RE22-121000 Temperature Controller – Made in Poland – internal view

p.kaczmarek2 08 Apr 2026 10:15 17 1692 Cool? (+7)

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TL;DR

Opens the RE22-121000 temperature controller, a tiny Polish-made module with a four-digit display, four indicators and three buttons for industrial temperature stabilization.
Inside, four laminate boards fit together with pin headers or soldered joints, and the design uses mostly SMD parts plus some through-hole components.
An Atmega32 handles control, alongside a TEZ 2.5/D BREVE-FUFVASSONS Art 16009-9984 transformer, a 78M05 regulator, and individual LSD3155-20 display digits.
The measurement section includes an LM358, HCF4051, TL431 and an unrecognized 2252A chip, while a programming port suggests the board could support a DIY project.
Solder joints still carry flux residue, and one capacitor looks slightly swollen, though the module itself might still be workable.

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I always look with curiosity at devices signed as Made in Poland, and this was also the case here. This tiny module with a four-digit display, four lights and three buttons is a temperature controller. According to the manufacturer, it is designed for use in the plastics industry, food industry, drying industry and anywhere else where temperature stabilisation is required.

The device works with resistance temperature sensors, thermocouples and standard analogue signals. Control can be performed in simple on/off mode with hysteresis or using a PID algorithm, the parameters of which can be set manually or selected automatically thanks to the auto-adaptation function. The relay output allows the direct control of small consumers and the settings can be password-protected. The entire unit is enclosed in an IP65-rated enclosure, supplied from typical mains voltages.

We take a look inside to find out the secret of the compact design. The whole thing is made up of not one, but four laminate boards, cleverly fitted together on pin joints or simply soldered together (front panel with base). Primarily surface mount is used, although through-hole components are also available.

The display is made up of separate digits - the LSD3155-20. The construction of the whole appears to be fairly simple and does not include unusual components such as a dedicated display driver with an I2C style interface.

The whole thing is powered by a TEZ 2.5/D BREVE-FUFVASSONS Art 16009-9984 mains transformer. As far as I can see, the power of this transformer is 2.0 VA and the voltage on the secondary side is 7.5 V.

In the power supply section is the immortal 78M05 stabiliser. The solder is a bit conspicuous because someone didn't clean up the rosin. It is by every point, suggesting that this is a leftover from the factory.

At the heart of the module is the Atmega32. This is no surprise, it's probably one of the more popular microcontroller families with us. I was a bit expecting a PIC there, but looking at our forum they are less known though. Next to the Atmega you can see four transistors to control the separate digits of the display. Next to it is also a ULN2003 - probably also to control the displays, or more precisely the segments. In the measurement section I see an LM358 (operational amplifier), HCF4051 (multiplexer), TL431 (reference voltage) and a 2252A circuit that I don't recognise. Suggestions? I'm also surprised by the extra four transistors - there are eight in total.

All in all, that will be about it. Apart from the solder, another capacitor caught my eye, it looks slightly faded, although the module itself doesn't have a switching power supply, so I'm a little more surprised than usual.
The whole thing could probably be made to work, I can also see a programming port on the board, so you could make your own DIY based on this module.
The device manual is available online, so there is nothing to discuss here.
Have you used this type of controller?

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p.kaczmarek2 wrote 14489 posts with rating 12497 , helped 651 times. Been with us since 2014 year.

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Wawrzyniec 08 Apr 2026 12:01

And it probably is. In the transformer housing. Because it's a transformer sticker. German. I would read it like this: "on the sticker it is drawn, that it is ". [Read more]

pawlik118 08 Apr 2026 13:20

Just Breve is a mould from Lodz, so Poland. The transformer does not have a built-in fuse, this marking suggests that it should be protected with a fuse of the value given next to this symbol. [Read more]

zgierzman 08 Apr 2026 13:57

Where does this information come from? IP65 is a dust- and waterproof enclosure, and you can see from the photos that it has large ventilation slots, the buttons are not sealed, similar to the connectors... [Read more]

p.kaczmarek2 08 Apr 2026 14:08

The specifications (including IP65) are from the manufacturer's RE22 website. I can also give you the current price of the product by the way - £349. https://obrazki.elektroda.pl/8960129900_1775650072_bigthumb.jpg... [Read more]

kaz69 08 Apr 2026 14:31

https://obrazki.elektroda.pl/5847049500_1775651419_thumb.jpg Everything is in the specification when it comes to IP 20 from the contacts and IP 65 from the front. [Read more]

Mateusz_konstruktor 08 Apr 2026 15:39

TLC2252 made by Texas Instruments, although you might want to make sure by checking the connections on the board. [Read more]

Ryszard49 08 Apr 2026 15:56

RE 22 briefly, I replaced it with an ER71 regulator. Out of several hundred units fitted, only one failure. So cheap and reliable. [Read more]

