DynaTrol Instructions

CONTROL CAUTIONS

The controller is used to control temperature; it is not a safety device.

• Do not operate the controller in temperatures above 125°F or below 32°F (NOTE: The board components are rated for 50°C below zero, so the control (and kiln) can be stored outside in a covered area).
   
• Never leave your kiln unattended at the end of a firing. (The Delay feature gives you control over this).
   
• The controller contains electronic components which are sensitive to static electricity. Before handling the controller, dissipate any static charge you may have by touching metal or a screw on the controller panel, the electrical box, the kiln lid, or some other grounded object.
   
• Be sure that the kiln has been set up with thermocouples in the proper order. For EASY-FIRE and EQUAD-PRO kilns, see their specific Assembly Instructions. For Davinci and Jupiter kilns, the kiln sections are numbered with a small sticker on the end of each section’s power cord. The top section on any L&L kiln is section #1. The #2 section is always the section directly under the #1 section on any sectional L&L kiln. On three-section kilns, section #3 is the bottom section. On kilns with more than three sections, sections are numbered 1 through 4 or 1 through 5, top to bottom. Likewise, the top thermocouple is labeled #1 and should be in the top section of the kiln. The #2 thermocouple is the bottom thermocouple in a two-section kiln. The #2 thermocouple is the middle thermocouple on three or more section kilns. The #3 thermocouple is always in the bottom section of the kiln. It is imperative that your kiln is set up like this. Be sure to double-check this even if you set up the kiln yourself.
   
• When hooking up the thermocouple wires to the thermocouples on the kiln be sure to follow these color codes:

THERMOCOUPLE WIRE COLOR CODING In the USA and non-European countries with Type K Thermocouples: The RED wire goes to the NEGATIVE side of the thermocouple connection block and the YELLOW wire goes to the POSITIVE side of the thermocouple connection block. The external sheathing of the extension wire is YELLOW. In the USA and non-European countries with Type S Platinum Thermocouples: The RED wire goes to the NEGATIVE side of the thermocouple connection block and the BLACK wire goes to the POSITIVE side of the thermocouple connection block. The external sheathing of the extension wire is GREEN. In European Countries with Type K Thermocouples: The WHITE wire goes to the NEGATIVE side of the thermocouple connection block and the GREEN wire goes to the POSITIVE side of the thermocouple connection block. The external sheathing of the extension wire is GREEN. In European Countries with Type S Platinum Thermocouples: The WHITE wire goes to the NEGATIVE side of the thermocouple connection block and the ORANGE wire goes to the POSITIVE side of the thermocouple connection block. The external sheathing of the extension wire is ORANGE. NOTE: The 700 control can be switched between Type K and Type S. This requires a software configuration as well as a jumper change. See more about this is section later in manual. NOTE: THIS CAN BE DANGEROUS IF NOT DONE PROPERLY. IF YOU USE A TYPE S THERMOCOUPLE BUT HAVE THE CONTROL SETUP FOR TYPE K YOU MAY RUIN YOUR KILN BY OVERFIRING IT.

 

• Always check the position of the thermocouple probe on the inside of the kiln before starting a firing. The current temperature displayed on the controller is measured at the end of the thermocouple. NOTE: If the thermocouple tip (where the temperature is measured) is back inside the brick insulation of the kiln (even a little bit) it will make the control think that the kiln is not as hot as it really is. That could lead to an overfiring!
   
• Always review the current program before firing to ensure the correct profile is programmed.
   
• We recommend having your kiln shut off by a manual fused disconnect switch located near the kiln. That way you can turn off all electricity to the kiln when you are not using it. This would prevent any sort of accidental turning on of the kiln by an electrical surge.
   
• Follow the other precautions listed in your Kiln Instructions and in the Troubleshooting Guide.

 

SUGGESTIONS FOR LEARNING

• We suggest watching the videos below and getting familiar with the control before you begin using your kiln.
   
• Browse these instructions to get familiar with what they offer. The step-by-step examples should be particularly useful for learning, especially in the more complex process of adding a cool-down or 16-segment program.

DISPLAY AND KEYBOARD

 

The front panel of the controller has seven distinct parts:

• START/STOP Key
• LED Display
• VARY-FIRE PROGRAMMER Section
• REVIEW AND SPECIAL OPTIONS Section
• NUMBER KEYS Section
• EASY-FIRE Section
• EASY OPTIONS Section

EASY OPTIONS section for setting Delay Time, Pre Heat Time, and Alarm Temperature.

EASY FIRE section for choosing one of four preset Easy Fire profiles.

Number keys section for entering temperatures and times. Change which thermocouple you are reading. Turn On/Off ability to see which zones are firing. Reprogram the number of zones of control.

LED DISPLAY - four-digit display showing times and temperatures. Indicate Deg F or C

START/STOP Key

• Starts the firing or, if there is a firing in progress, stops the firing.
• NOTE: This key has no function during programming.

EASY-FIRE SECTION

Choose the EASY-FIRE mode you want to use.

Slow Bisque - Used for setting a slow bisque firing profile.
Approximately 13 hours to fire to cone 04.

Fast Bisque - Used for setting a fast bisque firing profile.
Approximately 10 hours to fire to cone 04.

Slow Glaze - Used for setting a slow glaze firing profile.
Approximately 6.5 hours to fire to cone 04.

Fast Glaze - Used for setting a fast glaze firing profile.
Approximately 3 hours to fire to cone 04.

EASY-OPTIONS SECTION

Choose the EASY options (Delay Time, Preheat Time, Alarm)

• Alarm – Sound an audible alarm at a temperature you specify. Pressing the Alarm key while firing allows the reprogramming of the alarm to a low or high temperature alarm.
• Preheat – Used to put in a preheat time at 150°F to 200°F to allow the ceramic work to dry out completely.
• Delay – Used to delay firing until you want the program to start

VARY-FIRE PROGRAMMING SECTION

• Enter Prog - This button allows you to initiate programming. Up to 6 profiles (programs) may be programmed and saved.
• Recall Prog - Allows one-step recall of one of the programmed profiles (programs). Program your own firing profiles and recall them for use.

LED DISPLAY

• Displays temperatures, times, and messages. The LED (Light Emitting Diode) has room for four digits or letters in the display.
   
• When the decimal point is displayed between the middle 2 digits, a time is being displayed.
   
• If there is a decimal to the right of the last digit, the temperature is being displayed in degrees Celsius (Centigrade). By pressing #8 on the numerical Keypad while you are firing a profile you can turn on and off the ability to see which zones are firing. The little LED lights under the numerals in the display act as indicators of the zones firing. There are three of these little indicators, and all three will blink on and off even if your kiln only has two or one heating zones.

REVIEW SECTION

• REVIEW PROGRAM - The information displayed when Review Prog is pressed varies depending on whether you are using EASY-FIRE or VARY-FIRE. When Review Prog is pressed, each of the steps in the current firing profile is displayed one after another.
• When a firing is complete, Review Prog is used to see the final temperature reached during the firing.
• REVIEW SEGMENT - It is used to view the current firing segment or to skip from the current segment to the next segment. When Review Segment is pressed during a firing, the current stage of the firing is displayed. If it is pressed in between firings, STOP will flash, and then the current temperature will be displayed. When you press Review Seg twice you will see the program set point temperature. When you press it three times, you will see the control board temperature.

OTHER (OPTIONS)

• Cone Offset, Thermocouple Offset, Identify Control for KISS software (note: KISS software is no longer being offered), Set 16 Segment Program, View Cone Table, and change between °F and °C. There are several “OTHER” options. (See Section 7 for more details).
• Reset feature RSET
• Cone Lookup Table CONE
• Controller ID Id
• 16-step program 16-S (only comes up if you have VARY-FIRE Program #5 in active memory or if you have an EASY-FIRE program in active memory)
• Cone temperature offsets CNOS
• Temperature scales °F or °C CHG°
• Error codes ON or OFF ERCd
• Thermocouple offset TCOS
• Board temperature bd T

NUMBER KEYS

Contains the ENTER key and the number keys.

• Numeric keys - These are used for entering times, temperatures, and other numbers. The number “1” is also used to acknowledge the ErrP error signal when you first turn the kiln on. Press “1”, “2” or “3” while firing to change which thermocouple reading you see in the LED display.
• Press 5 while firing and see the current rate of climbing in degrees per hour. This is useful to look at near the end of the program so you can look on a cone chart to accurately see what temperature your kiln will shut off.
• Press 7 will run the amperage diagnostic routine, displaying the amperage rating for each kiln section. If the kiln is not equipped with the optional current sensor, all amperage readings will be zero.
• Press 8 while firing to turn On/Off the ability to see which zones are firing by the LED display dots. The dot on the left is the top zone, the dot in the center is the center zone, and the dot on the right is the bottom zone. The dot on the very far right is only on if you are running on the Celsius temperature scale.
• Press 0 while firing to see how much time has elapsed since the program began
• ENTER Key – Used to enter or acknowledge numbers and programs

OVERVIEW: HOW THE DYNATROL WORKS

• When electrical power is connected to the DynaTrol, the display will be lit, and WAIT will be displayed for about 5 seconds. Then, IdLE, TC2, and the current temperature will cycle over and over on the display. This cycling IdLE message means that the DynaTrol is on and ready to be programmed, but the kiln is not running yet.
• The current temperature is measured at the tip of the three thermocouples (TC1, TC2, TC3). If the thermocouple wires are connected to the thermocouples and if the tips of the thermocouples are inserted inside the kiln, the current temperature displayed is the temperature inside the kiln. The default thermocouple reading is TC2. In other words, unless you specifically ask the control to show you the temperature at TC1 or TC3, then it will only show you the temperature at TC2. This is done by simply pressing the #1 button to see the temperature at TC1, or the #3 button to see the temperature at TC3.
• When the START/STOP button is pressed after either an EASY-FIRE (also sometimes called “Cone-Fire") or a VARY-FIRE profile has been selected, the DynaTrol starts to increase the temperature in the kiln towards the first set temperature at the programmed rate of rise. The kiln will be cycling (clicking) on and off to accomplish the exact rate of temperature rise. When the displayed temperature reaches the first set temperature in the first segment, the first hold phase can begin. If there is a hold time programmed in this segment, the DynaTrol will hold at the first set temperature for the programmed amount of hold time until the end of the first segment of the firing. The second segment ramp stage then begins with the temperature increasing toward the second set temperature at the second ramp rate. Once it reaches the second set temperature, it will hold there if there is a hold time programmed for the second segment (if there is no hold time, then it simply goes on to the next segment). The control continues through this sequence until the end of the firing profile.
• With the VARY-FIRE mode, you may program six different programs with up to eight segments in each program. VARY-FIRE programs can be changed to whatever you need them to be. Each segment in a given program has a ramp rate (set in degrees Fahrenheit or Centigrade, heating or cooling, per hour), a set point temperature or cone number (the temperature that the ramp rate will heat or cool to), and an optional hold time at that temperature for up to 99 hours and 99 minutes.
• In the “EASY-FIRE” mode, the number of segments and the firing profile are preset according to the EASY-FIRE Temperature Profiles shown in the Appendix section. The ramp portion of a segment does not always need to increase in temperature. You can program a decrease in temperature at a specific rate also. EASY-FIRE programs can have preheat segments and cooling segments added to them, or they can stand alone.

WHEN YOU HAVE LESS THAN THREE THERMOCOUPLES

• If your kiln has only two thermocouples, you will not be able to find TC3 as there is no third thermocouple. The DynaTrol comes pre-programmed from the factory for your kiln’s particular specifications.
• If your kiln only has one thermocouple many of the features in the DynaTrol are not used. Rather than seeing IdLE and a TC1, TC2, or TC3, you will only see IdLE and a temperature flashing on and off. Likewise, any menu choice that controls relationships between the different “zones” in the kiln will either not even appear in the menu or will not affect the DynaTrol’s operation.

PROGRAMMING 

EASY-FIRE

The EASY-FIRE mode allows you to fire to a CONE NUMBER at one of four different speeds and then hold at that final temperature if desired. EASY-FIRE also allows you to add a preheat time to the beginning of the program and/or a slower cooling time or a more complex program to the end of it. These are the four preset EASY-FIRE programs that have been designed to do most typical ceramic firing cycles:

• Slow Bisque (very slow; approximately 13+ hours heating time only)
• Fast Bisque (slow; approximately 10+ hours heating time only)
• Slow Glaze (medium; approximately 6-1/2+ hours heating time only)
• Fast Glaze (fast; approximately 3+ hours heating time only).

These preset programs have specific ramps and speeds built into them. You can enter any cone number up to cone 10 *(see note below) as the hottest set point. This allows for some degree of customization while still keeping the programming simple and easy. The EASY-FIRE mode uses the Orton Foundation’s patented method to achieve the correct heat work, making these programs ideal for firing ceramics. The advantage of using the EASY-FIRE method is that a very complicated firing profile may be chosen with just a few keystrokes (see Appendix F for these firing profiles). These program’s final temperature set points are based on a 108°F temperature rise per hour for a large Orton self-supporting cone (rather than the small Orton cones or regular large Orton cones). Your real rate of climb may be different in the end; depending on a lot of different variables. Expect to see a lower final temp if the kiln goes slower or a higher one if it climbs faster.

NOTE: Some L&L Kilns are not designed to go to cone 10 or 2350°F. Consult your kiln’s control panel data nameplate label for the maximum operating temperature.

 

To use EASY-FIRE:

Press	Display	Comment
No need to press anything	IdLE and TC(#)	Make sure IdLE and TC(#), and the current temperature are flashing. Note: If you only have one thermocouple enabled then you will not see TC(#)
Press one of the four easy firing profile buttons: SLOW BISQUE or FAST BISQUE or SLOW GLAZE or FAST GLAZE.	You will see S-bC, F-bC, S-GL or F-GL.	This is where you choose the Easy-fire program you want to run
Press ENTER	See CONE and Cone Number flashing	This can be any cone from 022 to 10. If you type a wrong number here, press 0000 until all zeros appear in the display, press ENTER, then type the correct cone number.
Type the cone number you want to fire to (for instance 05)	See HOLd and 0.00 flashing	You are now about to enter a hold time (if any). Type the hold time or leave at 0.00. Numbers to the left of the decimal are hours, to the right are minutes. (Note that adding hold time will add heat-work to ceramics and thus increase the cone that you are firing to. The EASY-FIRE programs will NOT compensate for this)
Press a number if you want a hold time like 0.05 and then ENTER. If you want the hold to be 0.00 then just press ENTER.	IdLE and TC2 and the current temperature will be flashing in the display.	You are done programming. Note: If you see RA 8 then you have the Controlled Cooldown turned on. See Section 6.4 for more information.
Press START/STOP	--ON--	This will begin firing.
Review Prog	See Section 8.1 for details on what you should see.	Do a program review to make sure the program is what you want.

 

EASY-FIRE Example 1

• Slow Bisque Firing Profile to Cone 04, Pre-heat of 1 hour, 2 minute Hold - Use the following steps for a bisque firing to cone 04, a 2 minute temperature hold at the peak temperature, and a preheat stage with 1 hour hold time.
   
• THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE. You can change the firing profile, cone number, hold time, or preheat time to fit your specific needs.
   
