There are a number of reasons why using an array of probes to measure temperatures inside a roasting machine, instead of using single probes, seems to be a good idea. The intrinsic redundancy of probe arrays allows a machine to handle probe failures silently and to report them early on to the operator, avoiding down time. Another advantage is using averages of all readings per sampling time. This increases the stability compared to single probes. Averaging of readings gathered in parallel avoids also the main disadvantage of common software based smoothing, the introduction of delays caused by averaging readings gathered sequentially. Are probe arrays worth it?
