FAQ1009

Answer

• Check your sensor bonding. Poor sensor bonding increases thermal lag and can cause thermal cycling.
• Check your sensor location. Placing your sensor too far from the thermoelectric also increases thermal lag and can cause thermal cycling.
• Reducing the proportional gain allows for more thermal lag. Decrease the proportional gain until the cycling stops.
• If your controller allows the integrator to be adjusted, increase the integrator time constant until the thermal cycling stops.
• Check the thermally conductive paste layers between the thermoelectric and load, and the thermoelectric and the heatsink. Make sure these paste layers have not dried out and are thick enough to ensure thermal contact between the slightly uneven surfaces.
• If the controller drives the current or temperature too fast in one direction, the limit current may be set too high. Lower the current limit setting to dampen (not overdrive) the output current response to temperature error.