Marek Marcinek 08 Apr 2026 18:40

Four segments + four leds on the panel ;) [Read more]

kris8888 09 Apr 2026 11:53

Happens if, for example, a rectifier bridge has short-circuited or a capacitor has been running at elevated temperatures all the time. Made in Poland but unfortunately probably not a single component... [Read more]

pawlik118 09 Apr 2026 13:42

After all, this is a transformer made by Breve - a Polish company from Lodz https://www.breve.pl/ A much nicer company to deal with than Indel, very good quality products. [Read more]

Mateusz_konstruktor 09 Apr 2026 13:57

I see a different factor here. These units typically run either most of the time or virtually continuously. An example of a food storage unit must provide the correct temperature whatever the circumstances.... [Read more]

kris8888 09 Apr 2026 14:19

And actually, something confused me about that company name on the transformer. I've had no contact with their products so far. There is also some Swedish shareholder there from what I read, but I think... [Read more]

Ryszard49 09 Apr 2026 15:54

The regulators I have installed have been in service for over 20 years, at a minimum of 10 hours a day. [Read more]

pawlik118 10 Apr 2026 09:56

The service life of a capacitor, e.g. 2000h (4 months), is determined for the maximum operating temperature and with a slight deterioration in parameters (capacitance and ESR). Reducing the temperature... [Read more]

Mateusz_konstruktor 10 Apr 2026 19:05

I come with specifics. @pawlik118 Daewoo Electronics is the name used since March 2006. However, there was Partsnic between that date and December 2000. It is also possible that the Partsnic logo was... [Read more]

FAQ

TL;DR: For engineers, repair techs, and DIY users, the RE22-121000 is a compact 4-board temperature controller with a 4-digit display; one user reported “only one failure” across several hundred ER71 replacements. It supports RTD, thermocouple, and analogue inputs, and the disputed IP65 rating applies to the front panel, not the whole housing. [#21879854]

Why it matters: This FAQ clarifies what is actually inside the RE22, which parts drive its display and inputs, and which spec-sheet claims matter during repair, retrofit, or reuse.

Model	Role in thread	Reported field experience	Noted takeaway
RE22	Original controller discussed	Brief use mentioned	Compact, feature-rich, repairable
ER71	Replacement used in installations	Several hundred units, 1 failure	Described as cheap and reliable

Key insight: The most important correction is that IP65 applies only to the front panel. The rear terminals and connections are discussed as IP20, which changes how you mount and protect the controller in real installations.

Quick Facts

The RE22-121000 supports resistance temperature sensors, thermocouples, and standard analogue signals, and it can run in on/off mode with hysteresis or with PID plus auto-adaptation. [#21879622]
Internally, the controller uses four separate PCB boards, an Atmega32 microcontroller, a ULN2003 driver, an LM358, an HCF4051, and a TL431. [#21879622]
The power section includes a BREVE TEZ 2.5/D transformer rated about 2.0 VA with 7.5 V on the secondary, followed by a 78M05 regulator. [#21879622]
The display uses individual LSD3155-20 digits rather than a dedicated I2C-style display driver, which points to direct multiplexed control from the main logic. [#21879622]
A current price of £349 was cited in the thread, while the protection class was clarified as IP65 from the front and IP20 at the contacts. [#21879792]

What inputs does the RE22-121000 temperature controller support, such as RTD sensors, thermocouples, and analogue signals?

It supports resistance temperature sensors, thermocouples, and standard analogue signals. The same post says it can control temperature in simple on/off mode with hysteresis or with PID, and it also offers password protection and relay output control for small loads. That makes it suitable for plastics, food processing, drying, and other temperature-stabilisation tasks. [#21879622]

How is the RE22-121000 built internally, and why does it use four separate PCB boards instead of a single board?

It is built from four separate laminate PCB boards joined with pin headers or direct soldering. That stacked layout lets the controller fit a 4-digit display, four indicator LEDs, three buttons, the power section, and the measurement circuitry into a very small front-panel module. The author presents the multi-board construction as the main reason for its compact design. [#21879622]

What is the 2252A chip in the RE22-121000, and is it likely to be a Texas Instruments TLC2252?

It is likely a TLC2252 from Texas Instruments. A later reply identifies the marking as TLC2252 and adds one practical check: confirm it by tracing the board connections. 1. Read the package code. 2. Follow the pins into the analogue section. 3. Compare the connections with nearby parts such as the LM358 and HCF4051. [#21879846]

Why are there eight transistors inside the RE22-121000, and what parts of the display or front panel do they control?

