The 1560 Black Stack Thermometer Readout can be any kind of thermometer you want it to be, and it works in three distinctive ways. It’s a reference thermometer with a NIST traceable calibration; it’s an automated calibration system reading your reference probe and sensors you’re testing; or it’s a high-accuracy data acquisition system.

The system consists of up to eight different modules (sold separately) designed to do any type of thermometry you choose. Each module stacks behind the preceding one, and when you add a module, the Stack’s software automatically reconfigures itself to include all of the new functions supplied by that module. There’s no software to load, and nothing has to be calibrated. Each module stores its own calibration internally, so you can add or change modules without recalibrating the whole stack. Module calibration is digital and is performed manually through the base’s front panel or over the RS-232 link.

The LCD screen has multiple methods of displaying data, including a graphical strip chart recorder. The graphical capability of the Black Stack makes testing temperature stability easier than ever. Vertical scaling and graph resolution are automatic. Read data almost anyway you like—in ohms, millivolts, or temperature, according to your application and preference.

The base module consists of two parts: a display with the main processor and a power supply. The base module supplies power, communication management, and software coordination for all of the other modules. It features a display, control buttons, and RS-232 port built-in. The base unit can handle eight thermometer modules stacked behind it with a maximum of 96 sensor inputs. It never needs calibration and performs its own diagnostic self-test each time it powers up.

Available for sale in the United States and Canada only.