• To begin programming, the display must be reading IdLE, TC(#), and the current temperature. 
  Note: If you only have one thermocouple enabled, then you will not see TC(#)

 

Press	Display	Comment
Slow Bisque	S-bC	If you press the wrong button, before pressing ENTER, simply press the correct button.
ENTER	Alternately flashing: CONE and #	The Slow Bisque profile is now selected. The word CONE and the last entered cone number will alternately flash on the display. Now enter the cone number - 04.
04	04
ENTER	Alternately flashing: HOLd & 0.00	The cone number has been accepted. Now enter the 10 minute hold time.
0010	00.10	Numbers to left of decimal point are hours, to the right of decimal point are minutes. If you type a wrong number, press 0000, then type the correct number.
ENTER	IdLE and TC(#) flashes, then the current temperature	The 10 minute hold time is accepted. IdLE indicates the firing profile has been completed. Note: If you see RA 8 then you have the Controlled Cooldown turned on. See Section 6.4 for more information. Note: If you only have one thermocouple enabled then you will not see TC(#).
preheat	Alternately flashing: HLd and 0.00	Preheat has been selected and the hold time is to be entered now.
100	1.00	Numbers to left of decimal point are hours, to the right of decimal point are minutes. NOTE: For a 1 hour hold time you could also enter 60 for 60 minutes; the display would show .60. If you type a wrong number, press 0000, then type the correct number.
ENTER	IdLE and TC(#) flashes, then current temperature	Accepts a hold time of 1 hour, then IdLE indicates the preheat stage has been completed. Note: If you only have one thermocouple enabled then you will not see TC(#).
START/STOP	-On-	After –On- is displayed for several seconds, the heating elements of the kiln will cycle on and the current temperature in the kiln will be displayed. If a time is displayed instead of the current temperature, then a delay start is in effect. If you do not want to delay the start, press START/STOP button, then DELAY, then 0000, then ENTER. When the current temperature and IdLE are again flashing in the display, press START/STOP to re-start the program.
Review Prog		Do a program review to make sure the program is what you want. See Section 8.1 for details on what you should see.

 

EASY-FIRE Example 2

• Fast Glaze Firing Profile to Cone 06, 10 minute Hold, Delay start of 2 hours. 
   
• Use the following steps for a glaze firing to cone 06, a 10-minute temperature hold at the peak temperature, and a 2-hour delay before the start of the firing.
   
• THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE. You may change the firing profile, cone number, hold time, delay time, or even add a preheat to this program to fit your special needs.

Press	Display	Comment
Fast Glaze	F-GL	If you press the wrong button, before pressing ENTER, simply press the correct button.
ENTER	Alternately flashing: CONE and #	Fast Glaze is selected. The word CONE and the last entered cone number will alternately flash on the display.
06	06	If you type a wrong number, press 0000, then type the correct number.
ENTER	Alternately flashing: HOLd & 0.00	The cone number has been accepted and the hold time is entered now. Note: If you see RA 8 then you have the Controlled Cooldown turned on. See Section 6.4 for more information.
0010	00.10	The Hold time is displayed. Numbers to left of decimal point are hours, to the right of decimal point are minutes. If you type a wrong number, press zero 4 times, then type the correct number.
ENTER	IdLE and TC(#) flashes, then the current temperature	Accepts a hold time of 10 minutes and then IdLE indicates the firing profile has been completed. Note: If you see RA 8 then you have the Controlled Cooldown turned on. See Section 6.4 for more information. Note: If you only have one thermocouple enabled then you will not see TC(#)
Delay	Alternately flashing: dELA and 0.00 (or the last programmed delay time)	Either 0.00 or the last programmed delay time will flash alternately with dELA.
200	02.00	Numbers to left of decimal point are hours, to the right of decimal point are minutes. If you type a wrong number, press zero 4 times, then type the correct number.
ENTER	IdLE and TC(#) flashes, then current temperature	The 2 hour delay time is accepted. IdLE indicates the job is completed. Note: If you only have one thermocouple enabled then you will not see TC(#)
START/STOP	-On- then 2.00	Starts the countdown of the delay time toward zero, at which time the kiln will start to heat. The display will show the amount of time left until the firing is to start.
Review Prog		Do a program review to make sure the program is what you want. See Section 8.1 for details on what you should see.

 

EASY-FIRE OPTIONS SECTION

Delay Button

• This button’s function is used to delay the start of a firing.
   
• NOTE: DELAY OPTION With any EASY-FIRE or VARY-FIRE program an optional Delay for the start time of the program is available. This feature makes it easy for you to be present at the end of a firing. Appendix F has the estimated times that the EASY-FIRE Programs take for selected cone numbers. By using this appendix, and adding however many hours you need, up to 99 hours and 99 minutes, to the delay timer you can ensure your presence at the end of the firing.
   
• To program a delay time you need not have programmed any firing profile yet. When the display cycles IdLE, tC(#), current temperature over and over. Note: If you only have one thermocouple enabled then you will not see TC(#):

Press	Display	Comment
Press Delay	See dELA and 0.00 cycling over and over
Press the number keys to enter the amount of delay time desired.	Examples: 00.75 or 0.75 or .75 for 75 minutes 14.30 for 14 hours 30 minutes	Numbers to the right of the decimal in the display are minutes. Numbers to the left of the decimal in the display are hours.
Press ENTER	See IdLE/ TC(#)	Note: If you only have one thermocouple enabled then you will not see TC(#)

Now once you program any EASY-FIRE or VARY-FIRE program this delay will appear in the display like a timer counting down when you press START/STOP to begin firing. The firing will begin once the timer reaches zero. It will remain set as is until you change it.

Example: Program a one hour delay to the start of a firing. You can change the one hour delay to as much as 99 hours and 99 minutes of delay time.

Press	Display	Comment
Delay	Alternately flashing: dELA and 0.00	The controller is ready to accept the delay time of 1 hour.
100	1.00	Displays the selected time. Numbers to the left of the decimal point are hours, to the right of the decimal point are minutes. If you type a wrong number, press 0000, then type the correct number.
ENTER	IdLE, TC(#) flashes then the current temperature	IdLE indicates the 1 hour delay has been accepted. The current temperature then flashes in the display. Note: If you only have one thermocouple enabled then you will not see TC(#)

 

Preheat Button

Preheat can be used with the EASY-FIRE mode only. When Preheat is in use, the temperature ramps up at 60°F/hour to 200°F and then holds at 200°F for the amount of time programmed. After which the EASY-FIRE program begins. Preheat is automatically set to zero at the end of each firing, so if a preheat stage is wanted, it must be reprogrammed for each EASY-FIRE firing.

Press	Display	Comment
To preheat the kiln for a specific amount of time you must first program an EASY-FIRE program. Once this is done you can add the preheat option to it:
Press PREHEAT	See HLd and 0.00 cycling over and over
Press the number keys to enter the amount of Preheat time desired.	Examples: 03.00 or 3.00 for 3 hours 00.75 or 0.75 for 75 minutes	Numbers to the left of the decimal in the display are hours. Numbers to the right of the decimal in the display are minutes.
Press ENTER	See IdLE, TC(#) flashes then the current temperature	Note: If you only have one thermocouple enabled then you will not see TC(#)

 

Preheat Example: Set a preheat time of 3 hours.

• Remember: You must choose and program an EASY-FIRE profile first, before you set the preheat time.
   
• IdLE and TC(#) and the temperature must be flashing to start the programming. Note: If you only have one thermocouple enabled then you will not see TC(#)

Press	Display	Comment
Preheat	Alternately flashing: HLd and 0.00	If you see IdLE when you press Preheat then it means that you have a VARY-FIRE program entered. You cannot use preheat with a VARY-FIRE program.
ENTER	Alternately flashing: HLd and 0.00	Preheat has been selected; enter the time you want to hold the temperature at 200°F (in this example 3 hours).
300	3.00	Displays the selected time of 3 hours. Numbers to the left of the decimal point are hours, to the right of the decimal point are minutes. If you type a wrong number, press 0000, then type the correct number.
ENTER	IdLE, TC(#) flashes then the current temperature	IdLE and TC(#), and the current temperature then cycles in the display. Note: If you only have one thermocouple enabled then you will not see TC(#)

 

Alarm Button

• This button’s function enables you to program an audible temperaturandandOTE: If the alarm is desired, it must be set with the Alarm Button for each firing when an EASY-FIRE program is chosen. When a VARY-FIRE program is chosen the DynaTrol will automatically use the alarm setting that can be programmed with that VARY-FIRE program (It is done within the VARY-FIRE program). Once the Alarm Button is pressed, if no alarm setting is entered within 10 seconds, the display will return to IdLE, TC2 and the current temperature.
   
• The alarm may be set before or during a firing. When the alarm temperature is reached, a beeper will sound. Turn off the sound by pressing ENTER. This is very useful for alerting you to specific critical temperatures in a program - for instance just before the kiln is going to reach maturing temperatures or when to close the peepholes during natural venting.
   
• Example: Before or during a firing, set the alarm temperature to go off at 600°F.

Press	Display	Comment
Alarm	Alternately flashing: ALRM and #	The word ALRM and the last entered alarm temperature will alternately flash on the display. The controller is ready to accept the alarm temperature. If no alarm is entered within 10 seconds, the display will return to IdLE and TC 2 and the current temperature. Note: If you only have one thermocouple enabled then you will not see TC(#)
600	600	Displays the selected temperature of 600°F. If you type a wrong number, press 0000, then type the correct number.
ENTER	IdLE and TC 2 flashes then the current temperature	The IdLE and TC2, and the current temperature then cycles in the display. Note: If you only have one thermocouple enabled then you will not see TC(#)

 

Downramping/Controlled Cooling with EASY-FIRE

• If your kiln is cooling too rapidly for good glaze results or if the cooling is so rapid that cracking occurs on certain large pieces, it is recommended that you cool under power.
   
• A kiln with a light load or a large firing chamber will cool more quickly than a kiln with a heavy, dense load or a small firing chamber, assuming the same thickness of the insulation.
   
• You may want to test your kiln to see how quickly it cools at high temperatures and at low temperatures to see what type of cooling segment(s) you need. There are two methods to add a controlled cool to an EASY-FIRE program.
   
• Method #1 allows you to add a simple one segment controlled cooldown to the end of your EASY-FIRE program.
   
• Method #2 allows you to add a more complex VARY-FIRE program to the end of your EASY-FIRE.
   
• Use method #2 if you need a cooling sequence with more than one segment.

To use EASY-FIRE:

Press	Display	Comment
	IdLE and TC(#)	Make sure IdLE and TC(#), and the current temperature are flashing. Note: If you only have one thermocouple enabled then you will not see TC(#)
Press one of the four easy firing profile buttons: SLOW BISQUE or FAST BISQUE or SLOW GLAZE or FAST GLAZE.	You will see S-bC, F-bC, S-GL or F-GL.	This is where you choose the Easy-fire program you want to run
Press ENTER	See CONE and Cone Number flashing	This can be any cone from 022 to 10. If you type a wrong number here, press 0000 until all zeros appear in the display, press ENTER, then type the correct cone number.
Type the cone number you want to fire to (for instance 05)	See HOLd and 0.00 flashing	You are now about to enter a hold time (if any). Type the hold time or leave at 0.00. Numbers to the left of the decimal are hours, to the right are minutes. (Note that adding hold time will add heat-work to ceramics and thus increase the cone that you are firing to. The EASY-FIRE programs will NOT compensate for this)
Press a number if you want a hold time like 0.05 and then ENTER. If you want the hold to be 0.00 then just press ENTER.	IdLE and TC2 and the current temperature will be flashing in the display.	You are done programming. Note: If you see RA 8 then you have the Controlled Cooldown turned on. See Section 6.4 for more information.
Press START/STOP	--ON--	This will begin firing.
Review Prog		Do a program review to make sure the program is what you want. See Section 8.1 for details on what you should see.

 

EASY-FIRE Example 1

• Slow Bisque Firing Profile to Cone 04, Pre-heat of 1 hour, 2 minute Hold - Use the following steps for a bisque firing to cone 04, a 2 minute temperature hold at the peak temperature, and a preheat stage with 1 hour hold time.
• THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE. You can change the firing profile, cone number, hold time, or preheat time to fit your specific needs.
• To begin programming, the display must be reading IdLE, TC(#), and the current temperature. 
  Note: If you only have one thermocouple enabled, then you will not see TC(#)

Press	Display	Comment
Slow Bisque	S-bC	If you press the wrong button, before pressing ENTER, simply press the correct button.
ENTER	Alternately flashing: CONE and #	The Slow Bisque profile is now selected. The word CONE and the last entered cone number will alternately flash on the display. Now enter the cone number - 04.
04	04
ENTER	Alternately flashing: HOLd & 0.00	The cone number has been accepted. Now enter the 10 minute hold time.
0010	00.10	Numbers to left of decimal point are hours, to the right of decimal point are minutes. If you type a wrong number, press 0000, then type the correct number
ENTER	IdLE and TC(#) flashes, then the current temperature	The 10 minute hold time is accepted. IdLE indicates the firing profile has been completed. Note: If you see RA 8 then you have the Controlled Cooldown turned on. See Section 6.4 for more information. Note: If you only have one thermocouple enabled then you will not see TC(#)
preheat	Alternately flashing: HLd and 0.00	Preheat has been selected and the hold time is to be entered now
100	1.00	Numbers to left of decimal point are hours, to the right of decimal point are minutes. NOTE: For a 1 hour hold time you could also enter 60 for 60 minutes; the display would show .60. If you type a wrong number, press 0000, then type the correct number.
ENTER	IdLE and TC(#) flashes, then current temperature	Accepts a hold time of 1 hour, then IdLE indicates the preheat stage has been completed. Note: If you only have one thermocouple enabled then you will not see TC(#)
START/ STOP	-On-	After –On- is displayed for several seconds, the heating elements of the kiln will cycle on and the current temperature in the kiln will be displayed. If a time is displayed instead of the current temperature, then a delay start is in effect. If you do not want to delay the start. Press START/ STOP button, then DELAY, then 0000, then ENTER. When the current temperature and IdLE are again flashing in the display, press START/STOP to re-start the program.
Review Prog		Do a program review to make sure the program is what you want. See Section 8.1 for details on what you should see.

 

EASY-FIRE Example 2

• Fast Glaze Firing Profile to Cone 06, 10 minute Hold, Delay start of 2 hours. 
• Use the following steps for a glaze firing to cone 06, a 10-minute temperature hold at the peak temperature, and a 2-hour delay before the start of the firing.
• THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE. You may change the firing profile, cone number, hold time, delay time, or even add a preheat to this program to fit your special needs.

 

EASY-FIRE OPTIONS SECTION

Delay Button

• This button’s function is used to delay the start of a firing.
   
• NOTE: DELAY OPTION With any EASY-FIRE or VARY-FIRE program an optional Delay for the start time of the program is available. This feature makes it easy for you to be present at the end of a firing. Appendix F has the estimated times that the EASY-FIRE Programs take for selected cone numbers. By using this appendix, and adding however many hours you need, up to 99 hours and 99 minutes, to the delay timer you can ensure your presence at the end of the firing.
   
• To program a delay time you need not have programmed any firing profile yet. When the display cycles IdLE, tC(#), current temperature over and over. Note: If you only have one thermocouple enabled then you will not see TC(#):

Now once you program any EASY-FIRE or VARY-FIRE program this delay will appear in the display like a timer counting down when you press START/STOP to begin firing. The firing will begin once the timer reaches zero. It will remain set as is until you change it.

Example: Program a one-hour delay to the start of a firing. You can change the one-hour delay to as much as 99 hours and 99 minutes of delay time.

 

Preheat Button

Preheat can be used with the EASY-FIRE mode only. When Preheat is in use, the temperature ramps up at 60°F/hour to 200°F and then holds at 200°F for the amount of time programmed. After which the EASY-FIRE program begins. Preheat is automatically set to zero at the end of each firing, so if a preheat stage is wanted, it must be reprogrammed for each EASY-FIRE firing.

 

Preheat Example: Set a preheat time of 3 hours.

• Remember: You must choose and program an EASY-FIRE profile first, before you set the preheat time.
   
