Setting Auber PID Temp, Time, and Other Values

[chopsaw]

knowing and understanding what each does for a purpose is very helpful and maybe easier to understand.

Makes it easy . It's out there in other threads but it seems to get over looked or not understood .

 

[tallbm]

It can be a starting point . Check and see where you're set at right now .

Remember P is a setting . Measured in degrees . If set temp is 200
and P=5 , the smoker will start to come out of full power at 195 .

I is an adjustment . Measured in seconds . Controls over run of set temp . If taking to long to heat up Lower the number of I . To much over run of set temp raise the number of I .

D is an adjustment . Measured in seconds . Controls the reaction to temp drop . Like opening the door .
The larger the number the more aggressive the response . Decides how fast and how long to put out full power .

All the number work together , but when adjusting I use a sequence .
P first .
I second
D third .
Make small adjustments one number at a time .

Great input!
Yeah that is the general practice to tweak P then I then D.

It's huge knowing that the P value will ramp down/up power based on how far away the smoker temp is away form the set temp entered into the Auber PID. Helps people understand when/why/how they would adjust it.

I believe most PID algorithms include P into their calculations and behaviors of both I and D. So changing P affects the other 2 hence going P then I then D :)

Thank you for putting this together for us!
I did indeed make it a sticky!
Al

Thank you Al for making it a sticky. I always have to dig through multiple threads to try and find the info. Helping Normanj out made me think to just finally make a dedicated post that he might be able to follow and point out any issues.

Now all the info is verified and in a single post so we can easily find and point to it. I also put tags for "auber" "auber pid" "pid" "pid settings" and maybe some other relevant tags so it pops up more easily via the website search function :)

 

[chopsaw]

Yeah that is the general practice to tweak P then I then D.

Once you assign a value to P leave it be . It can be whatever . I affects P by slowing it down , or speeding it up . That's how you adjust getting to set temp without extreme over run .

Same with D on recovery . D tells P how aggressively to react and for how long on temp drop .

Long story short , if you set it up in on / off and run 5 degrees over and 5 degrees under you're better off than you were stock . I just feel these controllers are capable of fine tuning so why not ?

 

[tallbm]

Once you assign a value to P leave it be . It can be whatever . I affects P by slowing it down , or speeding it up . That's how you adjust getting to set temp without extreme over run .

Same with D on recovery . D tells P how aggressively to react and for how long on temp drop .

Long story short , if you set it up in on / off and run 5 degrees over and 5 degrees under you're better off than you were stock . I just feel these controllers are capable of fine tuning so why not ?

Yep! And we both know they can be tuned to hold dead on because ours do :D

 

[normanaj]

Just got home and its cold and dark.Was looking forward to doing some tweaking with it tonight,another day.

Huge thanks to @SmokinAl for making this sticky.The info that both @tallbm and @chopsaw have provided is invaluable.The Auber supplied instructions are intimidating to most and this thread clears up so much!

If you were ever hesitating to switching to an Auber PID for your MES this thread is the place to start.

 

[JckDanls 07]

@normanaj ... You can bring your controller in the house and play with it and check values... The smoker doesn't need to be plugged in to it for you to play with the buttons and get familiar with it ... But of coarse to see how the changes are actually gonna work then it would need to be plugged in...

 

[normanaj]

@normanaj ... You can bring your controller in the house and play with it and check values... The smoker doesn't need to be plugged in to it for you to play with the buttons and get familiar with it ... But of coarse to see how the changes are actually gonna work then it would need to be plugged in...

Never thought to do that.

From the info supplied in this thread I've a very good idea where I want to go as far as settings are concerned.I think I might do a little tweaking tonight and next smoke see if I've dialed it in better.

 

[zwiller]

Thanks for taking the time to do this. OMG I am SOOO happy I went wifi and can avoid most of it LOL. That said @JckDanls 07 is totally right play with it sans smoker. I do it all the time to save settings.

 

[chopsaw]

You can certainly check settings and make changes , but to long without a load will send it into an " open loop "
Even under a load it needs to get to set temp in 90 minutes or less .

 

[JckDanls 07]

You can certainly check settings and make changes , but to long without a load will send it into an " open loop "
Even under a load it needs to get to set temp in 90 minutes or less .

HMMMM ... Didn't know that... then what happens when it goes into an open loop ??

I have sat here and played with mine for hours... like I said though... mine has 20 or 30 steps (don't remember)... So I sat for hours programming steps... I have never changed any of the PID settings... just set temps and went with it... I did auto tune it quiet a few times in the past... It holds temps right at what it's set at ...

 

[chopsaw]

HMMMM ... Didn't know that... then what happens when it goes into an open loop ??

I'm using an Auber 1510 , so my comment is from that manual . I believe it goes into a cycle where it stops supplying full power to the element so it doesn't overheat . I did have mine do that when it kicked on the limit switch because it didn't see a load . I had to unplug it and it reset itself after it sat for awhile .

 

[wesir]

Where you place your Auber temp probe inside your smoker matters. I ALWAYS use the lowest rack of my smoker and clip the temp probe under the center of the lowest rack.

