We designed all of the controllers in the TAP Ecosystem to be as reliable and easy-to-use as possible. But, sometimes, issues are inevitable.
It’s important to understand what to do when your controller – or kiln – isn’t working the way you expected.
Luckily, most issues can be resolved quickly with just a few troubleshooting tips.
By the end of this article, you’ll know exactly what you need to do if you:
- Need help connecting your TAP Controller to the TAP Kiln Control Mobile app.
- Need to recalibrate your touchscreen.
- You receive an error notification.
- And more!
Throughout this article, we’ll provide troubleshooting tips for your TAP Controller, as well as what to do when the controller detects potential issues with your kiln. That way, you can have your kiln back operating at peak performance in no time!
General Troubleshooting Resources
Before getting into more specific troubleshooting steps, we want to provide you with resources that are a great place to start if you have problems or questions about your TAP Controller:
- FAQ: Find comprehensive answers for the most common inquiries we get from our customers. From installation and setup, to troubleshooting tips and software updates, our FAQ provides extensive and in-depth support. Just choose the category that’s most relevant to you!
- TAP Knowledge Base: The content here is identical to our FAQ, but the search function makes it easier to find the answer you need. Just type in what you need help with in the search bar and we’ll provide you with relevant Q&As.
- How-To TAP Video Series: Watch easy-to-follow how-to videos for using your controller, connecting to WiFi, screen calibration, and more! Although our first series was for the TAP II Controller, most of these videos will be helpful for the TAP II Pro as well. We’re also hard at work for additional how-to videos for our other products!
- TAP User Manuals: Find a copy of the user manual for your controller, which provides a walkthrough of the controller interface and includes troubleshooting steps if you get an error notification on your controller.
We’re committed to revolutionizing the kiln control industry by developing the most advanced, easy-to-use kiln controllers available. That includes providing the most helpful, comprehensive support resources for our customers. This past year, we’ve made amazing progress towards this goal, but we’re not done yet!
We’re currently working on in-depth how-to videos for TAP Kiln Control Mobile, updates to our user manuals, and additional supporting GIFs and videos for our FAQ content.
Troubleshooting Tips for Your TAP Controller
In addition to these general troubleshooting resources, we’ll be covering specific troubleshooting tips for the following:
- Understanding Error Notifications: Your TAP Controller provides automated error notifications when unexpected conditions occur. Find out what these mean and what you should do to resolve them.
- Resolving Network Connectivity Issues: Connecting your controller to a wireless network is necessary to enjoy all of the benefits of TAP Kiln Control Mobile. So, find out how to overcome potential issues when it comes to network connection.
- Calibrating Your Touchscreen: Most problems with the responsiveness of your controller’s touchscreen can be easily resolved through the touchscreen calibration utility.
- Diagnosing Specific Firing Problems: If your project didn’t turn out the way you envisioned, TAP Controllers contain diagnostic tools for helping you pinpoint what went wrong.
- Updating Your Kiln Controller Software: Updating to the latest software update ensures improved stability and access to the latest and greatest features, so we’ll walk you through how to update your kiln controller software.
Our most common customer service inquiries are related to these areas, so understanding how to troubleshoot them will help you easily keep your kiln running at optimal performance!
Understanding Kiln Controller Error Notifications
No matter what type of kiln you have, TAP Kiln Controllers automatically generate alerts and alarms to keep you informed about the status of your kiln. If you have TAP Kiln Control Mobile, you’ll also receive these as real-time push notifications to your smartphone or tablet.
However, we know that error notifications can be alarming. So, in this section, we’ll be covering what those mean and what steps to take if you receive an error notification.
Below is the TAP Table of Errors, which includes:
- Message on Controller: The message you’ll see on your TAP Controller when you receive this error notification.
- Error Condition: A quick summary of what that message means.
- Possible Cause: The most common causes of each error notification.
- Possible Solution: The most common troubleshooting steps you should take to resolve this error.
As you can see, a lot of the error notifications don’t indicate an issue with the controller itself. Instead, your TAP Controller is detecting a potential issue with another component of your kiln such as the kiln relay or the thermocouple.
After following the troubleshooting steps, contacting your kiln manufacturer is usually the best first step toward resolving the issue!
Resolving Network Connectivity Issues
Connecting your TAP Controller to WiFi is necessary for enjoying some of the best, most convenient features your controller has to offer, such as remote temperature monitoring and fully remote kiln control.
