What Is A Data Logger? - Signatrol UK

What is a data logger / datalogger and what is it used for?

A data logger or datalogger is an electronic device that is used in conjunction with a computer to monitor or record various signals.

Remember when you were at school and you did experiments, measuring the temperature of boiling water, taking a reading every minute until it boiled. Well, a data logger would do this for you automatically. All you need to do is put the sensor in the water and tell the data logger how often to take a reading and at the end of the experiment, you download the information to the computer and it will produce a graph for you.

The data logger may have internal sensor(s) so it measures where it is located or it may have one or a number of channels where external sensors can be connected. Some data loggers can be configured to accept a wide range of sensors.

Using the computer, the data logger is programmed to "wake up" at predetermined intervals, take a reading and go back to sleep. The time period between readings is called the "sample period" and can range from many readings per second to once per day. The data logger will have an internal memory where the readings are stored. Once this memory is full, the data logger can be programmed to stop taking new readings, and therefore not loose any readings or, overwrite the oldest reading.

Once the data logger has been monitoring for the required time period, it is connected to the computer. The stored readings are then downloaded and saved on the computers hard disk. A graph can now be produced showing the measured signal over time - providing an accurate account of what the data logger measured - useful for proving a shipment got too hot in transit or that your office is too hot to work in!

Once the stored information has been downloaded from the data logger, the memory is cleared and the data logger is ready to be re-used over and over again - well, until the battery runs out, which is usually a number of years.

The majority of Signatrol's data loggers are battery powered and all have a battery life of at least 3 years.

Where Are Data Loggers Used?

Data loggers are used in a wide variety of applications from simple monitoring of temperature in an office environment to monitoring the temperature of perishable products in transit or optimising the production process of food, pharmaceutical or engineering products. The same data logger can be used in a variety of applications, if you want to make a record of temperature, humidity, pressure or Voltage and current signals, we have a data logger to suit your needs.

This is a typical graph that you would get from a Signatrol data logger. It was produced by our graphing software - TempIT ( pronounced "temp it"):

TempIT can be downloaded, free of charge from the link below and the download includes sample files for you to get an idea of what is available.

Click here to download TempIT