I mounted mine dead center in the back but will try swapping out for a grate mounted one in that location and see if it works better.

 

[keahunter]

This has come up numerous times so I figured I would try and write a simple "how to" for doing Auber PID time, temp, and P-I-D settings.

Auber makes a great PID, however their documentation and instructions are technical and also likely written by someone that isn't very strong with organized writing, documentation, etc. So I figured I would make this post and simplify it all. (Don't worry I don't think I'm the model of writing this stuff out, I just think I can take the good info from the manual and put it into a friendlier step by step approach lol)

Below you will see simplified steps for setting time and temp and then simplified steps setting the P-I-D values.


Time and Temp Settings:
This set of instructions will allow you to set a single time and temp so you can start using the Auber PID to cook. Multi step setup is pretty much just repeating these instructions but for the additional steps if needed, which is often not needed (steps go C-1 & t-1, C-2 & t2 ... C-6 & t6 for six total temp and time steps).

Abbreviated Time/Temp Instructions for Quick Refresher:

• Press SET
• +/- for "C-1" set temp value
• SET
• +/- for "t-1" time, value="4320"
• SET
• Change values of C2 & t2 ... C6 & t6 to "0"

Single Cooking Step Instructions with Explanations:

1. Turn on the Auber PID
2. Press the SET button and the display should show "C-1" for about 1 whole second and then the display will show you the current number value for the step 1 temp
3. Use the "+" or the "-" buttons to increase or decrease the set temp you desire for step 1
4. Press the the SET button to lock in the set temp for step 1
5. The display should now show "t-1" for about 1 whole second and then the display will show you the current number value for the step 1 time duration to run
6. Use the "+" or the "-" buttons to increase or decrease the time in minutes you desire for step 1 to run using the C-1 set temp. IMPORTANT: Make this a ridiculously high number like "4320" minutes which is 3 days so it cannot ever shut off on you based on the time/timer setting.
7. Press the the SET button to lock in the time duration for step 1
   
   
8. The display should now show "C-2" which is step two. The whole process starts over again for setting C-2 and t-2 for the second step.
9. Set all values for steps 2 - 6 (C2 & t2 ... C6 & t6) to a value of zero "0" following the same pattern instructions you just performed. You will never have to mess with these steps or values again unless you decide to do a multi step smoke. I personally just walk outside and change my temp values when I need them to change instead of using multiple steps. It's just easy that way and I'm never leaving a long smoke unattended anyhow.

Your Auber PID is now setup. Every time you go to use the smoker you can simply follow the instructions above to adjust your C-1 temp value for whatever you are smoking.

I don't believe you would ever need to adjust the t-1 value because I think it starts fresh from that large number each time you start up the Auber PID. I don't think it remembers the time where you last stopped. Feel free to confirm this on your own to ensure this statement is correct :)




P-I-D Settings:
This set of instructions will allow you to change your P-I-D values so you can fine tune the Auber for your smoker.
Member @chopsaw has reported the following settings for an MES30, where the settings hit and hold dead on to the set temp you enter in.

P = 7
I = 208
D = 210

IMPORTANT: Where you place your Auber temp probe inside your smoker matters. I ALWAYS use the lowest rack of my smoker and clip the temp probe under the center of the lowest rack. Why? Because it is the closest to the heating element and gives the fastest response times on reading temps from the heating element. This fast reaction time will help the Auber or any PID controller react well and will affect your P-I-D value settings since behavior is all based on reading the temp inside the smoker.
I always have the temp probe in the same spot every time!

These likely work very well for an MES40 but if initial heat up takes too long or it seems a little slow reacting you can try a P value of 3-5 and that should improve heat up and speed of performance without going to far. The lower the P value the more aggressive the heating, which can lead to more overshooting the set temp than desired.
I feel you cannot avoid overshooting on initial heat up if you want it fast, but you can find a nice spot in the middle of fast heat up and overshooting.

Abbreviated P-I-D Instructions for Quick Refresher:

• Hold SET until "LoCK" shows
• +/- for value "166"
• SET
• "P" +/- for value="7"
• SET
• "I" +/- for value="208"
• SET
• "d" +/- for value="210"
• SET
• IMPORTANT: Turn off the Auber, turn it back on for settings to be locked and ready to use

P-I-D Setting Instructions with Explanations:

1. Press and HOLD the SET button for until the display shows "LoCK" (holding the button should be roughly 3 seconds of time or a little more)
2. Release the SET button and the display will change from "LoCK" to "0"
3. Use the "+" or the "-" buttons to enter the value "166"
4. Press the SET button again and the display should show "P" for about a second then show you the current value of "P"
5. Use the "+" or the "-" buttons to enter the value "7" for "P" if this is you first time trying to fine tune your Auber to behave with an MES smoker. A value of 3-7 should be a good range of options for P if trying to fine tune.
6. Press the SET button again to lock in the value and the display should change and show "I" for about a second then show you the current value of "I"
7. Use the "+" or the "-" buttons to enter the value "208" for "I" if this is you first time trying to fine tune your Auber to behave with an MES smoker
8. Press the SET button again to lock in the value and the display should change and show "d" for about a second then show you the current value of "d"
9. Use the "+" or the "-" buttons to enter the value "210" for "d" if this is you first time trying to fine tune your Auber to behave with an MES smoker
10. Press the SET button again to lock in the value and the display should change and show "At" for about a second then show you the current value of "At"
11. You do not need to set any other values for the "166" list of parameters
12. IMPORTANT: Turn off the Auber and turn it back on for PID values to be utilized. They do not take affect until the unit is turned off and then back on again.