However, a few users have trouble connecting their controller to their wireless connection. This section is intended to help you easily and consistently connect your controller to WiFi.
Do You Need a WiFi Dongle?
Before getting into more general requirements, we want to touch on a question we get from time to time: Do you need a TAP WiFi Dongle to connect your controller? The original TAP Kiln Controller is the only TAP Controller that requires a TP Link TL-WN823n Dongle to connect to WiFi.
TAP II, TAP II Pro, TAP Micro, TAP Monitor, and TAP&Go all have integrated WiFi and don’t require the purchase of a separate WiFi Dongle. If you do need to purchase a WiFi dongle for your TAP Controller, we encourage you to check out Amazon where you can save up to 50% over the WiFi dongle on our online store.
TAP Kiln Controller Network Requirements
Before trying to connect your TAP Controller, make sure your wireless network meets the network requirements! Network requirements for TAP include:
- 2.4 GHz wireless network with WEP, WPA, or WPA2 security.
- Unsecured networks are also supported – but networks that use a captive portal (the pop-up you see at many cafes and airports after connecting) are not.
- WPA3 and EAP networks are not supported.
- Signal strength of at least two bars is recommended (network latency or weak signal strength can negatively affect controller online status and displayed data).
Steps for Connecting Your TAP Controller to WiFi
If you meet the network requirements, connecting your controller to WiFi is easy. Just follow these steps:
- Press Menu>Settings>Network
- Click the “Wireless” tab to connect to a new network
- Select your preferred Wireless Network from the Available Networks list, then press “Connect to Network” and follow the on-screen prompts
- For additional help, check out the Network Settings Video from our How-To TAP Series!
What to Do If TAP Kiln Control Mobile Shows Your Kiln as Being Offline
Sometimes it may be necessary to reconnect your TAP Controller to TAP Kiln Control Mobile. If you’ve connected your controller to the mobile app before and haven’t changed your network name or network password, a simple reboot should do the trick! Otherwise follow the instructions below:
On your controller, navigate to Menu>Settings>Network. Select the Wireless tab, then select your preferred wireless network, and press “connect to network.” Enter your password, if applicable. If an IP Address is not displayed when the controller returns to the Status tab, power off the controller and then power back on. Recheck connection status in the TAP Kiln Control Mobile app.
If your network name or network password has changed, you will need to reconnect the controller via the steps above.
Calibrating Your Touchscreen
Tons of common user support queries we receive are resolved just by launching our touchscreen calibration utility. Is your controller stuck on the date and time screen? Are you trying to press “Start” or “Menu” and it’s not registering? Just use the touchscreen calibration utility. Your controller won’t respond to touch? Just use the touchscreen calibration utility.
Knowing about this feature makes a lot of things that seem like big issues a lot less stressful!
How to Launch the Touchscreen Calibration Utility
The process of launching the touchscreen calibration utility is the same for TAP, TAP II, and TAP II Pro, unless you’re using an original TAP Controller which hasn’t been updated to Software Version 5.0 or higher (in which case you can find instructions in the selection below).
To launch the touchscreen calibration utility, turn your TAP Controller off and on again 3 times. When rebooting your controller, make sure you wait until the Warning Screen appears each time before restarting again and that you DON’T acknowledge the warning banner.
Once the touchscreen calibration utility launches, you can tap and hold the 5 points that are indicated on screen via a yellow crosshair pattern that appears on the screen, going clockwise from the upper left corner. You will move sequentially through the points from upper left to upper right to lower right to lower left to center. TAP and hold each point for approximately 5 seconds for best results.
You can also watch this video for an easy-to-follow demonstration!
Launching Touchscreen Calibration for an Original TAP Controller That Hasn’t Been Updated
If you’re using an original TAP Controller that hasn’t been updated to Software Version 5.0 or higher, we strongly recommend updating your controller software.
However, you can still recalibrate your touchscreen. First, tap around your screen until you find an area of the screen that responds. Response could come in the form of highlighted text on screen or an unexpected button press. Then, tap and hold that point for 30 seconds to launch the touchscreen calibration utility. Once launched follow the on-screen prompts as described above.
Diagnosing Specific Firing Problems
What about tools to diagnose where things went wrong if your project didn’t turn out the way you expected? Often there will be a corresponding error notification – but with TAP you can also review firing logs for all of your firings.