• IdLE and TC(#) and the temperature must be flashing to start the programming. Note: If you only have one thermocouple enabled then you will not see TC(#)

 

Alarm Button

• This button’s function enables you to program an audible temperaturandandOTE: If the alarm is desired, it must be set with the Alarm Button for each firing when an EASY-FIRE program is chosen. When a VARY-FIRE program is chosen the DynaTrol will automatically use the alarm setting that can be programmed with that VARY-FIRE program (It is done within the VARY-FIRE program). Once the Alarm Button is pressed, if no alarm setting is entered within 10 seconds, the display will return to IdLE, TC2 and the current temperature.
   
• The alarm may be set before or during a firing. When the alarm temperature is reached, a beeper will sound. Turn off the sound by pressing ENTER. This is very useful for alerting you to specific critical temperatures in a program - for instance just before the kiln is going to reach maturing temperatures or when to close the peepholes during natural venting.
   
• Example: Before or during a firing, set the alarm temperature to go off at 600°F.

 

Downramping/Controlled Cooling with EASY-FIRE

• If your kiln is cooling too rapidly for good glaze results or if the cooling is so rapid that cracking occurs on certain large pieces, it is recommended that you cool under power.
   
• A kiln with a light load or a large firing chamber will cool more quickly than a kiln with a heavy, dense load or a small firing chamber, assuming the same thickness of the insulation.
   
• You may want to test your kiln to see how quickly it cools at high temperatures and at low temperatures to see what type of cooling segment(s) you need. There are two methods to add a controlled cool to an EASY-FIRE program.
   
• Method #1 allows you to add a simple one segment controlled cooldown to the end of your EASY-FIRE program.
   
• Method #2 allows you to add a more complex VARY-FIRE program to the end of your EASY-FIRE.
   
• Use method #2 if you need a cooling sequence with more than one segment.

Method #1 Using the simple Easy-Fire method

 

Method #2 using the more sophisticated Vary-Fire method

Note: It does not matter whether COOL is the Hidden Menu is turned on or off for the second method.

EASY-FIRE Example 3 with a controlled cooldown (using Vary-Fire method)

Slow Glaze Firing Profile to Cone 6, 5 minute Hold, Controlled Cooldown.

 

VARY-FIRE CUSTOM PROGRAMMING

GENERAL CONCEPT

• The VARY-FIRE mode allows you to program exactly how you want the kiln to fire. It provides a very broad range of programming possibilities designed to allow these kilns to be used in many different ways. The DynaTrol allows you to permanently store 6 separate programs with up to 8 ramp/hold segments in each program.
   
• Each segment has one cooling or heating ramp, a temperature setpoint, and an optional hold time at that setpoint.
   
• These programs are stored in a non-volatile memory bank, meaning they will stay in memory even when all power is turned off.
   
• The DynaTrol allows you to hold at a low temperature for a long time (i.e. you can have an automatic drying period similar to the Preheat option in the EASY-FIRE mode). Then, it can automatically ramp up to your final temperature, switching to different heating or cooling rates along the way. You can ramp slowly through critical periods or soak at any temperature within or at the end of a firing for more consistent maturing of work. Your program can include a controlled cool down to avoid heat shock.
   
• Many of these options are permanently programmed into the EASY-FIRE programs to maximize their ability to properly fire your ceramics. However, with the VARY-FIRE programs, you have complete control over nearly every aspect of the firing, so you can adjust the kiln performance to your exact needs. This can allow the kiln to be used for non-ceramic applications such as glass slumping, annealing, enameling, growing crystals, jewelry, heat treating, testing, and other industrial uses.
   
• In the VARY-FIRE mode, your saved programs are called USER1, USER2,… USER6. These are the names that will define your programs and make them easy to recall in order to use them to fire the kiln.
   
• These six program slots: USER1, USER2,… USER6, etc., comes with generic programs already in place. These programs can be replaced with your own custom programs, and the original programs can be recalled at any time in the future. If they are recalled, however, they will replace any of the custom programs that you have saved under USER1, USER2,… USER6.

Factory Loaded VARY-FIRE Programs

The six factory-loaded programs in the VARY-FIRE’s custom program slots are as follows (these may vary with the age of the control):

1. USER1 is a glass slumping program
    
2. USER2 is a glass tack fuse program
    
3. USER3 is a glass full fuse program
    
4. USER4 is a glass bead annealing program
    
5. USER5 is a lost-wax burnout program
    
6. USER6 is a slow cooling cycle that can be added to a CONE 6 firing (or can be altered to add to any firing) but only when the 16-S option is selected
   
   
   NOTE: See the Appendix H section in this manual for exactly what each of these programs will do.

VARY-FIRE Chart Concept

VARY-FIRE programs, in general, are best thought of in terms of a chart.

For example, a three-segment program with a maximum set point temperature of 1575°F, a one-hour hold time, and a controlled cooldown.

1. In segment 1, ramp rates are at first only 100°F per hour until the entire kiln’s temperature reaches 200°F.
    
2. Then, with no hold time in segment 1, the control automatically switches to segment 2, which will allow the kiln to rise at 500°F per hour until its maximum setpoint at 1575°F.
    
3. Then it will hold for one hour at 1575°F.
    
4. Then, in segment 3, it will cool from 1575°F to 1000°F at 143°F per our.
    
5. Once the kiln temperature cools to 1000°F the firing is complete and the kiln heaters will turn off.

 

VARY-FIRE Example

The following steps are used to enter a program under USER1 for the firing profile in the above example.

NOTE: You can change the program’s name (the USER number), change the number of segments, and change the ramping rates, segment setpoints and hold times within each of the segments. You can even add a DELAY time to ensure that you will be around for the end of the firing, all to fit the program to your own specific needs.

 

Preheating (Candling) with VARY-FIRE

There is no actual Preheat option in the VARY-FIRE mode. You must include another segment in your program in order to “Preheat”. To preheat in the VARY-FIRE mode you would make your first segment as follows:

rA1 = 60 , °F = 200 and HLD1 (time you wish to preheat for)

Down-ramping, or Controlled Cooling with VARY-FIRE

To have the kiln cool at a prescribed rate, slower than its natural rate, within a program, or at the end of a firing, first consider the following.

• A kiln with a light load or a large firing chamber will cool more quickly than a kiln with a heavy, dense load or a small firing chamber assuming the same thickness of the insulation. So you may want to test your kiln to see how quickly it cools at high and low temperatures to see what type of cooling segment(s) you need.
   
• When using just VARY-FIRE programming, treat a cooling segment the same as a heating segment when programming the DynaTrol. While programming, you must initially add an extra segment. Then, when you input the RA number in this segment (ramp or rate of rise or fall in °F or °C per hour), this number will be the number of degrees per hour that you want the kiln to COOL. Next, input a number as the set point temperature in °F (or °C). This number will be the temperature to which the kiln will cool, at the rate you have just programmed. You can then program a hold (if you need one here) at this temperature. The program can then end (this was your last segment) or it can continue on cooling or go back to heating in the next segment.
   
• All that the DynaTrol knows is that to be a cooling segment, the set point must be LOWER than the previous segment’s set point. It will treat the ramp rate the same for either heating or cooling, just moving the temperature along at the prescribed rate. (See the previous example for the VARY-FIRE).
  
  NOTE: When programming a firing with a controlled cooling, be sure to put at least one heating segment before the cooling segment as the kiln cannot cool first. It must heat first before cooling.

Using VARY-FIRE to fire to a CONE number

You can use a VARY-FIRE Program to set a Cone Number as the hottest point instead of a specific temperature. This is particularly useful for firing glazes to a specific cone, like “cone 6”. The VARY-FIRE program will automatically adjust the final temperature in the segment where you set the cone number. Note: All subsequent set points in later segments must have a lower temperature than the Cone segment.

To do this:

1. While programming a VARY-FIRE program, when you reach the point where you would normally enter the highest temperature, press "Other" instead.
    
2. Enter the desired cone number, then press "ENTER".
    
3. Continue with that segment’s hold time and any later cooling segments.

If you change your mind, pressing "Other" before entering a cone number will return you to the option to input a temperature instead.

For more details, refer to the "Programming Vary-Fire" video above and skip to 4:45.

Adding Two VARY-FIRE Programs Together

• The USER 6 program can be added to the end of USER 5 in an EASY-FIRE or VARY-FIRE program. USER 6 comes pre-programmed as a slow cooldown from a Cone 6 firing. It can be adapted to be a slow cooldown from a different cone number or temperature, or with a few adjustments, it can be its own program, or it can be the second half of a sophisticated 16-segment crystalline glaze program, for example.
   
• To add whatever is programmed in USER 6 to whatever you program in USER 5, you must first put USER 5 in active memory by recalling it. Then turn on the 16-S feature- located under the Other key so the control knows to join those two programs together and run first USER 5, then immediately follow it with USER 6. Think of the first segment of USER 6 following right after the end of USER 5.

The UNDO/GO-BACK Button

• The Review Prog (Review Program) button acts as the Go-Back button during VARY-FIRE Programming only. If you are programming a segment of a VARY-FIRE program, you can go backward to change something by pressing Review Prog. Once you reach the ALRM, 9999 part of the programming, you can no longer go backward.
   
• If you cannot go back, just continue on and finish programming like nothing was wrong. Then, when you get back to IdLE, go back in and program it correctly.
   
• You cannot go backward in the EASY-FIRE programming at all. Just finish programming as if no mistake was made, then once you are back to IdLE, re-program it correctly.

The RECALL PROG (RECALL PROGRAM) Button

• This button is used to call up one of your six previously programmed USER firing profiles in order to use that program to fire the kiln.
   
• See the video above.
   
• Example: To recall USER profile #4, do the following. First enter your program into User Profile #4, then:

 

The SKIP-STEP Feature

• The Skip Step function uses the Review Seg (Review Segment) button. The Skip Step feature is only available in a VARY-FIRE firing profile. It is used when enough heat work has been done at the current segment, and you want to immediately go to the next segment. To skip to the next segment, press Review Seg, then within 2 seconds, press ENTER, and ENTER a second time. If you press View Seg and do not press ENTER within 2 seconds, the current segment (e.g., rA1) will continue to be displayed. Simply wait until the temperature is again displayed and press Review Seg, then ENTER within 2 seconds, and ENTER again. If you press Review Seg, then ENTER, then decide not to skip to the next ramp stage, simply do not press any key; after about 10 seconds, the display will return to the current temperature.
   
• If you are currently in the ramping part of the segment and you skip the step, you will jump over any hold time in that segment and go directly to the ramp in the next segment. If you are currently in the hold part of a segment and you skip a step, you will just go to the ramp in the next segment.

Full Power Ramp

• If a ramp rate of 9999 degrees per hour is programmed, a full power ramp will be enabled.
   
• At the start of a full power-up ramp, the elements will continuously be on until the soak temperature is reached.
   
• At temperatures 50 degrees less than the programmed soak temperature, the elements will begin to cycle to minimize overshoot.
   
• A full power ramp is the quickest way to reach a specified temperature.
   
• You can also use a full power ramp for troubleshooting purposes, forcing the elements on so that you can test them with a multimeter.

VIEW/ REVIEW AND SPECIAL OPTIONS

Review Prog (Review Prog)

• This feature is useful for ensuring that the program you have just selected to fire, either one of the preprogrammed EASY-FIRE programs or one of your six USER programs, is the one you think it is.
   
• You can use the Review Prog. But button to verify that you have a delay, preheat, or any other optionwill also tell you how many firings have been completed on the kiln.

Example - If you have selected a Slow Bisque “EASY-FIRE” profile to cone 04 with a 20 minute hold, the following will be displayed, each for about 1/2 second when Review Prog is pressed:

 

Review Seg (Review Segment)

Pressing the Review Seg key during a firing will display several different pieces of information about the status of the firing.

Once pressed, this is what the DynaTrol is displaying:

1. First: The Current Segment
    
2. Next: The Rate of Rise (in degrees Fahrenheit per hour)
    
3. Next: The Traveling Temperature Set Point (This means that the set point temperature is moving with the program. The set point is the specific temperature the control tells the kiln to achieve).
    
4. Last: The actual physical temperature of the DynaTrol’s circuit board.

Examples of Review Seg:

 

THE ‘OTHER’ BUTTON

• The Other button opens a menu which contains many of the different user-programmable settings.
   
• As you press Other again and again the menu will scroll by. You can press Review Seg to go backwards in the menu.
   
• NOTE: You can not access the Other menus while the control is firing a program.

The OTHER Menus Overview

TO EXIT this menu without changing anything, press the START/STOP button.

Reset

RSET - Choosing this function will re-assign the default value (ON) to the Error codes only. Press Other until RSET is displayed. Then press ENTER. IdLE will be displayed indicating that the Error Checking is ON. This is also the screen where you can enter the “Hidden Other Menu” (See Section 10 for more information).

Cone Lookup Table

CONE- This option allows you to type in a cone number and see what the DynaTrol’s programmed temperature is for that cone number at a temperature climb of 108°F per hour. This function is provided as a handy reference table to use while you are programming. There is a more complete cone table here: hotkilns.com/orton-cone-chart. Remember, however, that there is no absolute equivalent between cones and temperature.

Cone Table Example:

 

Identification

Id - Used by KISS (Kiln Interface Software System) to identify the kiln when hooked up to a personal computer. Normally this is set to 1. If you are not using the control in a KISS environment it doesn’t matter what it says.

Note: This software is no longer available so this is for legacy situations only.

Sixteen Segment Program

16-S - This option allows VARY-FIRE profile #5 or any EASY-FIRE program to be combined with USER 6 to make one profile with up to 16 segments. It shows up in the Other menu only when VARY-FIRE #5 Profile or any EASY-FIRE program has been programmed . To use it, first, program VARY-FIRE Profile #5 or an EASY-FIRE program. Note that the beginning segment of Profile #6 should be entered as if it was to start directly after the ending segment of the EASY-FIRE program or of VARY-FIRE profile #5.

To take advantage of this feature do the following:

NOTE: If you just want USER 5 to fire without automatically being followed by whatever is programmed in USER 6, double-check that this option is set to OFF. It will show up in the Program Review. If you have activated the 16-S feature and you press Review Prog it w, it will only show you the first half of the program: 5 or the EASY-FIRE program. It will not show you the contents of USER 6 in the Review Program. It will show you 16-S as it scrolls through the Review Program. This is your clue that whatever is in USER 6 is going to follow your current program.

Cone Offset

CNOS (Cone Offset) - Used to fine-tune what the DynaTrol thinks the final cone temperature should be in EASY-FIRE programs. The final cone temperature can be raised or lowered to a maximum of 99°F (or 55°C). When entering the offset temperature, the following code is used: the left two digits designate whether to raise (00) or lower (90) the cone temperature; that is, 00 means plus (+), and 90 means minus (-). The right two digits are the number of degrees the cone temperature will be raised or lowered. This offset will remain programmed only for the specific cone number until you reprogram the cone offset differently

Examples of Cone Offset:

NOTE: This option does not affect the VARY-FIRE (Ramp-Hold) mode but it will show up on the menu.

NOTE ABOUT PREPROGRAMMED CONE OFFSETS: The Cone Offsets come preprogrammed. From cone 022 to cone 017 the cone offsets are set at 9020. All other cones are preset at 0000. (Note on Blue DynaTrols made before Oct 1 2004 the cone offset was 9030 for cones 022 to 017 and 9020 for other cones. The offsets were changed when we switched to a more responsive thermocouple protection tube). You can always change this. The RESET option in Other menu will NOT reset these settings. This is part of the compensation necessary for the mullite thermocouple protection tubes.

See the video on Cone Offset

Cone Offset Example: Adjust cone 07 to shut off the kiln at 20°F below Orton’s prescribed cone temperature.

