An input module includes a terminal block and a removable printed circuit board (PCB). The terminal block includes first and second connector assemblies for electrically coupling first and second electrical wires of an external thermocouple to the PCB. At least one of the first or second connector assemblies includes an internal thermocouple. The internal thermocouple has two conductive legs which are formed of different materials and are separated at an end to form a jaw connector for connecting or disconnecting an edge of the printed circuit board to or from the terminal block respectively. The PCB includes a sensor for measuring a temperature on the PCB, and a processing circuit configured to perform cold junction compensation using a cold junction temperature which is determined based on temperature measurement from the sensor and a temperature or voltage measurement from the internal thermocouple, when measuring hot junction temperature of the external thermocouple.

An input module includes a terminal block and a removable printed circuit board (PCB). The terminal block includes first and second connector assemblies for electrically coupling first and second electrical wires of an external thermocouple to the PCB. At least one of the first or second connector assemblies includes an internal thermocouple. The internal thermocouple has two conductive legs which are formed of different materials and are separated at an end to form a jaw connector for connecting or disconnecting an edge of the printed circuit board to or from the terminal block respectively. The PCB includes a sensor for measuring a temperature on the PCB, and a processing circuit configured to perform cold junction compensation using a cold junction temperature which is determined based on temperature measurement from the sensor and a temperature or voltage measurement from the internal thermocouple, when measuring hot junction temperature of the external thermocouple.

A temperature sensing system includes an outer casing, a thermocouple including a thermocouple junction, and a reference sensor. The thermocouple and the reference sensor are received within the outer casing. The reference sensor is disposed proximate an end of the thermocouple opposing the thermocouple junction and is configured to provide a reference temperature based on which a temperature measured by the thermocouple is determined.

A system and method for determining the type of an analog sensor device in a process control system comprising at least a terminal block unit comprising four connection ports connectable with an analog sensor device, wherein the sensor device to be determined is a 2-wire connection sensor device, a 3-wire connection sensor device, or a 4-wire connection sensor device. The method includes detecting whether: a predefined resistance value is present for a 2-wire connection sensor device, a 3-wire connection sensor device, a predefined resistance value between two predefined pairs of connection ports of the terminal block unit is provided, or a 4-wire connection sensor device is connected to the terminal block unit.

A system and method for determining the type of an analog sensor device in a process control system comprising at least a terminal block unit comprising four connection ports connectable with an analog sensor device, wherein the sensor device to be determined is a 2-wire connection sensor device, a 3-wire connection sensor device, or a 4-wire connection sensor device. The method includes detecting whether: a predefined resistance value is present for a 2-wire connection sensor device, a 3-wire connection sensor device, a predefined resistance value between two predefined pairs of connection ports of the terminal block unit is provided, or a 4-wire connection sensor device is connected to the terminal block unit.

A sensor includes a metal object and a thin film stack formed on at least a part of a surface of the metal object. The thin film stack has an electrically isolating film and a metallic film thereon. A first electrical conductor is defined in the metallic film and is electrically isolated from the metal object and has, in a first end, a connection point connected to a first terminal via a wire and, in a second end, a sensor structure defined in the metallic film. The sensor structure includes a junction of the metallic film penetrating the electrically isolating film to the metal object forming a thermocouple and a metal object terminal connected to a connection point of the metal object via a wire. The connection points of the first electrical conductor and of the metal object are adjacent to and in an isothermal relation with each other.

A sensor includes a metal object and a thin film stack formed on at least a part of a surface of the metal object. The thin film stack has an electrically isolating film and a metallic film thereon. A first electrical conductor is defined in the metallic film and is electrically isolated from the metal object and has, in a first end, a connection point connected to a first terminal via a wire and, in a second end, a sensor structure defined in the metallic film. The sensor structure includes a junction of the metallic film penetrating the electrically isolating film to the metal object forming a thermocouple and a metal object terminal connected to a connection point of the metal object via a wire. The connection points of the first electrical conductor and of the metal object are adjacent to and in an isothermal relation with each other.

There is provided a temperature measurement apparatus that differentiates temperature-measurement resolutions and temperature-calculation accuracies in accordance with the difference of the temperature-measurement range so as to make it possible to universalize temperature-calculation processing among two or more models having different temperature-measurement ranges. In a temperature measurement apparatus, for respective identifiers indicating models of an A/D conversion circuit, a temperature calculation circuit stores corresponding polynomials whose powers and the coefficients of the powers are different from one another, and calculates a temperature by use of the polynomial having the powers and the coefficients of the powers corresponding to the identifier for the A/D conversion circuit that is actually provided.

There is provided a temperature measurement apparatus that differentiates temperature-measurement resolutions and temperature-calculation accuracies in accordance with the difference of the temperature-measurement range so as to make it possible to universalize temperature-calculation processing among two or more models having different temperature-measurement ranges. In a temperature measurement apparatus, for respective identifiers indicating models of an A/D conversion circuit, a temperature calculation circuit stores corresponding polynomials whose powers and the coefficients of the powers are different from one another, and calculates a temperature by use of the polynomial having the powers and the coefficients of the powers corresponding to the identifier for the A/D conversion circuit that is actually provided.

A processing apparatus has an analog circuit therein and includes an installation orientation detector that detects a position of installation of the processing apparatus, an energization time measurement timer that measures an energization time during which the processing apparatus is energized, and a processor that corrects a result of processing in the analog circuit on the basis of a result of detection by the installation orientation detector and a result of measurement by the energization time measurement timer. The processing apparatus can thus reduce a stable operation standby time of the analog circuit.