# PID controller - Inkbird ITC-106VH



## Musson (Apr 28, 2020)

Hi everyone, i am new to the forum, I should have found this before!! So many things to read here..

So here is why i came for at first.. I have a bradley smoker, which i made a home made PID to control the temperature.

I have been running it with my actual setup for 2 years, and i finaly took time today to fix something that has been frustrating since day one, but never took time to fix it.

I don't know where in the settings i can find what i am looking for.

Right now, the temperature always go 7-10 degrees higher to 5-7 de grees lower. As when it reach the set temperature, the element are turned off, but the temperature still go up as the elements are still burning hot, and when it reach back the right temperature, by the time the element are heating at full capacity, it goes down by another 5-7 degrees.

So i always have 10-20 degrees off range in my smoker and i am almost sure i can fix that with my Inkbird ITC-106.

Like a quick on/off toggle so the temperature always stay at what it was set, 1-2 degrees off range.

So i came here wishing someone had an answer for me as i cannot find it anywhere else on the internet!

Thanks alot for you time :)


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## daveomak (Apr 28, 2020)

10-20 deg. ain't bad.....   Probably better than your kitchen oven.....


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## cooperman (Apr 28, 2020)

I agree, that’s not bad. I have about a 30 degree temp swing in my Cookshack, and it smokes just fine.


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## Musson (Apr 28, 2020)

It smokes perfectly, that's why i've been usnig it like that for over 2 years hehe.

I just wanted it to perfection and i think i should be able to achieve that wit the Inkbird PID.

Maybe i am wrong, and i know its not really a problem. It's just that while I have the right tools, why not push it to perfection!


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## cooperman (Apr 28, 2020)

Nothing wrong with that Masson, good luck!


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## dr k (Apr 28, 2020)

Anyway to access the PID settings and write them down (default setting) so you can auto tune or manually enter the settings? I have an Auber plug and play so I can't help with your model.  I have done the out of the box setting and autotune but with the 1,200 watt Mes 40 element I  prefer P mode vs full PID so it stays in full power up to  set point with vent wide open and a chunk of meat  So I set the P value to 1, 2 or 3 etc and leave the I and D at 0. There's a P mode example in my manual.  The autotune took too long to heat because it would come out of full power and flash elec 15° below set point.


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## tallbm (Apr 28, 2020)

Musson said:


> Hi everyone, i am new to the forum, I should have found this before!! So many things to read here..
> 
> So here is why i came for at first.. I have a bradley smoker, which i made a home made PID to control the temperature.
> 
> ...



Hi there and welcome!

Dr k has you on the right track.

Your issue is that your PID needs a little tuning.  Like Dr k says record your initial settings before you make any changes so u can get back to that configuration or you can get completely screwed lol.

Basically the turning works like this.  Put I and D at 0 and tune P so that are overshooting and undershooting within the ballpark.  Tune up I to ensure that when u are close to the set temp it fights to keep it from going too far either way.  Tune up D to keep rates of change from getting too large so that you can tighten things up even more.
That's it in a nutshell but not always an easy thing to get rigth AND can be time consuming

Here's more detailed turning steps.

Basically to turn the P to like a 3 and turn the I and D to a 0. 
Mess with the P until it the heating overshoot/undershoot is about as good as it is going to get and then u start dialing up the I and when that gets better if u still have room for improvement you dial up the D.

The way P works in detail is tjat a P value of lets say  5 behaves so that when u get to like 5 degrees below our set temp (lets say 250F) the power will start cutting down and will cut off when it hits the set temp.

So upon initial heat up it heats full blast then at 245F the power gets cut down, at 246, 247, etc. the power continues cutting down until 250F and the power is off BUT the electric heating element has been going so hard for so long that the temp is still rising so the smoker may go all the way up to like 265F until it cools down from having the power being off.
THEN the heat drops and when the temp gets to 249F the power cuts back up low and at 248, 247, etc. increases and at 244F it is on full blast again, BUT because the element has been off and cooling for so long your temp may dip down to like 235F before the element gets hot enough to start getting the smoker to heat up again and then the cycle repeats.

The spread will cut down some but will never fully dial in because P is dumb so you gotta tune where the higher the P value the slower the smoker comes up to temp and the response time changes so people say to keep it low and I would think starting with a value of like 3 would be good to go.

Get the P dialed in to where u have a good little cycle going.

You then start dialing up the I.  
Now the purpose of I is so that as you approach the set temp of 250 it starts to fight output power from P so that your cycle around your set temp gets cut down.
So think of "I" as only kicking in when you near 250F.  When you are heating up to 250 "I" cuts the power down quicker than P to try not to overshoot 250F by too much, and when the temp is dropping as it approaches 250F or goes under, "I" kicks the power on to heat it up faster and to reduce the drop portion of the cycle.  "I" performs a calculation based off P so that it doesnt just override P but simply works to assist P without taking over.
Now the value for I simply depends on your controller as they all use different algorithms so reference the documentation or tweak based off the default numbers you had recorded before zeroing it out and then go higher or lower and see what happens.
Once you have cut down the overshoot and undershoot you will either be close and happy OR you move on to D.