 

Change from Deg F to Deg C

CHG° - Used to select degrees Fahrenheit (°F) or degrees Celsius (°C).

Example: Change from °F to °C.

 

Error Codes (On/Off)

ERCd - Used to turn ON or turn OFF the error codes. When you receive your DynaTrol the error codes are turned on. In most cases, you will want the error codes on. They can be turned off if you are doing special firings, such as jewelry or glass firing where the kiln is opened while hot. Turning the error codes off turns off the dynamic zone control feature that keeps the temperature in the kiln even top to bottom. It eliminates nuisance shut downs but side also eliminates built in fail-safe measures that help prevent mistakes. See Appendix E for details on error codes.

Example: Turn the error codes off.

More on how and why to turn error codes on or off

Thermocouple Offsets

TCOS - This is used to raise or lower the temperature indicated by any of the thermocouples.

1. The maximum offset is 99°F (or 55°C).
    
2. The format is the same as the cone offset: the left two digits designate whether to raise (00) or lower (90) the offset temperature, that is, 00 means plus (+) and 90 means minus (-).
    
3. When TCOS is displayed, press ENTER and TC1 will be displayed.
    
4. Press ENTER and the current offset for the top thermocouple will be displayed.
    
5. Press ENTER when the correct offset for the top thermocouples is displayed and then TC2 will be displayed.
    
6. Repeat the process for TC2 and TC3 only inputting the offset on the thermocouples that need it. Raising the indicated temperature LOWERS the actual temperature in the kiln and therefore the amount of heat work.
    
7. Lowering the indicated temperature RAISES the actual temperature in the kiln and, therefore, the amount of heat work.

Thermocouple Offset Example

Entering this sequence of steps will make the TOP zone of the kiln fire cooler by 15°F than the rest of the kiln. To do this, the offset is performed on the top (#1) thermocouple only; however, the rest of the thermocouples must be programmed as well. The other one or two thermocouples (depending on model of kiln) would be programmed for a zero offset.

Reminder: IdLE and TC(#), and the current temperature must be cycling before you begin programming. Note: If you only have one thermocouple enabled then you will not see TC(#)

• NOTE: The thermocouple offset will affect the final temperature in that zone only for all EASY-FIRE and VARY-FIRE profiles. It will remain programmed until you reprogram it.
   
• NOTE: On older kilns (before Sept 2020) The Thermocouple Offset came already programmed into the control at 0018 (+ 18 Deg F). For these kilns the room temperature will show 18 Deg F higher than it actually is. The RESET option in Other will NOT reset these settings.
   
• IF YOU DO NOT USE THE THERMOCOUPLE PROTECTION TUBES OR YOU HAVE THE NEWER OPEN-END PROTECTION TUBE, THEN YOU NEED TO CHANGE THE THERMOCOUPLE OFFSET TO 0000.
   
• DynaTrols sent out before Oct 1, 2004 the thermocouple offset was set for 0050

Board Temperature

bd t - You may press ENTER here to see what the ambient temperature of the DynaTrol’s electronics are. This temperature can also be seen while the kiln is firing by pressing Review Seg three times. (125°F is an acceptable ambient operating temperature)

HIDDEN OTHER MENU

This menu contains the programmable settings for the rest of the features in the DynaTrol. To find this menu, first IdLE and tC(#), and the current temperature must be cycling in the display. Note: If you only have one thermocouple enabled then, you will not see TC(#)

 

NOTC: Number of Thermocouples

NOTC is used to change the number of zones in your kiln (essentially, the number of thermocouples used).

1. To run the kiln using only one thermocouple: When you see NOTC , press ENTER, then 1, then ENTER. If you choose to do this, you must use only thermocouple number 2 in the kiln, and we recommend putting it in the middle zone’s thermocouple hole. When you program the DynaTrol to use only one thermocouple, all the zones of the kiln will turn on and off simultaneously.
    
2. To run the kiln using two thermocouples: When you see NOTC, press ENTER, then 2, then ENTER. If you choose to do this you must have thermocouple #1 in the top zone of the kiln and thermocouple #2 in the middle zone or in the bottom zone. When you program the DynaTrol to run using only two thermocouples, the bottom zone and the middle zone, go on and off simultaneously.
    
3. To run the kiln using three thermocouples: When you see NOTC, press ENTER, then 3, then ENTER. If you choose to do this, thermocouple #1 must be in the top zone, thermocouple #2 in the middle, and #3 in the bottom. All three zones will operate independently and be tied to their respective thermocouples.
   
   NOTE: Kilns with only one thermocouple can be programmed to run with two or three thermocouples, but because they physically only have one thermocouple, the FAIL message will be displayed referring to the non-existent thermocouple. You must then re-program for just one thermocouple. Likewise, two-section L&L kilns come with only two thermocouples. If you physically add a section to a two-section kiln, you will be able to add a third thermocouple. But if you program a two-section kiln for three thermocouples, you will receive the FAIL message referencing the non-existent thermocouple. You must then re-program for two thermocouples.

OP A: Option A

• Used to control a vent (or other device using output 4). Output 4 can be programmed to be on or off during each segment of a VARY-FIRE program.
   
• During an EASY-FIRE program, output 4 comes on at the beginning of the firing and turns off after the kiln has cooled to 150°F.

OP B: Option B

• Used to control a vent (or other device using output 4). 
   
• Output 4 can be programmed to be on or off during each segment of a VARY-FIRE program.
   
• Output 4 comes on at the beginning of an EASY-FIRE program, off at 1450°F, back on after the firing is complete and the kiln has cooled to 1000°F, and finally off again when the temperature is below 150°F.

OP C: Option C

• For Vent Control: Output 4 can be programmed to be on or off during each segment of a Vary-Fire program. Output 4 is off during Easy-Fire programs.
   
• For Powered Bottoms or other uses: This option can be used to enable a powered bottom, if installed.
   
• When you press ENTER here, all you will see is CPL (meaning ‘Complete’). Now, when you program in VARY-FIRE mode, however, you will see an extra prompt in each segment called FAN1, FAN2,…FAN8. This will appear right before you see the rA1, rA2,…rA8 prompt. FAN, in this refers to the device being controlled (i.e. powered bottom or vent) and the number refers to the program segment. You can set the device to be either ON or OFF in each segment of programming in a VARY-FIRE program only by toggling between ON and OFF using a number key.

PCT: Percent

This option is used to turn on a powered bottom for a percentage of time relative to that of the bottom zone. To set, enter a number from 0% to 150% using the number pad. i.e. Entering 100 here would turn the powered bottom on whenever the bottom zone came on. Entering 50 here would turn the powered bottom on for about eight seconds, then off for about eight seconds if the bottom zone of the kiln was on all the time. 150 is the maximum you can enter. This pretty much ensures the power bottom is on all the time. The bottom zone would have to be on less than about 66% of the time to have the power bottom cycle if PCT was set to 150.

NOTE: Setting the PCt setting to 0000 will turn off all powered bottom options.

PId: PID Setting

This setting is not part of the powered bottom settings, It is always “on”. Pressing ENTER here allows you to set another percent setting that can help a slow, heavily loaded kiln fire faster. This setting comes pre-programmed at the factory for 65%.

Basically, you are determining how much help the middle zone of the kiln gives the bottom zone of the kiln when the bottom zone is lagging behind during heating. This function automatically activates your pre-programmed setting when the bottom zone is on 100% of the time. Without this feature, heat from the bottom zone will rise up and help to heat the other zones, so generally, the bottom of the kiln is on more than the other zones to compensate for this. Sometimes, the slow bottom zone will slow the whole kiln down. With this feature, the middle zone of the kiln will come on the programmed percent of the time that the TOP zone comes on if the bottom zone is on all the time. What was found during tests was that if the bottom was on 100% of the time, the top zone was generally on 90% of the time, but the middle zone was on only about 40% of the time. By programming a higher percentage, you can greatly speed up your firings. (You will have to experiment, try the factory setting at 65%, then try maybe 85%, and compare your results).

dIAG: Diagnostics

This is handy to use when your kiln is first delivered and set up to make sure it was done properly. It can also be useful in seeing if an element has burned out. Press ENTER when you see dIAG and open the lid of your kiln. When you are ready, press ENTER again and each zone of the kiln will turn on for 10 seconds starting with zone #1, the top zone. If you have a powered bottom, it will be on last; when it says OUT4. CAREFUL it can get hot and there is LIVE electricity – DO NOT TOUCH THE ELEMENTS! This will tell you if all the power circuits are hooked up right and working; , or if kiln sections are plugged in to the wrong receptacles on the control panel (Jupiter kilns only). If this is the case the zones will not turn on in the proper 1, 2, 3, order.

ShTO: Shut-Off Averaging

This option is used to shut off the automatic feature in the DynaTrol that holds the hottest part of the kiln at each segment’s set point until the average of the three (or two) thermocouples reaches that set point. Pressing 1 here allows you to toggle between ON and OFF. 

• ON means that as soon as the hottest zone gets to the segment’s set point, the entire kiln switches to either the “hold time” or the next segment. 
   
• OFF means that the DynaTrol will not let the hottest zone’s temperature rise until the average temperature of the three zones reaches that segment’s set point, then the kiln can begin the “hold time” or the next segment.
   
• You may want to turn this setting to ON if you fire with the “Lag” set for say 15 and the “Autolag” OFF. ON can also help to speed up a slow firing as well.

ALR4: Alarm For…

This option controls “output 4.” This feature is activated by pressing ENTER when ALR4 is displayed. It energizes output #4 on the DynaTrol electronics board when the Alarm goes off. Since the alarm is a temperature alarm and can be set to go off at a specific temp, output 4 can be connected (for example) to a relay that governs the power for an auto-dialer to call your cell phone so you know it is time to come check the kiln. Or it could be connected to a really loud buzzer or light for the kiln room door. Contact the factory if you want to learn more.
​​​​​​​
NOTE: On kilns with powered bottoms, DO NOT CHOOSE THIS OPTION. Your Powered Bottom is connected to output #4 and is best controlled by the ‘PCT’ option in the Hidden Other Menu. If this option is chosen, and you have a powered bottom, and you set the alarm, when the alarm goes off, the powered bottom will come on- even if the program is off. The bottom of your kiln could get a bit hot if this happens. Just another reason why it is good to never leave a firing unattended.

CYCL: Cycle Time

• The cycle time is the length of time between an element turning on two consecutive times.
   
• Using a short cycle time may improve temperature control, while using a long cycle time may improve relay life. Cycle time can be programmed anywhere from 10 to 60 seconds.
  ​​​​​​​
• The default setting from the factory is 25 seconds

 

MAX: Maximum Temperature Setting

Maximum Temperature Setting controls how hoFt the kiln can be programmed to fire. This can be used to restrict firings to a certain cone, for example in a school. It can be set as high as 2400°F, although on any L&L the max temp in the warranty literature is “2350°F or Cone 10”. This is already set in the factory.

TYPE: Type of Thermocouple

The type of thermocouple can be either Type K or Type S. You must have the appropriate thermocouples and lead wire to switch from one to the other. In addition you must switch the software setting from “K-TH” to “S-TH”, or vice versa. Pressing any number key toggles you back and forth from K-TH to S-TH. For precaution, a small jumper must be moved on the circuit board when going from K to S. This jumper is located approximately in the center of the board under the marking “R97”. If the jumper is on only one of the prongs, the control is set for Type K. If the jumper is on both of the two prongs, the control is set for Type S. This precaution keeps you from accidentally having it set for K with S thermocouples or vise-versa. If there is a mismatch between the jumper setting and the software setting you will get an error code: ERR9.

(CAUTION: A SEVERE OVERFIRING CAN OCCUR IF YOU HAVE THE CONTROL PROGRAMMED FOR A TYPE S THERMOCOUPLE AND YOU ARE USING A TYPE K THERMOCOUPLE).

2KEY: Two- Key Start

Two-Key Start is a safety feature that makes you press ENTER after pressing START/STOP to begin a program. It keeps you from turning the kiln on by accident. If Two-Key Start is activated, when you press START/STOP you will see ----. Pressing ENTER now starts the program. By default we do not have this feature turned on.​​​​​​

E-bd: Error Board Temperature

This allows you to set how hot the room can be that the kiln is in before the DynaTrol shuts the elements off. A temp sensor right on the electronic board inside the control box senses temperature and can be used to trigger a power-off to the elements if the kiln room gets too hot. 250°F is the max. Remember it is a whole lot hotter that close to the kiln than it is in the rest of the room. Default setting is 200°F (93°C)

REST: Restore Default USER Programs

1. The DynaTrol comes preloaded with 6 special programs in the VARY-FIRE USER memory slots. VARY-FIRE has 6 memory slots for you to create and store your own custom programs. You may decide to keep these original programs or write over them with your own programs.
2. If you ever want to get all of the original programs back again, you can go to REST in the Hidden Other Menu and press ENTER. If you do this however, any custom programs you made up and saved in the VARY-FIRE USER memory slots will be irretrievable. If you want to just get some of the original programs but not others, you will have to manually enter them in. VARY-FIRE TEMPERATURE PROFILES section in the Appendixes H contains the actual segment-by-segment program for each of the preset programs.

ERTF: Stores the Temp, Hours Past, and Rate of Rise when an Error Code occurs.

• This feature stores the temp, number of hours that have passed in the program, and the rate of rise of the kiln when an error code occurs.
   
• If you come in to your kiln and see E-1 for example, it has shut off because it cannot climb faster than the slowest allowable temp:12 degrees per hour.
   
• You can press ENTER and then go to ERTF in the Hidden Other Menu, press ENTER there and see, the temperature at which the error code happened, then the number of hours and minutes that have passed since the program began, then the actual rate of rise in degrees F/ hour (or degrees C/ hour if yours is set for Celsius) when the error code occurred.

This is a great diagnostic tool.

COOL: Cone-Fire Cooling Segment

• This feature allows the user to toggle ON or OFF a cooling segment for any EASY-FIRE Program. OFF means that the EASY-FIRE Program will fire to it’s maximum temperature, then shut off and cool naturally. ON means that once the max temp is reached, the cooling segment will kick in. If ON is set, when a EASY-FIRE Program is chosen, like Slow Bisque, the control will prompt you to enter the cool down segment you want after you are done programming the EASY-FIRE Program.
• With this feature turned on, the prompt while you are programming an EASY-FIRE program will be B. When you see this enter a ramp rate. Then you will see °F ٨ (or °C ٨). Enter a final set point temperature that you want the controlled cooldown to stop at. Then you will see HLd8 for a hold time (typically not used). An example of a good cool-down segment would be: Rate: 150 degF/hr, to: 1200F, hold: 0. See section 6.4 for more info on EASY-FIRE controlled cooling.

VOLT: Voltage Measurement

This feature allows the line voltage to be tested by the DynaTrol safely. This will help diagnose firing problems where the kiln cannot reach temperature.

1. When you see VOLT in the Hidden Other Menu, press ENTER and the display will flash NOLd; meaning that the next number displayed will be the “No Load Voltage”.
    
2. Press ENTER again and FLLd will flash meaning the next number to appear will be the “Full Load Voltage”.
    
3. The kiln’s heating elements will be turned on for about 4 seconds while the full load voltage is displayed. After that, it will return to IdLE
    
4. To display voltage using the kiln controller a calibration must be done. Before calibration make sure the relays and elements are connected.

 

DTCT: Amperage Measurement Setting

This feature can only be used if your DynaTrol came with the optional current sensor. If equipped and properly installed, this sensor allows the DynaTrol to read the amperage of the kiln in real time. This setting here only controls the maximum amount that the current sensor will measure. It is set in the factory for the proper amount and should not have to be changed. The amperage reading requires a current sensor that clips around one of the power cord’s hot wires. The default range for the calibrated sensor is 50A. For larger kilns the controller can be adjusted for a higher range sensor.

