1560 Black Stack Thermometer Readout
Features

Features and Benefits
Hart’s Black Stack thermometer has been on the market for five years and has established itself as one of the most versatile, cost-effective, accurate readouts in the world.

Nothing about this instrument says ordinary. Traditionally, thermometers were square boxes configured to do one particular job—such as read a calibrated PRT. However, if you also wanted to measure thermistors, you had to buy another instrument that could do this specific task. Some thermometers can do multiple jobs, but they’re expensive, complex, and difficult to use. You’re paying for functions you don’t need and may never use. The Black Stack solves these problems and more.
 

• Reads SPRTs, RTDs, thermistors, and thermocouples.
• Any configuration you like up to eight modules.
• High-accuracy reference thermometer (to ±0.0013°C).
• Automates precision data acquisition.

The 1560 Black Stack can be any kind of thermometer you want it to be, and it works in three distinctive ways.

It’s a reference thermometer with a  NIST traceable calibration; it’s an automated calibration system reading your reference probe and sensors you’re testing; or it’s a high-accuracy data acquisition system. And it does each of these functions better than any other thermometer currently on the market.

The Stack consists of up to eight different modules that fit together to do any type of thermometry you choose. You can buy all of them, or any combination of them, and change the Stack and its functions anytime you want. Each module stacks behind the preceding one, and when you add a module, the Stack’s software automatically reconfigures itself to include all of the new functions supplied by that module. There’s nothing to take apart. No boards need to be installed. There’s no software to load, and nothing has to be calibrated. Just stack a new module onto the back of the previous modules and you’re ready to use the Black Stack and all of its remarkable features.

Hart’s new Model 9935 Multi Channel LogWare makes the Black Stack an even more powerful data acquisition tool. LogWare provides graphical and statistical analysis of each channel you’re measuring (up to 96 with the Black Stack). And with alarms that can be customized, delayed start times, and selectable logging intervals, LogWare turns the Black Stack into the most powerful temperature data acquisition tool on the market.

Base Unit
The Stack starts with a base module. It consists of two parts: a display with the main processor and a power supply. The base module supplies power, communication management, and software coordination for all of the other modules. It has the display, control buttons, and RS-232 port built-in.

Each base module can handle eight thermometer modules stacked behind it with a maximum of 96 sensor inputs. The base module never needs calibration and performs its own diagnostic self-test each time it powers up. The thermometer characteristics of each base module are defined by the thermometry modules stacked behind it.

Hey! Why did you make it look like that?!
We get asked this question more than any other question. There are several reasons for the shape of the Black Stack.

When we started the design process on the Black Stack, we wanted a unique instrument that was a true technological leap in thermometry. Incremental improvements are okay sometimes, but if you’re going to lead the industry, you might as well go out and lead it.

Here are some of the design criteria we started with. The new thermometer had to be capable of transforming itself into any kind of thermometry instrument the customer wanted, and it had to do this without having to open the box, replace boards or set up anything. All connections must be easily accessible from the front of the instrument, with no connectors on the front panel. The front panel had to be easy to read, all features including programming should be done on the front panel and the programming should take advantage of the graphical capability of the display. The software had to be as creative and as versatile as the instrument. It had to be easy to use and, if at all possible, even fun to use. And finally, it had to be very accurate.

The shape of the Black Stack facilitates the function and usability of the instrument. And it is unbelievably functional and fun to use.

The only way you’ll truly understand what we’re talking about is to get one and try it. Hundreds of customers, including many national standards labs, already have it!