METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING A TEMPERATURE-CONTROLLED PROBE

摘要

This invention is a method and apparatus to control a power output of a probe (16) connected to a controller (20) in a thermal energy controller system to maintain a target temperature. The system includes a probe (16), a controller (20), a generator (40) and a means for connecting the probe to the controller. The probe has a thermal element (22), and a temperature sensor (26). The temperature sensor provides a sensed temperature. The method and apparatus allow the controller to effectively accommodate different types of probes by providing selected probe settings for the probes. The controller modifies its operation in response to the selected probe setting. In this way, the power output of each type of probe can be more effectively controlled to better maintain the selected target temperature.