The aim of this paper is to present a simple approach to the thermocouple cold junction compensation when the thermocouple type is unknown. The theoretical background of this approach has been explained in the paper. By applying this approach, the voltage-temperature characteristic of the thermocouple has been recorded. A PC-based measurement setup, along with LabVIEW software, has been used for this purpose. The obtained characteristic has been compared with standardised characteristics and the unknown type of the thermocouple has been determined. The results obtained have been presented and analysed in the paper. The results presented could be useful in didactic purposes, as well as for further research in the field.

Keywords: Thermocouple, Cold junction compensation, Thermocouple type, LabVIEW