> > I'm investigating using a cheap toaster oven as a SMD reflow oven
> > for prototype boards.
> >
> > The idea is to use a PIC in provide an accurate temperature
> > controller, possibly providing a programmable temperature profile
> > capability.
>
> I just designed a new toaster oven with a PIC at the heart of the
> controller.  The requirement was for cheap, not for accurate, so I
> cut a lot of corners on accuracy.    All the PIC is really doing is
> analog comparing the thermistor voltage to a potentiometer voltage.
> <snip>

I have been following this list for a while and I could not see
anything related Microchip's fuzzy control development systems.

It seems to me for some people use of PID scheme is an exciting news.
However, the truth about it not so great. This classical old control
scheme is design technique based on a linear systems. Most of the
applications are nonlinear. It is true that PID may work for many
industrial systems around an operating point. However, at least in
theory, it may drive the system into unstability out of the region
defined by the PID coefficients.

The thread about temperature control remainded me a presentation
from Texas A&M in which fuzzy control was outperforming PID based
controller in a real application. If you search by the author name
Langari, i think it was 3-4 years ago you may get some papers to look
at it.

I am not sure whether the subject may fit in PIC list or not, but
anyone out there has any experience with microchips fuzzy control
tools?

BTW-they were announced on microchip BBS, on sale, US$99, for a
limited time but I could not find any one to that price. Then
microchip extended the deadline, i think it is still 66% off the
price, but you may not find a dealer that sells it.

__Aydin