Command: i”) will turn off the temperature controller and the
set point will be read as “off”.
Example—Return the current set point:
send: s<CR>
returned example 1: -10.0 <CR><LF>
returned example 2: 9.3 <CR><LF>
returned example 3: 100.0 <CR><LF>
returned example 4: off<CR><LF> if unit is in Idle Mode (see “Command: i”)
Command: n
Function: Set and Store New Set Point Temperature
Description: When the command n(new_temperature)<CR> is received by the RIC40 unit, the set point
will be changed to new_temperature and the text string “ok” will be returned terminated by <CR><LF>.
The format for new_temperature is variable depending on the number of digits in the desired new set point
temperature and whether the value is negative. The value must always include a decimal point and one
character representing the fractional tenth value. The settable range is -10.0C to 100.0C.
If the command is not received in the proper syntax, e<CR><LF> will be returned.
Example1— Change set point to -10.0C:
send: n-10.0<CR>
returned: ok <CR><LF>
Example2 – Change set point to 9.3C :
send: n9.3<CR>
returned: ok <CR><LF>
Example3 – Change set point to 100.0C :
send: n100.0<CR>
returned: ok <CR><LF>

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Command: i
Function: Set RIC40 Unit to Idle Mode
Description: When the command i<CR> is received by the RIC40 unit, the temperature controller will be
switched “off”, meaning that the plate will no longer heat or cool. In Idle Mode, the unit will report a set
point of “off”. To exit Idle Mode, simply set the set point to a new value using cmd n. If the command is
not received in the proper syntax, e<CR><LF> will be returned.
Example – Set Idle Mode:
send: i<CR>
returned: ok <CR><LF>
Example – verify Idle Mode:
send: s<CR>
returned: off<CR><LF>
Example – exit Idle Mode by setting new set point to 25.0C
send: n25.0<CR>
returned: ok <CR><LF>
Example – verify no longer in Idle Mode and set point is 25.0C:
send: s<CR>
returned: 25.0<CR><LF>