Brooks controller 0254

[Gregory]

Will do, thanks!

[Blokk]

After all, i really think it would be just simpler to not use this 0254 controller, if i ever need MFCs to be used from Brooks in the future. If there is the PC, why need for an extra controller with digital display? I would just purchase MFCs with RS485 serial interface option, and use a direct connection between the PC (serial interface) and the individual MFCs...

I wonder, whether the firmwares of the standalone  mass flow controller units suffer from the same or similar bugs as the 0254?

[wew044]

I am very late to this post but, if anyone can help I would like some clarifications.

If I am using rs232 connection, can i split the end connector and just connect the bare wires of 2 (RXD), 3 (TXD), and 5 (GND) to NI9201 (analog in) and NI9263 (analog out)? 

Also since the 0254 have 4 channels, each channel has 2 ports (for input and output), how would i specify that in Labview?

Thanks!

[rolfk]

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@wew044 wrote:

I am very late to this post but, if anyone can help I would like some clarifications.

If I am using rs232 connection, can i split the end connector and just connect the bare wires of 2 (RXD), 3 (TXD), and 5 (GND) to NI9201 (analog in) and NI9263 (analog out)? 

Also since the 0254 have 4 channels, each channel has 2 ports (for input and output), how would i specify that in Labview?

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Well you could of course connect it like that. But are you really wanting to implement the RS-232 bit protocol in software using analog input and output channels? Sounds pretty crazy to me.

You would normally connect these pins to an RS-232 interface connector and then using VISA functions communicate to the device.

Selection of the channel you want to read is through the commands you send over the serial port to this device.

The command to read the measured input value of one of the 4 channels is:

A[xx]K<cr>

Here [xx] is the channel number but you need to use 01 for channel 1, 03 for channel 2, 05 for channel 3 and 07 for channel 4.

For commands that address output values of a channel you use 02 for channel 1, 04 for channel 2, 06 for channel 3 and 08 for channel 4. 

The full command set is described in this document in appendix C.

[rolfk]

I'm not entirely sure about the different variants of the Brooks flow controllers. But AFAIK they all have an analog input for the setpoint and an analog output for the measurement value. If you really want to use your NI9201 and NI9263 modules you would in fact have to forget about the 0254 device and connect the MFC 15 pin connectors directly to the NI modules. Make sure to have MFCs with voltage signal option. If they have current option you would need to do voltage to current conversion or use different NI modules with current input and output. That should work in my opinion.

You would then connect each MFC to a separate analog input on the NI9201 for the measurement value and to a separate analog output on the NI9263 for the setpoint.

[wew044]

Thank you everyone for the reply! 

I will give this a try

[Clenic]

I am sorry to dig out this message from 2016 but I am also using GF40 MFCs from brooks and the DLL feels slow in my VI. I wan to do simples visa calls like you mention to control the MFCs directly, but I am not sure what commands I should send to the devices?

[rolfk]

According to this page your device could have either an RS-485/Analog, DeviceNet, Profibus or EtherCAT interface

If you have the RS-485 interface version it knows three different protocols that it can speak over this interface.

S-Protocol is a RS485 communication based on HART® command set.

L-Protocol is a RS485 communication compatible with legacy Unit® and Celerity® devices.

A-Protocol is a RS485 communication compatible with Aera® mass flow devices.

The documentation for them is here under the Documentation tab.:

https://www.brooksinstrument.com/en/products/mass-flow-controllers/thermal-elastomer-sealed/gf40-ser...

[Clenic]

Thank you for your response. In the meantimes, I found another thread where someone developped a driver for HART communication with older Brooks MFCs:

https://forums.ni.com/t5/Instrument-Control-GPIB-Serial/HART-driver-for-Brooks-MFC/td-p/26747

There are two libraries in the thread (attached), do you think I can use those to communicate with my GF40s? The "Brooks MFC" lib has a device type command that doesn't include the GF40s, but I could probably change the code a bit to adapt to new MFCs?