Operating the Rancilio Silvia after PID kit modification

Version 4

After retrofitting the Rancilio Silvia with the PID controller kit, the espresso
machine should be operated in the same manner as the original machine with
the exception that you should now pull the espresso shot when the boiler
temperature is within ±1 degree of your chosen set temperature (set value or SV).

When the machine is turned on, the controller will display the boiler temperature
in the machine. The temperature reading will start to increase after 30-60
seconds. As the temperature approaches the set value, you will notice that the
panel light next to the power switch will start to flash. This flashing indicates that
the controller is cutting the power to the heater such that the temperature will not
overshoot as it approaches SV. After the temperature has stabilized within ±1
degree of SV AND the machine has been NonO for 45 minutes, it is ready to
produce espresso.

Machine No. 2, SV=104

100

95

90
Temp (C)

Test 17
85 Test 18
Test 19
80

75

70
0 20 40 60 80
Time (min)

Figure 1 shown the brew water temperature changes with time. The reason for
such delay is due to the structure of the Silvia machine. The boiler of the
machine has only a thin section connected to the grouphead. It will take a while
for the heat in the boiler to transfer to the grouphead. In general, it takes 25 to 45
minutes to get the brew water temperature stabilized. During the warming up
period, we suggest user to install the empty portafilter on the machine. After the
controller stabilized at SV, run the pump for 4 to 6 fluid oz of water (120-180 ml)
to flush the grouphead and portafilter. That will speed up the warming up process.

Brew Water Temperature Setting

Table 1. SV for different kit
 Part Number Description SV value in ºC SV value in ºF
KIT- Rancilio retrofit kit with RTD
RSRTD(N) sensor 105 221

Table 1 lists default settings for the SV of the controller.

Temperature relation in Celsius

99
98
97
Brew Water Temperature

96
95
94
93
92
91
90
89
88
96 98 100 102 104 106 108
Controller Set Temperatuer

Temperature relation in Fahrenheit

210
208
206
Brew Water Temperature

204
202
200
198
196
194
192
190
205 210 215 220 225 230
Controller Set Temperatuer

Figure 2 Correlation between PID controller set temperature and brew water
temperature detected at grouphead measured by Scace Thermofilter. Top,
display in degrees Celsius. Bottom, Display in degrees Fahrenheit.

Figure 2 shows the correlation between the PID controller set temperature and
brew water temperature. The controller in the Auber instruments[ PID kits has
been calibrated with its sensor to the accuracy of 1 degree C before shipping.
However, due to the machine structure variations, the brew water temperature of
different machine can have 1-2 C difference when controlled by the same PID
controller kit. For detailed relationship between the PID setting temperature and
brew water temperature, please read the file named NTemperature Performance
StudyO in the CD that came with the kit.

It should be noted that the setting temperature we recommended is lower than

some people suggested on the internet forums. As SV can be easily changed, it
will up to the user to decide what the best temperature is for their espresso.

Changing Brew Water Temperature Setting

There are two ways in which SV may be changed:

1) Press the or key once and release it. The display will change from
measured temperature (process value, PV) to flash the SV. Then press the
or key to change SV until the desired value is displayed. There is no need to
press the SET key as the display will change back to reading the boiler
temperature automatically after no keys are pressed for 8 seconds.

2) Press the SET key and enter the code 0001. Press SET again. The controller
will display the current setting for SV. Use the , , and > keys to change the
SV to the desired value. Press the SET again. Then use the and keys until
the controller displays NENDO. Press SET to complete the process. While this
setup method is more complicated than the previous method, it is faster and
more reliable when the temperature change is very large. However, this would
not typically be required in an espresso machine installation.

Fine tuning the PID Constants

The parameters for the PID controller have been optimized for Rancilio Silvia
with extensive testing. For most users, there is no need to fine tune the machine.
For some machines, the temperature might oscillate 2 degrees occasionally. The
recovery time might increase to 3-4 minutes when it is cold. These differences
are not critical to most users because it might take that much time to prepare the
next shot. As the machine warms up, the performance will improve. A warmed up
machine could take less than 40 seconds to recover after pulling a shot. We
found the most noticeable performance differences were between new machines
and some old, poorly maintained machines. This is believed to be due to internal
scale build-up in older machines which slows the response time. If you are
technically adept and willing to read through the controller instruction manual,
below are some hints that may help you fine tune the controller. Should you ever
want to set the controller to its original state, Table 2 lists the default settings that
come with the controller.
1) Changing the P constant MAY improve performance. We found for kits using
the RTD sensor the P value should be between 1.8 and 2.5 (the default is 2.0).
In general, a lower P value will speed up the recovery after a shot. However, a
lower P value can also cause the temperature to oscillate. For older machines,
2.5 may provide better results. For kits using the K type thermocouple, the P
value should be between 0.9 and 1.4 (the default is 1.1).

2) For older machines, changing the integral constant, I, from 60 seconds to up

to 75 seconds may improve performance. However if I is set too short the
temperature will oscillate and when I is set too long the recovery speed will be
slower.

Table 2. Controller Parameters For Silvia

KIT-RSRTD(N) KIT-RSRTD(N)
F C
Code 0036
P 2 2
I 60 60
d 15 15

Code 0001
SV 221 105
AH1 283 175
AL1 284 160

Code 0089
Corf 1 0

Controller Instruction Manual

A copy of the instruction manual for the controller is included in the kit. For most
users, there is no need to read it. If you decide to read the manual we want to
point out that this controller is modified after the manual was created. We have
added two control parameters to balance the requirement for cold start speed,
shot recovery speed and long term stability. These parameters are proprietary
and are not accessible by the user. In addition, the dampening factor, SovF, has
been deactivated. Other than that, the remaining control functions are the same.

Change the Display to 0.1 Degree Resolution.

For the kits with RTD sensor, it is possible to display the temperature in 0.1
degree (F or C) resolution. The controller will be able to hold the temperature at
± 0.1 degree range. However, with 0.1 degree resolution, the machine will take
much longer to reach the set point. Should you decide to use the 0.1 degree
resolution, you will need to use the code 0089 to change the Inty parameter from
PT100 to PT10.0. Then, use code 0001 to reset SV, AH1 and AL1.
Frothing the Milk by Steam.

You should froth the milk in the same way as before the PID kit was installed.
The steam temperature is not controlled by the PID controller. When frothing the
milk, the heater of Silvia does not have enough power to maintaining a stable
temperature. Even the heater is powered 100% on; the temperature of the boiler
will still drop. Commercial espresso machines have separate steam boiler with
heater that is 2 to 3 times more powerful than the brewing heater for this reason.
To PID control the frothing temperature of Silvia will make the steam much
weaker.
The PID controller, however, will help you to NsurfO the best time for frothing
because you can read the temperature of the boiler. The steam thermostat of the
Silvia is designed to turn off when the temperature reaches 284 F (140C) and on
again when temperature dropped to below 265 F (130C). If you start the froth
after the heater is turned off at 284F, the heater will not be on until it drops below
265 F. Because the delays of heat transfer, the new steam won[t come until even
lower temperature. When the heater is off, the steam is weak even the
temperature reading might be high. The ideal condition to start the frothing is
when the heater is on and temperature of the boiler is high. Normally, you
should start steaming somewhere around 260-270F during the rise phase of the
heating. This temperature range can vary due to the variation of frothing method
among the users. Since the controller displays the actual temperature of the
boiler, you can find the highest temperature to start frothing without letting the
thermostat to turn the heater off until the frothing is finished.