D 's job is to watch temperature RATE change over time and if it notices rate changes going to fast or too slow it fights in the opposite direction to keep the temperature RATE changes from getting too out of whack by looking back on what the temp rate change was like every previous 30 sec and then acts accordingly.
D will help dial in your overshoot/undershoot even more to tighten near your set temp ... provided it's tuned correctly.  Like "I", the D value will calculate with the P value so it can never completely override P.

Confusing enough for ya? :P

Ask all the questions you need as this stuff is not super simple but if you play with it about 3-4 sessions u will get an idea of the cause and effect of your tuning changes.

The WORSE thing you can do is just start changing numbers guessing what may happen.  You simply have to start with P only where "I" and D are set to zero and then work from there... unless you like punishing yourself by doing things the really hard way hahaha.

Let us know what you get into :)


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## Musson (Apr 29, 2020)

Confusing you said ? Haha.. yes it is, but will most likely easier when i'm in front of it playing with it!

Thanks alot for detailed explanation, very very appreciated!!!

I'll have some fun with it and for sure come back if I have more questions. I should have found this forum before anyways, there is so many receipe, tips and informations!

Thanks again :)


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## chopsaw (Apr 29, 2020)

Musson said:


> It's just that while I have the right tools, why not push it to perfection!


Completely agree . I have the Auber 1510 elpm and had same thoughts as you . 
Get a manual for the model you have , and find the code to access the settings .

Good advice above , and some of this will be said already , but this is how I did mine . I wrote down what the letters meant in terms I could understand , in a note book . That way I could take my notes out to the smoker . From my notes , 

P - Power output .  Measured in Degrees . The larger the number , the lower the gain . 

I - Temp offset . Measured in seconds . Decrease number if taking to long to get to temp . 

D - Response . Measured in seconds . Larger the number more aggressive the response . 

So . I set P and let it run . ( good idea to set I and D to 0 if just starting out . ) 
Depending on when it comes out of full power , adjust I . 
Decrease to speed up heating to temp .
Increase to slow heating to temp . ( controllers over run ) 

After you get that dialed in , adjust D . ( response to temp drop ) 
When I was at set temp , I then opened the door . Pay attention to how fast the unit kicks on for full power . 
The larger the number , the faster the unit turns on , but also note how long it stays in full power . 
Adjust accordingly . 
In PID mode , all the numbers work together . So after you get it close , you might have to tweek a few settings . 
When adjusting , don't be to heavy handed . Take it slow , give the unit time to react to the changes . 
  This is from a brisket I did last Sunday . Mine over runs 1 degree , then comes back to set temp and stays there .


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## 10KD (Sep 5, 2020)

Hello all, I don’t post too often due to the four letter “T” word- time... lol, but I wanted to chime in on this ITC-106VH thread.

I took the plunge and bought the ‘Inkbird and already had an SSR and thermocouples laying around. My installation is a 30” MES that is a later generation, modified MES smoke generator box that has been gutted to accept AMNPS (GREAT PRODUCT!) 24” of 3” flexible aluminum duct and a 24” solid duct extension on the upper outlet. Convection fan mod with air guide. Prior to the PID, I would see consistent +/- temps of 10 degrees cyclic (18-20 total swing) at a setting of the magical 225.

Now with the PID I am seeing a 1.6 degree swing (K-type with not jacket and read at the PID) with the convection fan on and a 2.8 swing with no fan, which I attribute to convective currents exasperated and due to the element and inlet shields still in place- but totally acceptable.

Still needs a little tweaking mind you, but here are the current Inkbird ITC-106VH settings:
CTL - 0
P - 160
I - 150
D - 650

Pretty round numbers for now, hence the “still needs a little tweaking,” but I though this may help anyone out there with the same setup to save a TON of time (took better part of two weekend-day long cooks.) I searched all over the place and could not find a starting point for this brand/model in a MES and now, here it is. :)

BTW, ThermoPro probe that is just laying on second to top rack is steadily pegged at 225 after about 30 min and then indefinitely.


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## chopsaw (Sep 5, 2020)

Was talking with DrK the other day about some of this . Thought I would add my settings that I use . 
After adjusting like I did in post 9 . Auber 1510 elpm . Gen 1 MES 30 . Probe from controller is centered ( both ways ) in the back of the smoker .
P = 10
I = 208
D = 218 . 
This controls over run on heat up , and reacts fast and aggressive when the door is opened . 
When it gets to set temp it stays there . Steady blink on the power light , meaning it's off the same amount of time it's on .


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## 10KD (Sep 5, 2020)

Chopsaw-

I'm looking for that steady-ish blink, where it just modulates the SSR and doesn't actually do a full on/off cycle... It'll take more tinkering with the ITC-106VH due to no published starting points that I can find anywhere and my very limited, new PID experience. I'm a quick study though! lol  Will be switching to a PT100 soon as well, much faster and more accurate monitoring.

I have about three sheets of paper full of the post #9 tuning records, it is a time consuming thing, that's for sure, but totally worth it and I think my next brisket will come out better than ever.