Installing an optional current sensor:

The current sensor has two wires that need to be connected to the circuit board. One wire is black. One wire is white. On the top left corner of the circuit board is a terminal with inputs marked black and white.

1. Insert the white wire in the terminal that has been marked white.
    
2. Insert the black wire in the terminal that has been marked black.
    
3. Use a screwdriver to tighten the two screws on the terminals so that the wires will not come loose.
    
4. The circuit sensor clips around one of the power cord’s hot wires.
    
5. The control is now able to measure the amperage draw using the controller’s diagnostic routines.

Amperage Measurement

Amperage measurement can only be done if your kiln is equipped with a current sensor. If there is no sensor (or no amperage), your amp readings will be 0 when you run try this feature.

To run this feature first enter the Hidden Other Menu, then scroll through it until you come to dIAG. Press ENTER and see it say OUTS. Press “1”, see it say AMPS. Press ENTER and see it say AMP1 -meaning the next number displayed will be the amps of Zone 1. Then AMP2 will be displayed- meaning the next number to appear will be the amps of Zone 2, and so on for Zone 3 if you have three zones.

APPENDIX A: OVERVIEW OF FEATURES

Dynamic Zone Control

• The DYNATROL features Dynamic Zone Control. It measures temperatures in the bottom, middle and top of the kiln and automatically adjusts the heat output of three separate heating zones even as the kiln is heating up and during the final approach to maturing temperatures.
• Kiln temperatures are automatically evened out to within 1/2 cone or better top to bottom!
   
• There is no manual intervention with input switches to even out temperatures.
   
• There are separate thermocouples (heat sensors) and contactors (power controls) for each of the three zones.
   
• Dynamic Zone Control suspends firing on one or more zones if the other zones are lagging behind the faster zone(s).
   
• TC1 (as displayed on the kiln) is the Top Zone, TC2 is the Middle Zone, TC3 is the Bottom Zone. 
   
• NOTE: It is absolutely necessary to match the proper section with the proper control box outlet and proper thermocouple (Thermocouples, cords and receptacles are all marked for identification. If these are mismatched the kiln will not operate properly and you will get the Ed display showing that one of the zones is way off set point.

Programmable Number of Zones

The latest version of the DynaTrol allows you to program the number of zones. Typically there are three zones in a kiln. However, on our two section kilns the control will come programmed to operate as a two zone control. On GS1714 kilns we have the control programmed to be a single zone control. If you change the number of sections in a kiln (for instance, if you take one section off a three section kiln) you can reprogram the control to suit your needs. Another benefit of this new feature is that you can program the control to be a single zone control and avoid the complications of three zone control (i.e. LAG issues). When the control is programmed to be a single zone control outputs 1, 2 and 3 all work together. When programmed as a two zone control outputs 2 and 3 work together and output 1 is separate.

Four Easy Preset Programs

• There are four preset EASY-FIRE programs that have been designed to do most typical ceramic firing cycles. They are Fast Bisque, Slow Bisque, Fast Glaze and Slow Glaze. These preset programs have specific ramps and speeds built into them (see Appendix A for details of what these ramps are). You can enter any cone number up to cone 10 (*see note below) as a final temperature, a hold time, a delay time and even a time as options. This allows a great deal of customization while still keeping the programming simple and easy. We recommend you start with these programs until you get some experience with the control and your kiln.
• The EASY-FIRE mode uses Orton’s patented method to achieve correct heat work so it is ideal for firing ceramics. The advantage of using the EASY-FIRE method is that a very complicated firing profile may be chosen with just a few key strokes. The EASY-FIRE method helps protect against over and under firing by carefully tracking and controlling the temperature at the end of the firing as the cone temperature is approached. The program is based on a 108°F temperature rise for a large self-self-supportingsupporting cone (rather than the small Orton cones or regular large cones).
   
• *Note: Some L&L Kilns are not designed to go to cone 10. Consult your kiln’s label for the maximum operating temperature.

Six User Defined Programs

If your needs are more sophisticated or involved there is a separate VARY-FIRE programmer mode. This allows you to have 6 separate, repeatable, storable programs with up to 8 segments. There is one cooling or heating ramp, a temperature setpoint and an optional hold time per segment. The programs are stored in non-volatile memory which means that they will stay in memory even when all power is turned off. The DYNATROL allows you to soak at a low temperature for a long time (i.e. you can have an automatic drying period) and then automatically ramp up to your high fire at different rates. You can ramp slowly through critical periods or soak at end point temperatures for more consistent maturing of work. It also allows a controlled cool down to avoid heat shock. Of course many of these valuable uses are available in the preset EASY-FIRE programs. However, with the VARY-FIRE programs you have complete control over ramp times and rates and so you can adjust the kiln performance to your exact needs. It also allows the control to be used for non-ceramic applications such as glass, enameling, heat treating and other industrial uses.

Note: VARY-FIRE programs fire the kiln to your specifically programmed temperature. EASY-FIRE programs will fire the kiln to your specifically programmed cone number.

Linkable Programs

You can link VARY-FIRE Program #5 and #6 to get a 16 segment program. You can also use this system to link VARY-FIRE Program #6 to the end of an EASY-FIRE Program.

Delay Start

You can delay the start of the program by up to 99 hours, 99 minutes. This allows you to plan end of firing conveniently. This is also very useful for saving energy costs by firing kiln with night electric rates. If you want the kiln to mature at 2:00 PM the next day and you know your program will take 12 hours and you are starting your program at 4:00 PM today you would program in an 8 hour delay. NOTE: The delay start remains on or set for all programs (both VARY-FIRE and EASY-FIRE) until you turn it off.

Preheat (Candling)

You can “candle” the kiln for up to 99 hours, 99 minutes to dry ware thoroughly. “Candling” is a specific hold at 200°F which boils off the water in the clay slowly so that your work does not explode as the water expands rapidly to steam. This is highly recommended to do for most ceramics. We recommend overnight or for at least several hours depending on how dry your work is. NOTE: This is available as an optional step in the EASY-FIRE mode only. You can do the same thing with an added first segment in the VARY-FIRE mode.

Soak

The control will soak at Final Set Point for up to 99 hours, 99 minutes, and can be programmed to hold a temperature as long as 66 days before needing to be reset. This is a very useful feature and one of the great advantages of an automatic control. Most ceramics achieve their characteristics not so much by what temperature they reach but by how much “heat-work” is put into them. A long soak at a lower cone can often develop the bisque or glaze better. In addition a soak period almost always will improve the uniformity of the firing throughout the kiln. A soak period gives the entire load of ware time to absorb the radiant heat that is projected from the elements. If you simply rise to a certain temperature and then shut the kiln off (as is typical of a manual kiln sitter operation) then the center or the bottom of the kiln may not have had a chance to absorb as much heat as the ware around the perimeter. You may have experienced the fact that an older kiln with slow firing elements may in fact have given you better results. This is because the entire kiln has had a chance to even itself out as it approached final cone. We suggest experimenting with this feature. Try a soak of 10 to 20 minutes. The DynaTrol will automatically adjust the final temperature to compensate for the programmed Hold Time in the EASY-FIRE mode only. Be warned that element life is lessened by the amount of time the elements spend up at a higher temperature.

Audible Temperature Alarm

There is an easily settable audible temperature alarm. This can alert you at any point in program. For instance the control can alert you that the kiln is close to maturity so you can watch it reach final set point. You can use it to alert you when to close the lid if you are manually venting the kiln. You can disable this alarm by programming in 9999. Press ENTER to turn off alarm when it is sounding.

Program Review

Press this button to see the entire program before or while running it. It will scroll through the programmed steps. We suggest hitting Review Prog at the beginning of your firing to see if the control is set up to do what you want it to. If the control shows error codes OFF when they should be On or no Hold where one should be, you must first stop the program that is running in order to change anything. Most settings cannot be changed while running a program.

Segment Review

Press Review Seg once while you are firing to see which segment’s ramp or hold you are currently in, what the current set point is, and what the actual temperature of the DynaTrol’s electronics are.

Skip Segment

In the VARY-FIRE mode you can skip a segment to advance to a higher segment and speed the program along.

Set Point Indication

1. If you press Review Seg twice while the kiln is firing, the control will show you what your current set point is during the program as it is changing.
2. This is useful to confirm that the temperatures of the thermocouples are where they are supposed to be.

Change of Program During Firing

When firing you can alter the program at any time.

• You must press START/STOP, then reprogram, then press START/STOP.
   
• The DynaTrol will automatically take the current temperature into consideration and start back up at that point in the program.
   
• If you attempt to do this right at the end of a firing, the amount of time it takes to reprogram is not accounted for by the DynaTrol. If more than a few minutes go by, the temperature displayed may not accurately represent the amount of heat work taking place in the kiln.
   
• Another reason to fire with witness cones.

Cone Offset

• This is one tool you have to help you match the control to your real firing experience.
• It is important to fire the kiln with witness cones to find out what is really happening inside the kiln. Using these, you can fine-tune the overall performance of the kiln to match what is really happening to your ware.
   
• The cone offset is just one of the ways you have of making this adjustment.
   
• Keep in mind however that your firing speed and soak time will also have an effect on how the witness cones and ware perform. When you are making an adjustment try changing one variable at a time.
   
• For instance if you are firing to Cone 05 and your witness cones don’t mature you could do a number of things. One is to use the cone offset to raise what the DynaTrol thinks is the temperature of cone 05 in an EASY-FIRE program.
   
• Another thing you could do is put in a soak/hold time at the end of the program in a VARY-FIRE program.
   
• Another thing would be to slow the kiln down towards the end of its firing cycle with a slower, longer final segment in a VARY-FIRE program.
   
• Try one thing at a time to find out what works best for you. The cone table that the DynaTrol uses are based on a 108°F temperature rise for a large self-supporting cone (not the small Orton cones or the regular large cones).

Thermocouple Offset

• This allows you to individually change what the DynaTrol thinks the thermocouples are reading.
   
• Use this to adjust for thermocouple drift or kiln uniformity adjustments. It allows you to influence how the kiln “sees” the temperature in the kiln.
   
• For instance, if the center zone is consistently firing higher (as measured by witness cones) then you would change that thermocouple to read higher. This would trick the control into thinking that the center zone was hotter and it would keep the temperatures down.
   
• The difference between Cone Offset and Thermocouple Offset is that Cone Offset works in EASY-FIRE programs only and changes a specific cone’s temperature for the whole kiln.
   
• Thermocouple Offset will affect temperatures in both VARY-FIRE programs and in EASY-FIRE programs.
   
• Basically it changes just that particular thermocouple’s reading up or down to even out temperatures in an unevenly heating kiln no matter what cone number or temperature you are firing to.
   
• NOTE: Thermocouples drift in their accuracy over time. The hotter you fire the quicker this will occur. This is another reason why it is important to check each firing (or at least every 5 or 10 firings) with witness cones. This is particularly important if you are firing at high temperatures like cone 6 or cone 10.

Last Temperature Reached Indication

• When an EASY-FIRE program is complete it will tell you what the last temperature reached was. You press Review Prog at the end of the cycle to see this temperature.
   
• This is useful for logging and comparing to what happened with your ware. Compare this temperature to witness cones and make adjustments in your firing cycle or cone offsets to adjust the performance of the kiln.

Cone/Temperature Equivalent Look Up Table

• Convert cone numbers to temperatures in degrees.
   
• The look up table is based on a ramp rate of 108°F.
   
• This table is provided as a handy reference table to use while you are programming.
   
• There is a more complete table in the Appendix J.

Dust Sealed Keypad

The keypad is dust tight so you don’t need to worry if you have dirty hands that might get dust into the electronics.

Easy to Follow Graphic Design

It is graphically designed to be user friendly. EASY-FIRE, VARY-FIRE, OPTIONS and VIEW functions are grouped separately. The numeric keypad makes entering parameters like temperatures and cone numbers easy.

Error Checking Can Be Turned Off

There are various error codes in the control. These can be important diagnostic tools. They can also be somewhat confusing and alarming if you don’t understand then. One of the most common ones is E-1 which will stop the program if the kiln’s temperature is rising too slowly. ErrP flashing or PF indicates a power outage to the control. E d indicates that one zone is 100°F off set point. All these and more are explained in greater detail in Appendix E.

Reset Defaults Function

This function (available under Options, Other - see Section 9) resets most settings back to factory defaults. It does not affect the thermocouple or cone offsets. Turns Error Checking On.

Reads Control Board Temperature

This is a diagnostic tool. The control should not be operated when it is above 125°F ( 52°C) or below 32°F (0°C). This should not normally be a problem with the way L&L mounts these controls away from the heat. However, if you do get a reading that is higher than this temperature (for instance if you are operating in a particularly hot room) we recommend that you direct some cooling air at the control. This board temperature is displayed as follows: When you press the View Segment Button while firing, first the current segment is displayed, then the set point temperature and then the DynaTrol’s board temperature. Ambient temperatures that are out of the suggested range can lead to either control failure or control inaccuracy.

Automatic Restart after Brief Power Interruption with Flashing Alert

This is the ErrP indication. If the power outage was brief the program will continue to fire and the ErrP message will flash with the temperature indication. By hitting the “1” button you can clear this alarm message. 

PID Tuning Control

• PID stands for Proportional - Integral - Derivative. It is a sophisticated calculus algorithm that minimizes temperature overshoot.
   
• The control is able to anticipate the temperature set point and start to cut back power before it reaches actual setpoint.
   
• In standard On/Off control the power does not turn off until the actual set point is reached. Because of the inertia of the kiln this could result in temperature overshoot without the PID control. The values for the PID are hard programmed into the control and can not be changed.
   
• They are optimized for ceramics. If you are using the control for another application and you find that the control gives you some overshoot try a step in your VARY-FIRE program that is a very slow ramp for the last few degrees of the program.
   
• For instance if you wanted to get to 1800°F without overshoot, have the program go to 1775°F and then take 15 minutes to ramp to 1800°F.
   
• NOTE: As of April 2000 a second set of PID settings was added for temperatures below 500°F. This improved overshoot in the lower temperature range.

Thermocouple Burnout Protection

The kiln will shut down automatically if all thermocouples burn out. The kiln continues to fire if only one or two thermocouples burn out. This protects your firing in the event of failed thermocouples. Of course, if all three thermocouples FAIL then the control stops firing.

Digital Indication of Temperature in either Degrees F or C

You can switch between temperature readings in degrees Fahrenheit or degrees Centigrade.

See All the Zone Temperatures

You can scroll through all three thermocouple readings by pressing 1 to see TC1 (top zone), 2 to see TC2 (middle zone) and 3 to see TC3 (bottom zone). The default view is of TC2. You must specifically hit 1 or 3 to see the top and bottom zone temperatures. The reading will stay on the thermocouple that you last pressed.

See Which Zones are Firing

1. Press Number Key 8 while the kiln is firing. This toggles the LED display to show you which zones are firing.
    
2. See the section under DESCRIPTION OF KEY FUNCTIONS AND DISPLAY, Appendix C for details. This is a great diagnostic tool to allow you to see which zones are firing. For instance if one zone is firing constantly and the other zones are not then you know that the constantly firing zone is the slow zone.

See the current rate of rise in degrees per hour:

1. Press Number Key 5. 
    
2. See the section under DESCRIPTION OF KEY FUNCTIONS AND DISPLAY, Appendix C for details

See the elapsed time since the firing began

1. Press Number Key 0. 
    
2. See the section under DESCRIPTION OF KEY FUNCTIONS AND DISPLAY, Appendix C for details

Cold Junction Compensation

• The control automatically compensates for varying ambient temperatures.
   
