Thermocouple temperature probe adapter

A method for converting a signal produced by a thermocouple temperature sensor into a new signal equivalent to a signal which would appear across the terminals of a thermistor temperature sensor exposed to the same temperature as the thermocouple temperature sensor, the new signal being compatible with a temperature measuring instrument designed for use with a thermistor temperature sensor, the method comprising the steps of:

• converting the signal produced at the terminals of the thermocouple temperature sensor into an amplified voltage representing the absolute temperature at the location of the thermocouple temperature sensor;
• translating the electrical voltage resulting from the conversion step without any analog-to-digital conversion into an analog electrical signal which is proportional to an electrical voltage that would exist across the terminals of a thermistor temperature sensor exposed to the same temperature as the thermocouple temperature sensor;
• and
• producing an output voltage varying as a function of the analog electrical signal that results from the translation step, the output voltage being equivalent to the voltage across the terminals of a thermistor temperature sensor if the thermistor temperature sensor was connected to the temperature measuring instrument's input and was exposed to the same temperature as the thermocouple temperature sensor.

An apparatus for the measurement of temperature, comprising:

• a thermocouple temperature sensor,
• a temperature measuring instrument of a type compatible with a thermistor temperature sensor at the instrument's input terminals, and
• an adapter with output terminals connected to the input terminals of the temperature measuring instrument, the adapter receiving at its input terminals an electrical voltage produced by the thermocouple temperature sensor, the adapter providing at its output terminals a signal which varies as a function of temperature, the signal being equivalent to a signal produced by a thermistor temperature sensor exposed to the same temperature as the thermocouple temperature sensor, the adapter comprising:
• a conversion circuit which converts an electrical voltage produced by the thermocouple temperature sensor into an amplified first electrical signal that represents the temperature at the location of the thermocouple temperature sensor;
• a translation circuit which translates the first electrical signal at the output of the conversion circuit without any analog-to-digital conversion into an analog second electrical signal which is proportional to an electrical voltage that would exist across the terminals of a thermistor temperature sensor exposed to the same temperature as the thermocouple temperature sensor;
• and
• an output control circuit which produces an output voltage at the adapter's output terminals, the output voltage varying as a function of the second electrical signal at the output of the translation circuit, the output voltage being equivalent to the electrical voltage which would exist across the terminals of a thermistor temperature sensor if the thermistor temperature sensor was connected to the temperature measuring instrument's input and was exposed to the same temperature as the thermocouple temperature sensor.