Thermocouple type K, air, 4.5 mm tip

The Pico SE002 Type K Air Thermocouple with 4.5 mm tip is designed specifically for measuring ambient air temperature.

It is suitable for engineers, laboratories, research teams and test environments that need a dedicated Type K probe for monitoring the temperature of surrounding air rather than the surface or internal temperature of a material.

Pico Technology specifies:

• Order Code: SE002
• Thermocouple Type: Type K
• Probe Type: Air-temperature probe
• Primary Measurement: Ambient air temperature
• Tip Diameter: 4.5 mm
• Tip Temperature Range: −50 °C to +250 °C
• Probe Length: 120 mm
• Cable Length: 1 m
• Tolerance Standards: IEC 60584-2:1993 / BS EN 60584-1:2013
• TC-08 Compatibility: Recommended accessory

Designed for Ambient Air Temperature Measurement

Pico specifically states that the SE002 is designed for:

• Measuring ambient air temperature

This should be the primary application described on the product page.

Potential applications include:

• Laboratory ambient-temperature monitoring
• Environmental test setups
• Temperature chamber measurements
• Engineering experiments
• Equipment enclosure monitoring
• Product thermal testing
• Research and development
• Educational laboratory measurements
• Multi-point air-temperature logging

Unlike insertion and surface probes, the SE002 is intended to measure the temperature of the surrounding air.

Type K Thermocouple Technology

The SE002 uses a Type K thermocouple.

Type K is one of the most widely used general-purpose thermocouple types and uses a chromel/alumel thermocouple junction.

Type K sensors are widely used in:

• Engineering measurements
• Laboratory testing
• Industrial temperature monitoring
• Product development
• Research applications

The physical SE002 probe construction limits its usable tip temperature range to −50 °C to +250 °C, even though Type K thermocouple technology itself can be used over a broader range in other probe designs.

−50 °C to +250 °C Tip Temperature Range

Pico specifies the SE002 tip temperature as:

• Minimum: −50 °C
• Maximum: +250 °C

This should replace the current −50 °C to +500 °C specification.

The +250 °C limit applies to the physical SE002 probe and should be treated as its manufacturer-specified maximum temperature.

4.5 mm Air Probe Tip

The SE002 has a published:

• Tip diameter: 4.5 mm

This is the correct physical tip specification and is one of the key distinguishing features of the product.

The probe should be positioned so that the sensing area is exposed to the air being measured without unnecessary contact with nearby hot or cold surfaces.

120 mm Probe Length

Pico specifies:

• Probe length: 120 mm

The 120 mm length provides useful reach for positioning the sensor within:

• Air streams
• Test chambers
• Equipment enclosures
• Laboratory setups
• Environmental experiments

Correct positioning is important because direct contact with a surface can influence an air-temperature measurement.

1 m Cable

Pico's current TC-08 thermocouple selection table places SE002 in the:

• 1 m cable category

The cable provides separation between the measurement point and the connected thermocouple data logger.

Typical setups may include:

• Laboratory benches
• Environmental chambers
• Equipment testing
• R&D workstations
• Multi-channel temperature-monitoring systems

Thermocouple Tolerance Standards

Pico states that its thermocouples are manufactured to strict industry tolerances specified in:

• IEC 60584-2:1993
• BS EN 60584-1:2013

These standards define recognized thermocouple tolerances.

Pico's current SE002 product page does not publish a separate numerical accuracy specification specifically for SE002.

For that reason, unsupported values such as:

• ±1.1 °C
• ±0.4% of reading

should not be listed as SE002 specifications unless supported by a separate manufacturer certificate or datasheet for the supplied probe.

Recommended for Pico USB TC-08

Pico Technology lists the SE002 as a recommended accessory for the USB TC-08 Thermocouple Data Logger.

The TC-08 supports:

• 8 thermocouple input channels
• Type K thermocouples
• Multi-channel temperature recording
• Built-in cold junction compensation
• PicoLog software
• Long-duration temperature logging

Using several SE002 probes with a TC-08 can create a multi-point ambient-air temperature measurement system.

Multi-Point Air Temperature Monitoring

Multiple SE002 probes can be useful when air temperature needs to be compared at different locations.

Applications can include:

• Environmental chamber mapping
• Equipment enclosure measurements
• Air-temperature comparison
• Heating and cooling tests
• Laboratory climate studies
• Product thermal evaluation

Different probe positions can help identify temperature gradients within the test environment.

Environmental Chamber Testing

The SE002 can be used to monitor ambient air temperature within suitable test chambers.

Typical measurements can include:

• Heating profiles
• Cooling profiles
• Temperature stability
• Temperature differences between locations
• Thermal cycling behavior

When using several sensors, consistent positioning helps improve measurement repeatability.

Electronics and Equipment Testing

Ambient air temperature can significantly influence electronic equipment performance.

The SE002 can be used to monitor air temperature around:

• Electronic assemblies
• Equipment enclosures
• Test racks
• Prototype systems
• Laboratory instruments

For component surface temperature, a dedicated surface probe such as the Pico SE004 is more appropriate.

Measurement Considerations

Air-temperature measurements can be influenced by several factors, including:

• Probe position
• Airflow
• Radiation from nearby surfaces
• Distance from heat sources
• Temperature gradients
• Data logger accuracy
• Cold-junction compensation

For repeatable testing, the probe should be placed consistently and kept away from surfaces unless surface influence is intentionally part of the measurement.

Typical Applications

The Pico SE002 is suitable for:

• Ambient air-temperature measurement
• Laboratory temperature logging
• Environmental testing
• Temperature chamber measurements
• Equipment enclosure monitoring
• Engineering experiments
• Product-development testing
• Research and development
• Multi-point air-temperature monitoring
• Educational laboratory measurements
• USB TC-08 temperature-logging systems