• It can operate in ambient temperatures of 32°F to 125°F (0°C to 50°C).
   
• The Review Seg button lets you see ambient board temperature (press Review Seg three times).
• This is an electronic compensation.

Matches Pyrometric Cone Performance in EASY-FIRE Mode

This feature is licensed from Orton. (Patent #4,461,616 and 4,730,101). This feature is not controlled by the user. Basically it adjusts how the firing takes place towards the end so that the control approximates how cones work. The control sees how fast the kiln is rising and adjusts the final end point temperature higher or lower to achieve the proper amount of “heat-work”. For instance, to mature your ware at the same cone number, a the kiln rising at 100°F per hour will require a lower set point temperature than a kiln rising at 200°F per hour. This feature is only used in the EASY-FIRE mode. Note: The control emulates the self supporting cones.

PID algorithm

• The PID algorithm (in industrial, mathematical terms this is the proportional, integral, and derivative functions of the control) is how the controller decides what percentage of the kiln’s total power is required to keep the temperature at the desired set point. The DynaTrol 700 board has a cycle time of 14 seconds (as the default setting) and will turn the relays on for a calculated number seconds to give the correct percent of power needed to keep the temperature near the traveling set point. For example, if the controller calculates that 25% of the power is required, the relays will be on for 3.5 seconds and off for 10.5 seconds.
   
• Each part of the P (Proportional band), I (Integral) and D (Derivative) are calculated separately and added together to determine the correct percentage (control value) of power required. The proportional part of the control value is based on how far the temperature is away from the desired set point. It is the difference between the set point and the current temperature (also called the error) multiplied by the proportional gain.
   
• The integral part of the control value is based on how long the temperature is taking to get to the set point. It is calculated by multiplying the error by the integral gain and summing this value over time. The integral value compensates for any long term error not taken care of by the proportional part.
   
• The derivative part of the control value is based on how fast the temperature is moving towards or away from the set point. If the temperature is moving quickly towards the set point the derivative portion reduces the control value to prevent overshoot. If the temperature is moving away from the set point then the derivative portion increases the control value to get the temperature to start moving back towards the set point.
   
• The constants for calculating the control value are fixed within the controller and can not be changed by the user. They do vary throughout the firing depending on the current temperature in the kiln. To prevent over and undershoot, the controller also has “approach control” to smooth the transition from a fast ramp to a hold.

Automatic Lag Function

• With a zone control kiln there is always a trade off between speed and tightness of control.
   
• The series 700 automatic control LAG feature uses the programmed ramp rate to automatically set its “LAG” temperature setting to balance these two opposing needs.
   
• Sometimes the temperature of one or more kiln’s sections “lags” behind one or more of the other sections. This is because the traveling set point of the control (based on the programmed ramp rate) is faster than one or more of those sections’ can rise and have the temperature in the sections stay even. To effectively deal with this the 700 DynaTrol will automatically slow the ramp rate when a section of the kiln lags.
   
• The amount of “lagging” that is allowed before the firing rate will slow is determined by the ramp rate. Fast ramp rates (greater than 500 °F/hour) will allow the greatest temperature difference between sections. Slow ramp rates (below 70 °F/hour) will have the smallest temperature difference between sections. Therefore, when the controller is programmed to go fast it will sacrifice evenness to obtain speed. Likewise, when the controller is programmed to go slow, the controller will maintain tighter control. The controller will try to balance speed and tight control when a medium speed is programmed.

Here is the actual algorithm for those who are interested in knowing what is taking place (note that this is all transparent to the user and is included in here to let you know how this works):

1) If the programmed rate of rise is between 1˚F/hour and 70˚F/hour and -

1. All thermocouple readings are less than 3 degrees behind the traveling set point, the traveling set point moves at the programmed rate.
    
2. The lowest thermocouple reading is between 3 and 6 °F behind, the traveling set point moves at 75% of the programmed rate.
    
3. The lowest thermocouple reading is between 6 and 9 °F behind, the traveling set point moves at 50% of the programmed rate.
    
4. The lowest thermocouple reading is between 9 and 12 °F behind, the traveling set point moves at 25% of the programmed rate.
    
5. The lowest thermocouple reading is more than 12 °F behind, the traveling set point moves at 1 degree F per hour.

2) If the rate of rise is between 71˚F/hour and 500˚F/hour and -

1. All thermocouple readings are less than 7 degrees behind the traveling set point, the traveling set point moves at the programmed rate.
    
2. The lowest thermocouple reading is between 7 and 14 °F behind, the traveling set point moves at 75% of the programmed rate.
    
3. The lowest thermocouple reading is between 14 and 21 °F behind, the traveling set point moves at 50% of the programmed rate.
    
4. The lowest thermocouple reading is between 21 and 28 °F behind, the traveling set point moves at 25% of the programmed rate.
    
5. The lowest thermocouple reading is more than 28 °F behind, the traveling set point moves at 1 degree F per hour.

3) If the rate of rise is greater than 500˚F/hour and -

1. All thermocouple readings are less than 10 degrees behind the traveling set point, the traveling set point moves at the programmed rate.
    
2. Lowest thermocouple reading is between 10 and 20 °F behind, the traveling set point moves at 75% of the programmed rate.
    
3. The lowest thermocouple reading is between 20 and 30 °F behind, the traveling set point moves at 50% of the programmed rate.
    
4. The lowest thermocouple reading is between 40 and 50 °F behind, the traveling set point moves at 25% of the programmed rate.
    
5. The lowest thermocouple reading is more than 50 °F behind, the traveling set point moves at 1 degree F per hour.

APPENDIX B: TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

Celsius - a temperature scale in which 0° is the freezing point and 100° the boiling point of water. Also called centigrade.

Centigrade - a temperature scale in which 0° is the freezing point and 100° the boiling point of water. Also called Celsius.

Cone - a pyramid shaped ceramic composite which bends and melts in the kiln to indicate the amount of heat work which has taken place in the kiln. Also called a witness cone.

Default – (or default settings) These are the settings that the DynaTrol comes programmed with from the factory. Using the Reset feature will return the DynaTrol to it’s default settings.

Final set point – in an all heating program with no cooling segments this would be the maximum temperature the kiln was programmed to reach. If there are programmed cooling or holding segments then the last segment’s programmed set point is the final set point.

Profile - A series of segments which define how the kiln temperature is to proceed through the firing. This is sometimes referred to as a program.

Ramp-hold - A firing profile in which the temperature is programmed to increase to a specific temperature, hold for a period of time then repeat this sequence until a final temperature is reached.

Segment - One unit of programming. Each segment on this control has a ramp (Deg per hour), a final set point temperature and a hold time.

Set point – the target temperature within a programmed segment.

T/C or t/c - Abbreviation for thermocouple.

Thermocouple (abbreviated T/C or t/c) - Temperature measurement sensor made of two dissimilar metals which are joined at one end; the end where they are joined is the temperature measuring end.

APPENDIX C: DISPLAY MESSAGES (in alphabetical order)

ALRM - Alarm. When ALRM flashes in the display, an alarm temperature between 0° and 9999° may be entered. When the alarm is set to 9999°, it is turned off.

bd T - Board Temperature. Indicates the temperature of the DynaTrol’s electronics (see Control Precautions).

°C1, °C2, °C3, through °C 8, Degrees Celsius temperature. In the VARY-FIRE Mode with the Celsius temperature scale selected, the controller is waiting for an end temperature to be entered for the segment. The numbers stand for the segment which is being programmed.

CHG° - Change degrees - When CHG° is displayed, press ENTER to select the temperature scale you would like to use, either Fahrenheit (°F) or Celsius (°C). The 1 key will toggle between °F and °C. When the scale you want to use is displayed, press ENTER.

CNOS - Cone offset. Press ENTER to adjust an individual cone shut off temperature of plus or minus 50°F maximum.

CONE - Cone number. When CONE is displayed, a cone number between 022 and 10 must be entered. This will be found in the Cone Table or the EASY-FIRE Mode.

°COS - Degrees Centigrade offset – seen when a Cone Offset or a Thermocouple offset is being programmed.

CPL - Complete. Indicates programming or some programming function is complete.

CPLT - Complete. Indicates a firing has been completed.

Decimal Point displayed in lower right-hand corner of display The temperature is displayed in degrees Celsius (°C).

Decimal Point displayed in center of display between 10’s and 100’s. A time in hours and minutes is being displayed.

dELA - Delay. Indicates the time in hours and minutes before the start of firing.

DIAG - Diagnostic s. Located in the Hidden Other Menu. Pressing ENTER here turns zone 1’s elements on for a few seconds followed by zone 2’s elements, then zone 3’s elements. A powered bottom will stay on during all three zone’s test. If the kiln is improperly put together it will become apparent now.

ERCd. Error Codes. When ERCd is displayed, press enter to turn the Error Code function on or off. This function is located by pressing Other in the OPTIONS Section.

E A Error. Indicates a software error has occurred. The error codes are listed in APPENDIX E.

E E. Software Error. Indicates a software error has occurred. Contact L&L Service. The error codes are listed in APPENDIX.

E 0, E 1, E 2 through E 8 means Error. An error has occurred; the error codes are listed in APPENDIX E.

ErrP (flashing) - Power Outage Error. This is displayed during a firing if power to the kiln has been interrupted for less than a couple minutes, depending how far along in the firing you are. The error codes are listed in APPENDIX E.

°F1, °F2, °F3 through °F8 In the VARY-FIRE Mode with the Fahrenheit temperature scale selected, the controller is waiting for an end temperature to be entered for the segment. The numbers stand for the segment which is being programmed.

°FOS - Degrees Fahrenheit Offset – seen when a Cone Offset or a Thermocouple offset is being programmed.

FAIL - Thermocouple Failure. The thermocouple is not connected to the controller or there may be a break in one of the thermocouple lead wires. If the thermocouple wire is broken, it must be replaced. When connecting the thermocouple, SEE THE COLOR CODING INFORMATION in Section 1.0 (Control Cautions).

FAN1, FAN2, FAN3, through FAN8. This message will appear during programming in the VARY-FIRE mode only after OP C (option C in the Hidden Other Menu) has been chosen. FAN refers to your powered bottom (if you have one), and the number is the number of the segment you are currently programming. The powered bottom (FAN) can be programmed to be ON or OFF in each segment of the VARY-FIRE program.

F-bC Fast Bisque, One of the EASY-FIRE programs

F-GL Fast Glaze, One of the EASY-FIRE programs

HOLd or HLd - Hold. Indicates the holding time in hours and minutes at the end of a “ EASY-FIRE” program. OR it may mean that you have just chosen the Preheat option and now the DynaTrol is asking how much hold time in the preheat setting you want to have.

HLd1, HLd2, HLd3 through HLd8 In the VARY-FIRE Mode the controller is waiting for a soak or hold time in hours and minutes to be entered for the segment. The numbers stand for the segment which is being programmed.

Id – Identification. Allows you to identify a particular control for use with KISS computer software.

IdLE and Temperature – Flashing The kiln is off, and the current temperature in the kiln is displayed. The DynaTrol is programmed to run using only one thermocouple.

IdLE, TC2, and the current temperature flashing - The kiln is off, and the current temperature in the kiln at thermocouple #2 is displayed. The DynaTrol is programmed to run using either two or three thermocouples.

NOTC - Number of thermocouples. Located in the Hidden Other Menu. Pressing ENTER here allows you to choose how many thermocouples (essentially how many zones) are in the kiln.

OFF. Press ENTER when displayed to turn the Error Codes, the Autolag, a Powered Bottom, or the “shut off” feature Off. Pressing the 1 key toggles between On and OFF.

ON (no dashes). Press ENTER when displayed to turn the function you are programming on. Pressing the 1 key toggles between On and OFF.

-On- (displayed with dashes). Displayed for about 10 to 15 seconds when the START/STOP button is pressed to begin a firing. The heating elements of the kiln will not begin heating until -On- disappears and the current kiln temperature is displayed. NOTE: Pressing any key besides START/STOP while -On- is displayed, will stop the firing. Pressing START/STOP after –ON- goes away will stop the firing.

OPA. Option A. Located in the Hidden Other Menu. Used for vent control. (See Section 10.2)

OPB. Option B. Located in the Hidden Other Menu. Used for vent control. (See Section 10.3)

OPC. Option C. Located in the Hidden Other Menu. used for Vent Control or Powered Bottom (See Section 10.4)

PCT. Percent. Located in the Hidden Other Menu. You can set how often your powered bottom comes on based on a percent of when the bottom zone comes on.

PF. Power Failure. PF indicates the power to the kiln has been interrupted for a long enough time to effect the current firing. The kiln has shut down and the firing must be restarted.

PId. Located in the Hidden Other Menu. Pressing ENTER when you see this allows you to program a setting to help a heavily or unevenly loaded kiln fire faster.

RA1, RA2, RA3 through rA8 In the VARY-FIRE Mode the controller is waiting for an ramp temperature rise per hour to be entered for the segment. The numbers stand for the segment which is being programmed. The temperature is in °F/hr or °C/hr whichever has been selected. If °C has been selected, there will be a decimal point in the lower right-hand corner of the display.

RSET Reset. Press Other until RSET is displayed. Then press ENTER. IdLE will be displayed indicating that the Error Checking is ON. This is the Default settings.

16-S. Sixteen step program option. VARY-FIRE profile #5 must have been chosen, and now the DynaTrol must be told whether to automatically fire VARY-FIRE profile #6 immediately after the ending of #5 (16-S set to ON) or not (16-S set to OFF).

SAFT. Safety option. DO NOT PRESS ENTER HERE. This option is not used with L&L’s kiln systems

S-bC Slow Bisque. One of the EASY-FIRE programs

S-GL Slow Glaze, One of the EASY-FIRE programs

SEG. Segment. When SEG is displayed, the number of desired segments for a VARY-FIRE program should be entered.

SHTO. Located In the Hidden Other Menu. Set to either ON or OFF. Lets you choose between firing styles where:ON means that as soon as the hottest zone gets to the segment’s set point the entire kiln switches to either the “hold time” or the next segment. OFF means that the DynaTrol will not let the hottest zone’s temperature rise until the average temperature of the three zones reaches that segment’s set point. Then the kiln can begin the “hold time” or the next segment.

STOP - Stop. Indicates firing has been stopped. Also may be displayed when the controller is first turned on. Also used like CPL with some functions.

USER. When USEr is displayed, one of the 6 user programs may be selected or programmed.

SSTP. Skip Step. Press Review Seg, ENTER, ENTER to skip to the next ramp segment in a VARY-FIRE program. Skip Step is not available with a EASY-FIRE program.

TCOS Thermocouple offsets. This is used to raise or lower the temperature indicated by any of the thermocouples. The maximum offset is 50°F. A positive offset is entered with 00 preceding the amount of offset and a negative offset is preceded with 90. This is the same as is done for entering cone offsets. When TCOS is displayed, press ENTER and TC1 will be displayed. Press enter and the current offset for the top thermocouple will be displayed. Press ENTER when the correct offset for the top thermocouples is displayed and then TC2 will be displayed. Repeat the process for TC2 and TC3.

Temperature - Continuously displayed The kiln is on (in either a VARY-FIRE or a EASY-FIRE program), and the current temperature in the kiln is displayed. The DynaTrol is programmed to run using only one thermocouple.

TC2 and the current temperature flashing - The kiln is on (in either a VARY-FIRE or a “ EASY-FIRE” program), and the current temperature in the kiln at thermocouple #2 is displayed. The DynaTrol is programmed to run using either two or three thermocouples.

Time - Decreasing A delay start is in effect for a VARY-FIRE or a EASY-FIRE program. The time remaining before the kiln starts to heat is displayed.