That is it for setting the P-I-D values. Chances are should only have to do this one time with the values provided but may need to follow the steps changing the "P" value if you want faster initial heat up or you are trying to get the smoker to hold "dead on" to the set temp.


Fahrenheit / Celsius Settings:
I figured I would add this in here since the USA uses Fahrenheit (F) and pretty much the rest of the world uses Celsius (C).

F/C Setting Instructions:

1. Press and HOLD the SET button for until the display shows "LoCK" (holding the button should be roughly 3 seconds of time or a little more)
2. Release the SET button and the display will change from "LoCK" to "0"
3. Use the "+" or the "-" buttons to enter the value "155"
4. Press the SET button again and the display should show "SC" for about a second then show you the current value of "SC" which should be "0", do not change this value. (SC is the offset for your temp probe. If your temp probe reads high or low when you test it in boiling water [don't let water get in the probe, it is not water proof], you can make the adjustments here to correct however far off the reading is)
5. Press the SET button again and the display should show "out" for about a second then show you the current value of "out", do not change this value
6. Press the SET button again and the display should show "C-F" for about a second then show you the current value of "C-F"
7. Use the "+" or the "-" buttons to enter the value you desire for your unit of temperature measurement, "F" for Fahrenheit or "C" for Celsius
8. Press the SET button again and the display should show "Mod" for about a second then show you the current value of "Mod"
9. Turn off the Auber and turn it back on to lock in the settings and see the changes, no need to change anything or go further

This is a simple value setting but you have to go through a few of the "155" list of parameters to get to it.


Conclusion:
If you made it this far than congratulations!

I know this topic comes up every time someone gets an Auber PID controller. I hope this info helps and if you need to know more about rewiring an MES smoker to work with a PID controller (Auber or any other kind that is plug and play) then feel free to check this thread out for the simple rewire :)

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

Thank you!!

 

[DinkyDoodleDoo]

I have a new Auber AW-1520H, and I can't seem to reset the WiFi settings. It says "For AW-1520H/AW-1510H, hold both the SET key and Timer key (2nd key from the left) for 2 seconds," but I still can't get it to the fast blinking mode - it's either a slow blink, a steady blue LED, or no LED at all. Does anyone know how to actually reset the WiFi?

 

[tallbm]

I have a new Auber AW-1520H, and I can't seem to reset the WiFi settings. It says "For AW-1520H/AW-1510H, hold both the SET key and Timer key (2nd key from the left) for 2 seconds," but I still can't get it to the fast blinking mode - it's either a slow blink, a steady blue LED, or no LED at all. Does anyone know how to actually reset the WiFi?

Hi there and welcome!

I don't. Never had one of their wifi units but I'm pretty sure someone will come along and may have answers :)

 

[mosparky]

Should be exactly that way. Just did mine the other day. Curious why you get a solid blue light. That means it is connected to wifi. Slow blink, trying to connect to wifi, faster blink waiting for wifi set up.
Is your wifi or another in range unsecured ? Have you entered the password and only think it failed ? I had issues I believe were related to battery permissions on my phone. Made some changes and seems to work for now, but will have to wait for better weather to really try it.
Also make sure you have the latest Auber app (AuberWiFi) downloaded on your phone, I read on their site that there will be issues if you try to use the old app.

 

[DinkyDoodleDoo]

Auber sent a replacement unit after agreeing that the original wasn't functioning properly. It just arrived and seems to be working correctly. Thanks for your help, SMF.

 

[Steve H]

Don't have an Auber. But. That is a heck of a write up.

 

[zwiller]

I have a write up of how I adjusted mine , but it never seems to get much notice . Not sure why , because it's easy and is the result of me spending time in front of the smoker doing the adjustments and seeing the results .

I would say no if all you need is to get to temp faster .
Before you change anything I would see what your settings are now .
Factory settings should be as follows .
P=7
I=600
D=150
So if those are your current settings and you just need it to heat up faster , LOWER the VALUE of I first and see what it does .
People always want to say to lower P . That only works if I has no value assigned to it .
Anyway , I can help you tweak it if you're interested in assigning all the numbers .

I think I found my mistake. Smoker been taking forever to heat up and been fooling with P not I...

 

[zwiller]

I am fumbling in the dark. Set for 325F. Tried all sorts of settings, never made it to temp and had to call it. Granted it is 40F here in Ohio... Seemed like it did warm up faster tho and curve is much better. Am I correct that if I set PID to 000 it will power up to 325F and shut off once it hits? Studying this now... https://www.controleng.com/articles/learning-pid-loop-tuning-from-an-expert/