How to Access Your Firing Logs
On all of our controllers, you can access Firing Logs on TAP Kiln Control Mobile app by selecting your kiln and going to Event Log>Firing Logs.
On the original TAP Controller, you can also access your firing logs directly from your controller by navigating to Menu>Event Logs>Firing Logs.
Compare these logs against your original firing schedule to see if there was any divergence from the schedule you input. But, also, review your firing schedule to see if there were any setpoints, hold times, or ramp rates that weren’t suitable for your medium or your intended effect. You can also share your schedule with a more experienced artist to see if they can find issues with the schedule you entered.
Finally, for more complex issues, detailed firing logs can be offloaded from the controller to your email. These logs are CSV files that have a TON of data for assessing the firing, including by the minute data points showing controller output calculations and component command states.
Updating Your Kiln Controller Software
We’re continuously updating our kiln controller software to improve stability, introduce improved UX features, and to resolve bugs. Making sure your TAP Controller is always updated with the latest software can help reduce your need to troubleshoot at all!
For help updating your controller software, you can find instructions here. Just select your controller at the top of the page and follow the steps.
Explore TAP Kiln Controllers by SDS Industries
The TAP II and TAP II Pro Controllers by SDS Industries provide users the most advanced, precise, and easy-to-use kiln controllers on the market today. With responsive touchscreen controls, an intuitive graphical UI, and integration with the TAP Kiln Control Mobile app, TAP Kiln Controllers can pair with any relay-controlled kiln or oven.
However, we also provide a selection of other controllers to meet the needs of any artists, including:
- TAP&Go for heat treat and single setpoint control.
- TAP Micro for low-cost, mobile-first kiln control.
- TAP Monitor for advanced pyrometry and enhanced safety for any kiln or oven.
We invite you to explore our selection of programmable kiln controllers, standalones, and conversion kits on our online store. You can also purchase TAP Digital Controllers or TAP Controlled Kilns and Heat Treat Ovens through one of the following distributors:
- Evenheat
- Hot Shot Oven & Kiln
- Paragon Kilns
- Mobile Glassblowing Studios, LLC
- Jen-Ken Kilns
- Kiln Frog
- Sheffield Pottery
- Delphi Glass
TAP Kiln Controller Troubleshooting FAQ
If I experience an issue with my kiln controller, what are the first steps I should take?
Did you receive an error notification or did your controller stop working as expected? Below is a short list of actionable troubleshooting steps that can quickly resolve the most common issues:
- General First Step for Controller Issues: Try turning your kiln controller on and off to see if the error persists.
- Controller Forgets Time or Date Between Reboots: Replace the TAP Clock Battery (TAP accepts either CR1220 or CR1225 batteries).
- Controller Display Screen Flickers or Won’t Turn On: Remove your controller from its housing. Check all internal wiring and ensure the controller display assembly is still connected to the controller IO board.
- Error Messages Related to Temperature: Verify relay turns off when 12VDC power is removed. Verify controller output is 0VDC when in standby. Inspect thermocouple to ensure it is not broken or shorted and that all connections are intact.
- Kiln is Showing ‘Offline’ on the TAP Kiln Control Mobile App: If you’ve already connected your controller to TAP Kiln Control Mobile app but it’s showing offline, turn your controller off and then on again. If you are still having issues, follow these connectivity troubleshooting steps.
If you’re experiencing other issues, you can type in your problem on our Knowledge Base to pull up detailed articles – or you can check out our FAQ and browse by category.
How does proper kiln maintenance and kiln controller maintenance prevent firing errors?
Instead of reactively waiting for an error notification, you can take proactive steps to keep your controller and your kiln operating at peak performance. These include:
- Making sure your kiln is properly installed.
- Taking appropriate care of your kiln controller.
- Regularly performing kiln maintenance.
- Consistently practicing kiln safety.
Regularly doing all of these things keeps your kiln and your controller running at optimum performance and drastically decreases the kinds of issues that require troubleshooting or repair.
Does SDS Industries provide warranties for their kiln controllers?
Yes! At SDS Industries, we stand behind our controllers with industry-leading warranties – right out of the box!
These include:
- 3-year warranties for TAP II and TAP II Pro (including conversion kits and standalones).
- 1-year warranties for TAP Micro, TAP Monitor, and TAP&Go.
Still have questions? We encourage you to check out our warranty policy and returns and repair policy to see the level of support we provide our artists!