I'll try settings similar to what you have with that Auber and see what I get. Thanks for posting them!


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## chopsaw (Sep 5, 2020)

I did mine in a couple hours . Smoker was empty and did not open the door until I adjusted D .
Try those settings and see how it works for you . 

1 . Pay attention to how long it takes to get to temp , and  when it comes out of full power on heat up .
(  P = 10 should be around 10 degrees under set temp ) 
2 . Once it gets to temp see if it over runs set temp , and by how much .
3 . Use I to adjust this . ( leave P = 10 ) If you have I at 208 and it's taking to long to get to set temp , 
lower the value of I . Little at a time , and retry . Increase number if it over runs to much . 
You'll just have to find that compromise  that works for you .
I like no over run . Mine takes about 25 minutes to get to 250 . 
4 . Get that where you like it . Running at set temp , open and close the door . Take note of how fast the power comes on 100 % when you open the door . 
Increase D if it  doesn't come on right away . 
All 3 settings work together , but adjust one at a time . A little at a time . 
P is the gas pedal 
I is the brake 
D is you made a big mess , and you're trying to clean it up before the wife gets home .


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## nimrod (Sep 8, 2020)

You all just saved me a bunch of trouble! My MES controller shorted out during a pop-up rain shower. I am in the process of replacing it with a Inkbird PID. 
THANKS! Craig


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## tallbm (Sep 8, 2020)

nimrod said:


> You all just saved me a bunch of trouble! My MES controller shorted out during a pop-up rain shower. I am in the process of replacing it with a Inkbird PID.
> THANKS! Craig



There is a little bit more that you have to do to replace an MES controller so read up.
You will need to have a controller that can handle the temp ranges AND an SSR which can do the same.
THEN u will need to do the simple rewire to your MES and then u can plug the MES into the PID controller... provide your controller has a plug outlet.

This is why I recommend the Auber PID's that are plug and play for people.

You can read this post for simple rewire on the MES to have it work with a PID.  A PID on an MES makes the MES 100X better than it was brand new so totally worth it!!






						MES Rewire Simple Guide - No Back Removal Needed!!!
					

Lately I've seen a number of posts about guys wanting to rewire their MES.  I had wanted to post a quick and simple guide for those out there that are curious or those that simply need to rewire but need a little assistance.  Well here goes.  Disclaimer:  When messing with electrical equipment...




					www.smokingmeatforums.com


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## Frankyvee (Feb 12, 2022)

Musson said:


> Hi everyone, i am new to the forum, I should have found this before!! So many things to read here..
> 
> So here is why i came for at first.. I have a bradley smoker, which i made a home made PID to control the temperature.
> 
> ...


Best recommendation I can give you since I was experiencing the same thing with default settings is to Auto Tune.  What you are experiencing is called a temperature swing (temperature deviation). It looks like you are getting about a 17 degree swing.  You can definitely reduce that swing by going into Auto Tune (selftune) mode.  You do this by going into the setup menu by holding the SET button for two seconds. You will initially see "IP" on the display then hit the SET button again and you will see "oP" then hit the left arrow button you will see  "Ctrl". Now press the up or down arrow till you see "At" which stands for Auto Tune. The hit SET twice and hold it down for three seconds on the second push this will save your settings and put you out of the menu system. You will now be in Auto Tune mode. The PID controller will learn the current temperature swing after going through about two cycles. You will know it's in Auto Tune mode because you will see an "At" flashing on the display. Once it is done learning the temperature swing it will turn off from Auto Tune and begin to run with the information it learned about the temperater swing. You should now start to see a declining deviation from your set temperature.  It will get tighter and tighter as time goes by.  Hope this helps.I struggled looking for this information on the internet and it does not seem to be out there for the ITC-106 which I currently have the RL Relay model.


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## Lonzinomaker (Feb 13, 2022)

I have found it best to do tuning when there is a load in the smoker.  Either a brick, bowl of sand or a pork butt. Empty smokers don't behave the same as one with a load in it.


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## chopsaw (Mar 5, 2022)

Lonzinomaker said:


> I have found it best to do tuning when there is a load in the smoker. Either a brick, bowl of sand or a pork butt. Empty smokers don't behave the same as one with a load in it.


I set mine to reach and stay at a steady temp . Not cycle . Since the smoker is pre heated before putting anything in it , I found it works best to adjust it empty .


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## dr k (Mar 5, 2022)

With the Auber WS-1510ELPM I did the autotune the other day with a whole spare slab of ribs, tips and brisket bone intact and still it was coming out of full power, flashing 15 degrees below set point and temp dropping vs rising since I do brisket, butts and ribs at 265+ in the gen 1 40. So I'm back to my go to setting P=1, I=0, D=0.  Full power 1 degree below set point and 50% power 1/2 degree below set point so the fastest response on the down coast. Set temp ten degrees below what I want to get it there fast then after it shuts off change set temp to desired set temp after it coasts up there then holds with full power, 50% or off with vent fully open. With ramping up for sausage and fish 10 degrees every hour i just manually bump up 5 degrees over 5 minutes twice.


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