What is it?

Thermocouple for the Particle Photon or Electron. Just add a Photon, connect your probe and plug the stick into a USB power pack to make an Internet connected thermocouple sensor.

Put the thermocouple probe in your BBQ and hey presto, Internet connected BBQ!

Contains:

• 1x Part assembled PCB.
• 2x 12 Way headers to mount the Photon so you can remove it easily if needed.
• Optional upgrade to 2x 18 Way headers for an Electron.
• 1x USB A plug which can be soldered to the PCB to allow it to plug directly into a USB power pack.

Just add a Photon or Electron and a K-Type thermocouple probe.

Why did you make it?

I needed to measure high temperatures in an oven, above the range of the normal thermistors, to monitor the drying of silica gel. Once you get above 100°C (212°F) the usual sensors give up, the thermocouple amplifier on this ThingyStick has a range of from -200°C to 1350°C.

I also use this to measure the reflow temperature profile of my local makespace reflow oven as you can see from the photo. You wouldn't have much left of a thermistor at 240°C!

I stuck a probe onto a blank PCB, connected the Photon to the Wi-Fi, powered the board from the USB port on my laptop, and used Tinamous.com to monitor and record the reflow profile.

What makes it special?

Connectivity:

• Plug in a Photon to make a Wi-Fi connected Internet of Things Thermocouple.
• Or an Electron for Cellular connectivity allowing you to monitor the temperature at remote sites.

Thermocouple:

• MAX31855 K-Type thermocouple amplifier.
• Possible range of -200°C to 1350°C and a resolution of 0.25°C with the appropriate probe.
• Probe short and open circuit detection.
• The MAX31855 has an internal Cold-Junction compensation sensor and probe calibration for improved accuracy.
• K-Type socket fitted.

Bonus features:

• Additional 64K EEPROM (24LC512) on-board to store a log of the temperature when not connected.
• Selectable chip select pin for the MAX31855 allows these to be stacked (ideal for measuring feed and return heating pipes).
• Can be powered via the USB A Plug allowing it to be plugged directly into a USB power pack or battery.
• 3x mounting holes for M3 machine screws or A2 self tappers.
• Open Source Hardware. All the design files are available on the ThingySticks website and Github ThingySticks organisation.
• Measures 96mm x 34mm.

Please note that this does NOT include a Photon/Electron or a K-Type thermocouple probe, these need to be purchased separately.

Headers supplied do not support stacking, you will need different stackable headers if you wish to stack multiple sensors.