The eight transistors appear to split control between the display and front-panel indicators. One reply explains them as four lines for the display and four for the panel LEDs, while the original post had already identified four transistors next to the Atmega32 for the individual digits. Together, that matches a small multiplexed front panel with a 4-digit display and 4 indicator lights. [#21879969]

Where does the IP65 rating on the RE22 come from, and does it apply to the whole enclosure or only the front panel?

The IP65 claim comes from the manufacturer specification, but in the thread it is clarified to apply only to the front panel. A follow-up post explicitly states IP20 from the contacts and IP65 from the front, which resolves the concern raised by the visible ventilation slots and unsealed rear connections. For installation, that means the rear still needs enclosure protection. [#21879810]

How should the BREVE TEZ 2.5/D transformer in the RE22 be fused, and what does the fuse marking on the label actually mean?

The transformer should be protected by an external fuse of the value indicated on the label, not by an internal fuse inside the transformer. A reply in the thread states that the BREVE part does not have a built-in fuse and that the symbol on the sticker indicates the required external protection. That interpretation directly answers the earlier dispute about the label marking. [#21879754]

What does IP65 mean on a panel temperature controller, and how is it different from IP20 at the terminals or rear connections?

IP65 here means the front face is protected against dust ingress and water jets, while IP20 at the terminals means the rear contact area has much lower protection. The thread makes that distinction explicit: the controller is specified as IP65 from the front and IP20 from the contacts. In practice, the panel cut-out protects the front, but the wiring side still needs a proper cabinet. [#21879810]

What is auto-adaptation in a PID temperature controller, and how does it help when setting control parameters?

Auto-adaptation is the function that selects PID parameters automatically instead of forcing the user to set them all manually. In this controller, the manufacturer description quoted in the thread says the PID settings can be entered manually or chosen automatically through auto-adaptation. That reduces setup time when the controller is moved between different heaters, sensors, or thermal loads. [#21879622]

How do the Atmega32 and ULN2003 work together in a small four-digit temperature controller display circuit?

The Atmega32 acts as the main controller, and the ULN2003 likely provides the higher-current switching needed for the multiplexed display segments. The post states that four nearby transistors control the individual digits, while the ULN2003 is probably used for the segments. That is a classic small-controller display architecture when no dedicated I2C display driver is present. [#21879622]

Why would an electrolytic capacitor look slightly swollen in a transformer-powered controller that does not use a switching power supply?

A slightly swollen electrolytic capacitor still indicates ageing or stress, even in a transformer-powered design. The author flags that part as unusual because the controller uses a mains transformer, a 7.5 V secondary, and a 78M05 regulator rather than a switching supply. That makes the swelling more noteworthy, not less, because it suggests component wear despite a simpler power section. [#21879622]

How can you identify an unknown IC on a controller PCB by tracing connections and comparing likely parts such as the TLC2252, LM358, and HCF4051?

You identify it by matching its pins to the surrounding circuit, not by package code alone. "HCF4051 is an analogue multiplexer that routes one of several input channels to a shared path, making it useful in mixed-sensor measurement circuits." In this board, the unknown 2252A sits near an LM358, HCF4051, and TL431, so tracing power, inputs, and outputs is the fastest way to confirm whether it is the TLC2252 suggested in the reply. [#21879846]

RE22 vs ER71 temperature regulator: what differences matter most for reliability, features, and replacement in industrial use?

The thread gives reliability data only for the ER71 replacement, not a full feature-by-feature comparison. One installer says they used the RE22 briefly, then replaced it with the ER71, and reports only 1 failure across several hundred installed units. That makes field reliability the clearest differentiator in this discussion, while feature differences are not described in detail. [#21879854]

What is the LSD3155-20 display used in the RE22, and how is it driven without a dedicated I2C-style display driver?

The LSD3155-20 is the individual digit display element used to build the RE22’s 4-digit front readout. The post says the display uses separate LSD3155-20 digits and notes there is no unusual dedicated I2C-style display driver. Instead, the circuit appears to use direct multiplexing from the Atmega32, with transistor switching for digits and a ULN2003 for segment drive. [#21879622]

How would you reuse an RE22-121000 module for a DIY project through its programming port and existing display hardware?

You could reuse it by keeping the existing power, display, and keypad hardware and accessing the programming header on the PCB. The author notes that a programming port is visible and says the unit could likely be brought back to life for a DIY project. The realistic path is to inspect the header, identify the Atmega32 programming interface, and then map the display and button lines. [#21879622]

What real-world reliability and failure rates have users reported for the RE22 controller in industrial installations?

The only concrete field report in the thread is for the ER71 used as a replacement, not for long-term RE22 fleets. One installer says they fitted several hundred ER71 regulators and saw only 1 failure, then describes that model as cheap and reliable. For the RE22 itself, the same user says only that they used it briefly, so no comparable failure rate is given. [#21879854]

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