Time - Temperature alternately flashing. The kiln is in either a hold phase of a VARY-FIRE segment or a hold phase at the end of an EASY-FIRE Profile. The numbers displayed are the remaining time and the current kiln temperature.

APPENDIX D EASY-FIRE TEMPERATURE PROFILES

• These charts tell what the EASY-FIRE programs do to your kiln when you choose one of them. These charts will also be good reference points for writing your own programs in the VARY-FIRE mode. These charts are for cones 07 through 04 and cones 5, 6, 7, and 10. Other cone numbers will work as well in your own programs.
   
• NOTE: No delays, preheats. or final soaks are shown. When these programs are fired the actual final temperatures will vary as the DynaTrol adjusts itself based on how quickly it is climbing to that final temperature. This would not be the case for VARY-FIRE programs that you develop and input yourself. Also note that all these programs end on segment 7 rather than start on segment 1. This is due to the way the Orton feature works in the EASY-FIRE mode and is not relevant to your own programming in the VARY-FIRE mode. (Segment #7 in the EASY-FIRE mode is a special segment that incorporates the Orton software and so it must be the last segment of every “ EASY-FIRE” profile). Start your VARY-FIRE profiles on segment 1.
   
• NOTE: All the programs shown are written to accommodate the fastest possible empty kilns. THE NUMBERS DO NOT REPRESENT TYPICAL KILN FIRING TIMES WITH A LOAD. Your kiln can take considerably longer (as much as 4 times) to fire than the times shown here.
   
• This final set point temperatures are based on the specific rate of rise programmed for the last segment. If the rate of rise changes (for instance if the kiln goes slower than the programmed rate of rise because of a heavy load or aging elements) then the final set point temperature will be recalculated by the control. This maintains the “heat-work”. The faster the rate of rise in the final segment, the higher the set-point temperature needs to be to get the same “heat-work”. Inversely, the slower the rate of rise the lower the set-point temperature needs to be.

CONE 07

CONE 06

CONE 05

CONE 04

CONE 6  

CONE 10

APPENDIX E: ERROR CODES

See this web page for a more complete description of all error codes with links to how to fix the underlying causes:
hotkilns.com/error-codes

 

APPENDIX F: ZONE CONTROL SPECIAL CASES

ZONE CONTROL ON A 2, 4 & 5 SECTION KILN AND WITH A POWERED BOTTOM

On kilns with four heating sections the center two heating sections are tied together as one center zone. On kilns with five heating sections the center three heating sections are tied together as one center zone. Each section still has its own separate contactor, but the center zone control output controls one contactor on a three section kiln, two contactors on a four section kiln and three contactors on a five section kiln. We suggest placing the center zone thermocouple (TC2) in either of the two middle sections on a four section kiln and in the center section on a five section kiln. You can of course experiment to achieve optimal results.

Kilns with two zones typically use inputs (thermocouples) and outputs (receptacles) 1 and 2 even though we usually have a third unused circuit on the control. If you add a section you may want to enable the three zone control (see the section on programming) and possibly add a thermocouple. On kilns with powered bottoms the powered bottom is controlled off the bottom zone control output. This would be the case of a kiln with three or more sections. In the case of a two section kiln with a powered bottom the powered bottom is controlled off the center zone control (TC2). This acts as a two zone kiln.

APPENDIX G: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

During programming of a firing, I typed a wrong number. How do I correct this?

Before pressing ENTER, enter 0 until all zeros are displayed, then enter the correct number. If you have already pressed ENTER, you must continue to enter the rest of the program as you would have, then you must start over again to program properly, fixing your mistake this time around..

How do I clear the ErrP or PF from the display?

Press the “1” key. After several seconds the current temperature will be displayed. The amount of time the last firing took or STOP may be displayed before the current temperature. If the ErrP or PF message is flashing with the alternate display being the temperature then it means that the kiln is still firing after a brief power interruption.

I am getting the E d message. What is wrong?

More than likely the kiln was set up improperly. NOTE: It is absolutely necessary to match the proper ring with the proper control box outlet and proper thermocouple. If these are mismatched the kiln will not operate properly and you will get the E d display showing that one of the zones is way off set point. Thermocouples, cords and receptacles are all marked for identification. The top zone ring, outlet and thermocouple are all marked #1. In three ring kilns the middle zone is #2 and the bottom is #3. In four ring kilns the middle zone is #2 and #3; the bottom is #4. In five ring kilns the middle is #2, #3 and #4 and the bottom is #5. You can easily test to make sure the thermocouples are properly located by putting a match to one at a time and checking the temperature rise on the control for that thermocouple.

I am getting the E-1 message. What is wrong?

This is the most common error message. It means the kiln is rising in temperature too slowly and can be caused by a variety of things. In older kilns it is probably a result of elements being aged or one or more elements not firing for some reason. The first thing to check is element resistance and continuity. See our troubleshooting guide for details. If this happens in a newer kiln it is still a good idea to check the elements. One problem we have found is that the thermocouple lead wire was pinched and was creating a short circuit (meaning that the controls was reading whatever temperature was at the pinched point and so, as far as the control was concerned, the kiln wasn’t heating up. The way to test for such a condition is first of all to observe that the control is showing a temperature that is greatly different than what you can tell is in the kiln. The other better way is to disconnect the thermocouple and see if the display says FAIL . If it does then it means there is no short circuit in the thermocouple circuit. This could also happen with a burned thermocouple connection wire (say if the yellow wire touched the kiln case and the wire insulation burned off). Note that Err1 is only a possibility during a ramp. A common problem is that one of the sections is lagging. Try to find out which section is lagging. If it is the bottom (fairly typical) you could try a 2” layer of calcium silicate under the kiln bottom (this is very inexpensive insulation that is quite hard and non-compressible) or even another brick bottom. If you are using a vent try turning it off towards the high end of the firing cycle. (NOTE: This is OK to do on an L&L Vent-Sure but with some bottom mounted vents you are not supposed to do this or you will burn up the motor). Make sure your peepholes are closed at high fire.. Make sure kiln is loaded evenly, more in the bottom of the kiln than the top will make it fire very slowly also. One last thing to consider is the voltage available to the kiln when it is on and running. Get an electrician to check this at the kiln and be sure it comes pretty close to the kiln’s label. Low voltage can cause slow heat ups and voltage lower than 208VAC can also cause problems with the microprocessor in the DynaTrol as well.

My kiln takes longer to fire than I think it should.

See suggestions above in E-1 troubleshooting.

My program takes longer to complete than I expected. What is happening?

The controller actually accomplishes the temperature rise by establishing what’s called a traveling set point. The traveling set point is set by the controller at the initial kiln temperature, and it is increased (or decreased) at a rate equal to the ramp rate you have chosen. Anytime the kiln temperature is below this traveling set point the heating elements of the kiln are turned on. If the temperature is above the traveling set point the heating elements are turned off. When both the traveling set point and the average of the measured temperatures reach the first soak temperature, the hold phase begins or the next ramp rate begins. (That is called a guaranteed soak). It means that a program might take longer than the theoretical time you have programmed into it.

My kiln seems to be much hotter than the thermocouples indicate. Or the kiln seems to be going to slow (by the readings on the controller).

This could be serious. Check to see that the thermocouples are inserted at least 1 to 1-1/2” into the kiln. If the tips of the thermocouples are buried in the kiln wall insulation they will obviously read at a lower temperature than the inside of the kiln. THIS COULD LEAD TO AN OVERFIRING OF THE KILN! Another possibility is that there is a short circuit in the thermocouple lead wire. See the above Err1 question to check the thermocouple circuit.

Is there a guaranteed soak?

Yes. This means that if the kiln does not reach temperature in the time you assign in a ramp it will not start the hold portion of that segment until the kiln reaches the set point temperature. This also means that the actual time to fire may take longer than you have programmed into the kiln (if it takes longer to get to a particular temperature than you think it ought to take).

I turned on the controller and FAIL is displayed. What does this mean?

One or more of the thermocouples are not connected to the controller. When connecting the thermocouple, connect the negative wire (on Type K in non-European kilns this is RED) to the connector with the negative (minus) sign under it. Connect the positive wire (on Type K non-European kilns this is Yellow) to the connector with the positive (plus) sign under it. (See Section 1.0 for information on Type S and European kilns). Also there may be a break in one of the thermocouple lead wires, if so, the thermocouple lead wire must be replaced. Make sure all thermocouple connections are very secure and tight and that there is a direct touching of the thermocouple lead wire with the actual wire inside the thermocouple. 

I keep burning out thermocouples. What is wrong?

Thermocouples, like elements are a consumable item. They will burn out over time. If you are firing to high temperatures (Cone 5 and above) you should consider either an 8 gauge thermocouple with a ceramic protection tube or Type S thermocouples. A reduction atmosphere (the lack of enough oxygen in the kiln to thoroughly burn off all impurities) attacks elements and thermocouples. Speedy firings especially as the kiln climbs to 1100°F, will not give enough time to burn out these impurities. This is made worse if there is no ventilation to the kiln. An open peephole or three may be enough, or a downdraft venting system like L&L’s Vent Sure system may be what you need for a good, clean, oxidizing atmosphere.

How can I find out the final temperature which was reached during a cone firing?

At the end of an EASY-FIRE firing, the current kiln temperature and CPLT will be alternately flashing in the display. Press ENTER or START/STOP. Then press Review Prog, the final temperature will display. This final temperature will be retained until the next firing or until the controller is reprogrammed. In a VARY-FIRE program the DynaTrol will fire to the temperature programmed.

My kiln underfires, turns off before the DynaTrol reaches its set point .

If you have a Dawson Kiln Sitter as a back up safety device be sure that the cone in it is at least two to three cones higher than your final set point temperature. Remember that, when using the DynaTrol control, the optional kiln sitter is only safety back up controls. You do not want it to actually actuate. If you have a Dawson Kiln Sitter/Timer, be sure the time is set higher than the expected length of your program. See above answer about the kiln sitter safety control. Also you may need to calibrate; to adjust the cone settings with the cone offset. Note that it is common for thermocouples to “drift” in their readings. As this happens the cone offset or the thermocouple offset can compensate for this. Sometimes fire with witness cones so you can compare what the control did to the actual performance of cones.

Why use a soak time or make the kiln go slow?

Most ceramics achieves its characteristics not so much by what temperature it reaches but by how much “heat-work” is put into it. A long soak at a lower cone can often develop the bisque or glaze better. In addition a soak period almost always will improve the uniformity of the firing throughout the kiln. A soak period gives the entire load of ware time to absorb the radiant heat that is projected from the elements. If you simply rise to a certain temperature and then shut the kiln off (as is typical of a manual kiln sitter operation) then the center of the kiln may not have had a chance to absorb as much heat as the ware around the perimeter. The same would be true for a thick piece of pottery if it was just heated to a temperature and then cooled. The middle of the piece would never get to the same temperature as the outside of the piece, and in extreme situations, if it was heated very quickly, could cause the piece to explode. You may have experienced the fact that an older kiln, with slow firing elements may in fact have given you better results. This is because the entire kiln has had a chance to even itself out as it approached final cone. A slow heat up will result in “cleaner” bisque. It will give the kiln time to burn out impurities like sulfur and carbon out of the clay. These impurities can cause pitting and other problems when you subsequently glaze the ware if they have not been given sufficient time to burn off during the bisque.

Can you change a program segment while running a program?

No. You must first Stop the program by hitting START/STOP. Then change the program. Then re-start the program. The control will automatically start from where you were previously. For instance if the kiln temperature is at 1200°F and this is segment No 2 it will restart from that point in the program. You can advance to the next segment (in a VARY-FIRE Program). See the directions in under Skip Step in the View Section.

When the control flashes TC2 alternating with a temperature does it read that until you toggle to a different thermocouple?

The control is continually reading the temperatures in all three zones. However it only displays one temperature at a time. It does not scroll automatically. To manually scroll to the different thermocouples hit either 1, 2 or 3. The default display is thermocouple #2.

Is there a lead zone?

No. Each zone is controlled independently with a separate input (each thermocouple), and a separate output (the signal from the DynaTrol to one of the contactors to send or not to send power to the elements. The output of the zones can be quite different. For instance the top zone (#1) may be calling for 75% output while the middle zone (#2) is calling for 35% output while the bottom zone (#3) is calling for 90% output. This percentage is the percent of time that a zone is on, out of the total time elapsed. This is a time proportioning control.

Is this a time proportioning control?

Yes. The control determines what the percent of output (0-100%) is required to properly heat the kiln. It then converts this into amount of time or and time off that the contactor should be firing. This is different than current proportioning which would send a proportional current to adjust an continually adjustable SCR power control for instance.

What happens when I turn off the Error Codes?

It is O.K. to do this. However, you will not get certain operator protections which might prevent you from getting a poorly fired kiln. They can be turned off if you are doing special firings, such as jewelry or glass firing where the kiln is left open. This will also turn off the Dynamic Zone Control, and the E d function when the Error Codes are turned off. This turns off most error functions so that kiln is not affected by these built in checks. It eliminates nuisance shut downs but side steps built in “fool proofing”. The only Error codes that this does not turn off are E 6, FAIL, and ErrP or PF in both the EASY-FIRE and VARY-FIRE modes. In addition E 1 (indicating slow temperature rise) and E 8 (temperature falling) is not turned off in the last segment of an EASY-FIRE program. This is because the built in calculations would make no sense if the kiln were firing too slowly.

What happens when a thermocouple fails?

If the top (TC1) thermocouple fails then the top (TC1) and middle (TC2) work together from the TC2 thermocouple. If the bottom (TC3) Fails then the bottom (TC3) and middle (TC2) work together from the TC2 thermocouple. If the middle (TC2) Fails then the top (TC1) and middle (TC2) work together from the TC1 thermocouple.

One or more of the thermocouples reads FAIL. What is wrong?

One or more of the thermocouple circuits has failed. Chances are this is a bad thermocouple. Even if the thermocouple looks OK there might be a microscopic crack that could FAIL intermittently. A simple test to see if the problem is in the thermocouple itself or in the thermocouple wire is to do the following: Disconnect the thermocouple from the yellow lead/extension wire that attaches at the cold end of the thermocouple. Touch together the red and yellow leads coming out of the yellow lead/extension wire (note: this is very low milli-voltage and is not dangerous). This will complete the thermocouple circuit and eliminate the actual thermocouple from consideration. Now press the #1 button, If the FAIL message goes away then you know it is a bad thermocouple. If the FAIL message does not go away then the next thing to check is make sure that the thermocouple is properly attached to the connection board on the control. If this looks OK then the yellow extension wire should be replaced or the DynaTrol might have a problem.

What is PID and can the PID settings be changed?

PID stands for “Proportional, Integral, Derivative” This is a mathematical calculus function built into the control that proportions the amount of power going to the output device (contactor) as the kiln approaches set point temperature. It is used to prevent overshoot which you would get if the control did not turn off until it reached the set point. The values are fixed and based on average kiln conditions. Because most kiln conditions are fairly similar and the ramps are very slow by most industrial standards not much flexibility needs to be built into the PID constants. There is no “adaptive tuning.” The values for the PID are hard programmed into the control and can not be changed. They are optimized for ceramics. If you are using the control for another application and you find that the control gives you some overshoot try a step in your program that is a very slow ramp for the last few degrees of the program. For instance if you wanted to get to 1800°F without overshoot have the program go to 1775°F and then take 15 minutes to ramp to 1800°F .

NOTE: Do not confuse the PID talked about here with the “PID” setting in the Hidden Other Menu.

Is there any way to know what the set point actually is?

Yes. Press Review Seg twice while the kiln is firing and the set point will appear.

What happens if there is a power outage?

If the power outage lasts for less than ½ hour the control should pick up where it left off unless the kiln temperature has dropped more than 250°F or, if it is within 100°F of the end of the firing then only a 100°F drop off is allowed. If the program automatically aborts based on the above logic then it must be manually restarted. If you restart the program, the control will find out where the temperature is and will start from there. If you get a power outage you will see an ErrP or PF error code. This must be reset by hitting any button on the key pad.

The display is jumpy. What about Thermocouple noise?

• The negative lead of the thermocouples are automatically grounded to the safety ground.
   
• This typically is able to remove thermocouple noise from the system.
   
• Thermocouple noise is typically caused by stray electrical currents induced into the low voltage thermocouple circuits by the kiln elements.
   
• It shows up as “jumpy” temperature readings on the control.
   
• A little of this is OK but if the readings are very jumpy it can confuse the control. If you see this sort of “jumpiness” check all ground connections involved for tightness and continuity.
   
• If the ground is OK and the thermocouples are in the factory provided holes, in your kiln about one and one half inches, then contact L&L or a certified repairman for assistance. NOTE: thermocouples in homemade holes that may be positioned too close to the elements, could receive more of the inductive current generated by the elements, therefore receive more noise (NOTE: In extreme cases L&L can retrofit your control box with a noise suppressor and even wire the box so that the control voltage is feed through a separate 120 volt cord).
   
• (See this web page for a more detailed description with potential solutions: hotkilns.com/noise-fix)

Do thermocouples need to be grounded or ungrounded?

They must be ungrounded thermocouples. Grounded thermocouples will cause problems with this control. The negative leads of the thermocouples are connected to the kiln ground. (See above section about electrical noise). Be sure there is only one ground to your kiln. This is normally through the plug or main power connection all the way to the “earth ground”. The control is grounded and RF (radio frequency) noise generated in the thermocouples (from the element power and other sources) is drawn into the sheath ground and into the negative lead of the thermocouple and then ultimately out to earth ground.

Can I override the end of a firing to gain temperature?

Lets say you just fired a load and you can see through your peephole (looking at a witness cone) that your load did not fire to full maturity.

1. Restart the program with a higher cone value and then manually shut off kiln when the witness cone starts to mature.
    
2. Use the cone offset feature next time to eliminate this problem before it happens again.

I hear the contactors clicking on and off when the kiln is at a low temperature and even though my set point is way above the temperature readings. Why?

The control only allows power for about 1/3 of the time when the kiln temperature is below 500°F. This is because kilns are generally overpowered for these low temperatures and the control would constantly be overshooting any lower temperature set points without this feature.

What does it mean when the display flashes?

1. The DynaTrol is trying to give more information than can fit on just one displayed message.
2. Either the message cycles over and over again, like IdLE and TC2, current temperature, or the messages continue to flash by quickly, as in the case of what happens when you press the Review Prog button.

What does CPL mean?

“CPL” means that programming an option or a sequence of steps has been completed.

How do you turn off the audible alarm?

The alarm is an audible signal. You can turn it off (after it turns on) by pressing ENTER. Set it for 9999 to disable it.

How do I get information about my firing?

1. When the program has completed it will flash CPLT and the time it took to get to temperature.
    
2. After pressing STOP you can press Review Prog to get more information about the firing.
    
3. The display will scroll through the following: the Cone you set it at, the actual temperature that the kiln achieved, what speed you had it set for, and hold time etc.
    
4. This only works in the EASY-FIRE mode.
    
5. In the VARY-FIRE mode, if you press Review Prog you see what you programmed only. This information will be retained in memory until the control is reprogrammed.

What ambient temperature conditions do I need for the control?

Do not operate the controller in temperatures above 125°F or below 0°F or 0°C. Actually a little hotter or colder will still be within tolerance of the components. The real component rating is near 160°F . If you are using the Celsius temperature scale 0°C is the lowest operating temperature possible as the DynaTrol thinks a negative temperature displayed is because of a thermocouple installed backwards, not because it could be cold outside. (NOTE: The board components are rated for 50°C below zero so the control (and kiln) can be stored outside in a covered area).

The kiln did not begin soaking when it should have.

The fact that the kiln did not start to soak when its seems like it should could be due to the fact that an average of all the process variables (TC readings) and the traveling set point have to reach set point temperature before the hold begins. Or the DynaTrol has computed a higher temp (than you expected it to) to equate to the cone # fired to and the rate of climb… Once it gets to where it determines the cone is , it will begin the hold.

The thermocouples seem to be off according to the cones.

If you had an ErrP or PF message while firing, and the kiln temperature went down briefly, the cones may have misrepresented actual temperature for the following reason: If the temperature decreases in the kiln temporarily after the cone begins to form a glass (starts to mature even though it may not be visible) the decrease in temperature could “freeze” the cone and prevent it from operating properly. Cone temperatures also vary according to how quickly the kiln climbs in temperature. Thermocouples do age, sometimes rapidly, and may not read like they used to. Try a cone offset to raise or lower the entire kiln’s final temperature for the cone you have programmed. Or try a thermocouple offset if it is just one or two zones that are consistently hotter or cooler than they should be.

How do I ramp down?

You must use the VARY-FIRE Mode. The control will change the path of the firing profile in the direction of the next segment’s set point. In other words if the current segment has a set point of 500°F and the following segment has a set point of 1000°F then the control will ramp the set point in the “up” direction. Conversely if the current segment has a set point of 1000°F and the next segment has a setpoint of 500°F then the control will ramp the set point in the ”down” direction. See the specific instructions in the Programming section under VARY-FIRE.

Does the control work on 50 HZ?

Yes. The control will work on either 50 Hz or 60 Hz. The electrical cycle does not affect any timing circuits in the control.

TEMPERATURE READINGS VS CONES

Automatic controls are great tools. They are not complete tools, however. They base what they do on electrical signals generated by the thermocouples that get interpreted by the electronic control as specific temperatures. There are four inherent problems with this. First, the thermocouples are only measuring temperature at the very tip of the thermocouple. Typically this is placed an inch or two in from the inside surface of the kiln. The thermocouple is usually not measuring the temperature in the middle of the kiln. Second, there is an inherent error in the thermocouple of a few degrees either way. Third, thermocouples drift in their accuracy over time. Fourth, and perhaps most important, thermocouples only measure temperature. For ceramics you are really interested in “heat-work” or the amount of heat that is absorbed by your ware over time. It is like baking a cake. Absolute temperature is only one factor in the successful baking. For all these reasons we highly recommend the use of witness cones in every firing. These will tell you what really happened in the kiln. We suggest using a set of three witness cones in each zone for the kiln. At the absolute minimum use one witness cone per firing to check basic performance of the kiln and control. Then using this accurate information you can use the many features of the DynaTrol to conform the performance of the control to your exact needs. You may want to try firing the kiln with all the preset programs with witness cones to see just how the type of program affects the cones you will be using. Keep good records and get to know your kiln, the DynaTrol and how the combination of these two things with the kind of ware that you fire all work together. There is no substitute for experimentation and personal individualized documentation. See the following for more helpful information:

Helpful Links

hotkilns.com/hold-times-and-heatwork

hotkilns.com/calibrating-kiln

hotkilns.com/fire-precisely-witness-cones

hotkilns.com/promote-even-firing

 

APPENDIX H: VARY-FIRE DEFAULT PROGRAM’S

USER 1: Medium Speed Glass Slumping Profile

 

USER 2: Medium Speed Glass Tack Fuse Profile

 

USER 3: Medium Speed Full Fuse Profile

 

USER 4: Glass Bead Annealing Profile

 

USER 5: Lost Wax Burnout Profile

 

USER 6: Slow Cooling Cycle for Cone 6 Glazes

 

APPENDIX I: HOOKUP DIAGRAM

APPENDIX J: PHOTOGRAPHS

Back of the DynaTrol:

APPENDIX K: HELPFUL WEB LINKS

First Firing

• First Firing Instructions for L&L Kilns 

Advanced Programming and Configuration

• How to add soak to or reprogram a DynaTrol during a firing (hotkilns.com/add-soak-while-firing)
   
• How do I enter a really slow program? (hotkilns.com/really-slow-program)
   
• How do I fire with fewer kiln sections on my Jupiter Kiln? (hotkilns.com/fire-fewer-sections-jupiter)
   
• How do you find out how many firings the DynaTrol has performed? (hotkilns.com/number-firings-dynatrol)
   
• Can the DynaTrol count the number of firings of the kiln? (hotkilns.com/how-many-firings)
   
• How do I find out what the final temperature reached in a program on a DynaTrol? (hotkilns.com/final-temperature-reached)
   
• Changing to Single Zone on a DynaTrol (Video) (hotkilns.com/change-single-zone)
   
• Turning Off Error Codes on a DynaTrol control (Video) (hotkilns.com/turn-off-error-codes-video)
   
• Changing contactor Cycle Time on a DynaTrol control (Video) (hotkilns.com/changing-cycle-time-dynatrol)

Process Questions

• How do hold times and heatwork affect my work? (hotkilns.com/hold-times-and-heatwork)
   
• What can I do to promote even kiln firings? (hotkilns.com/promote-even-firing)
   
• Should I use the Fast Glaze or Slow Glaze or Fast Bisque or Slow Bisque? (hotkilns.com/fast-vs-slow-firing)
   
• Why use slow bisque over fast bisque? Is it just a moisture issue? (hotkilns.com/slow-bisque-vs-fast-bisque)
   
• How do I program a slump or tack or full fuse glass program into DynaTrol? (hotkilns.com/program-slump-tack-fuse-glass)

Error Codes

• Kiln DynaTrol Control Error Codes (hotkilns.com/error-codes)
   
• Error D (hotkilns.com/e-d)
   
• How to fix E-1 or Err1 (hotkilns.com/e1)
   
• How to fix PF, E- P, E-P, ErrP Error (hotkilns.com/fix-errp)
   
• What to do when you see “FAIL”? (hotkilns.com/error-fail)
   
• What’s the Worst thing that can Happen from Restarting After an Error Code? (hotkilns.com/restarting-after-error-code)
   
• Can I Restart the Kiln after Getting an Error Message? (hotkilns.com/restart-after-error-message)
   
• How and Why to Turn Off Error Codes (hotkilns.com/support/pottery-kiln-knowledgebase/how-and-why-turn-error-codes)

Troubleshooting Control

• Why does my kiln jump over the Preheat without holding at the Preheat temp? (hotkilns.com/jump-over-preheat)
   
• Some of the buttons on the DynaTrol do not work. How do I fix this? (hotkilns.com/buttons-do-not-work)
   
• The DynaTrol shows cone 05 after I program it for 5 or 06 after I program it for 6 (hotkilns.com/program-different)
   
• How can the thermocouple wires get reversed on a Jupiter or DaVinci Automatic Kiln?
   
• (hotkilns.com/thermocouple-wires-reversed-jupiter-davinci)
   
• What to do if there is no display on the DynaTrol (hotkilns.com/no-display-dynatrol)
   
• How to interpret a garbled message on the DynaTrol (hotkilns.com/interpret-display)
   
• Display Reads 2400 or CPLt When it Starts Up (hotkilns.com/display-startup)
   
• Why does the temperature read-out on my hand-held pyrometer differ from the temperature shown on the DynaTrol? (hotkilns.com/temperature-pyrometer-dynatrol-differ)
   
• My contactors / relays are wearing out too quickly - what can I do? (hotkilns.com/contactors-wear-out-quickly)
   
• The controlled cooling on an Easy-Fire keeps changing. Why? (hotkilns.com/controlled-cooling-easy-fire-keeps-changing)
   
• Control reads higher temperature than my studio. No error code. What is wrong? (hotkilns.com/control-reads-high)

Troubleshooting Process & Firing Issues

• Change the cycle time of the DynaTrol Control (hotkilns.com/change-cycle-time-dynatrol)
   
• Changing contactor Cycle Time on a DynaTrol control (Video) (hotkilns.com/changing-cycle-time-dynatrol)
   
• What to do if the kiln fires slowly? (hotkilns.com/slow-kiln)
   
• Electrical Supply Problems and slow kiln performance (hotkilns.com/electrical-supply-problems)
   
• Why does my kiln seem like it overfires the pottery? (hotkilns.com/overfire-pottery)
   
• The center of my kiln gets too hot compared to the top and bottom. (hotkilns.com/center-kiln-hot)
   
• How do I fix pinholes and blistering in glazing? (hotkilns.com/fix-pinholes-blistering)
   
• Why does my kiln stall or stop heating with lots of clicking (relays) and no error code? (hotkilns.com/kiln-stall-no-error-code)

Calibrating Control and Kiln

• Changing Cone Offset on a DynaTrol on an L&L kiln (Video) (hotkilns.com/change-cone-offset)
   
• Thermocouple Offset Setting and Cone Offset Setting (hotkilns.com/thermocouple-cone-offset)
   
• Changing Thermocouple Offset on a DynaTrol control (Video) (hotkilns.com/change-thermocouple-offset)
   
• Adjusting and Calibrating the DynaTrol or One-Touch for More Accurate Firing (hotkilns.com/calibrating-kiln)
   
• Fire Kiln with Cones (hotkilns.com/fire-kiln-cones)
   
• How to fire very precisely using witness cones (hotkilns.com/fire-precisely-witness-cones)
   
• What are Thermocouples? (hotkilns.com/what-are-thermocouples)

Fixing and Changing Control

• WHEN REPLACING A DYNATROL: CHECK THE CONFIGURATION OF THIS REPLACEMENT CONTROL TO MAKE SURE YOU DON’T MELT YOUR KILN! (hotkilns.com/cautions-for-replacing-dynatrol)
   
• How to Change Thermocouple Type (Type S or Type K) on a DynaTrol (hotkilns.com/change-thermocouple-type)
   
• Replacing a DynaTrol (Video) (hotkilns.com/replace-dynatrol)
   
• Replacing Control (Text and photos) (hotkilns.com/replacing-control)
   
• Checking Switches on the DynaTrol Control Board (Video) (hotkilns.com/check-switches-dynatrol-board)

Specifications Sheet

• Specification Sheet for DynaTrol Control (hotkilns.com/specification-sheet-dynatrol-control)

Inputs: 

Output #4 is on the side

Software Version (on top) and Serial Number (on bottom):

Where Ribbon Connector connects board with panel:

Jumper for Type S Thermocouple. It is Type S when the jumper connects to the two prongs (bottom photo):

DYNATROL SPECIFICATIONS

• Thermocouple Input: Type K or Type S (software/jumper switchable)
   
• Accuracy: +/- 10°F
   
• Cold Junction Compensation: Electronic
   
• Power Input: 24 Volt Center Tap Transformer / 50 Hz or 60 Hz
   
• Outputs 1 & 3: 150mA at 12 VDC, one 12 volt relay with 80 ohm coil per output
   
• Output 2: 600mA at 12 VDC, one to three 12 volt relays with 80 ohm coil per output
   
• Output 4: 150mA at 12 VDC, one optional 12 VDC relay with 80 ohm coil per output
   
• Output 5: 150mA at 12 VDC, one optional 12 VDC relay with 80 ohm coil per output
   
• Operating Temperature Range: 0°F to 125°F, 0°C to 52°C (See FAQ Section concerning “What Ambient Temperature Conditions do I need for control?”)
   
• High Side Switching: High side switching which allows the relay’s return wire to be connected to ground (if the return wire shorts to ground it will have no effect).
   
• Safety Transistor: A safety transistor powers the other output transistors giving multiple ways to turn off the output for increase safety.
   
• Capacitor-Couple Output: The microprocessor is connected to the output transistor through a capacitor so that the output turns off if the microprocessor latches up.