Data Loggers Are Reliable Workhorses

Data loggers are stand alone devices, gathering and organizing a large amount of data over long spans of time. While they are sometimes part of a data acquisition system, data loggers can also be independently used for getting information reliably and unattended.

One aspect of the loggers is that they usually have a time stamping mechanism and can match data received to the time it was logged. If the logger has a built in real time clock, sometimes there is a bit of time drift however, the specifics of a logger's time drift are published and should be taken into consideration when choosing a machine.

Some equipment has very simple inputs and can only accept one or two channels of information. Other more sophisticated machines have intricate combinations of channels that involve multiple inputs for sensors as well as specific information sources. Modern versions can interact with external computer programs and are even able to automatically present collected information on a web page for remote collaboration between users. This ability to utilize data over the web has been very useful for the medical profession.

Because data loggers are stand alone machines, they need some sort of on board memory to store collected data. While earlier models used magnetic tape, punched paper tape, or even charts printed on reams of paper, modern loggers use RAM, flash memory or any one of the many memory options available currently.

Sometimes loggers are left for months in hostile environments to collect long term data. Usually battery power is used to keep them running, though some machines use solar power to assist the batteries. This limited power supply means that the loggers are very efficient in their power use, especially compared to a regular computer.

The operating system as well as the structural make up of these machines is extremely dependable. Since a lot of the time the loggers are operating without human supervision, they have to be completely reliable. The instruments are designed so that as long as they have power they will not fail to log data for any reason.

A data logger is dependable, accurate, and independent. These work horses of the scientific and medical professions have been assisting humankind for decades, and will continue to do so as long as we need reliable, well organized information.

To know more about the usage of data loggers and to browse through the different types of data acquisition devices, visit Biopac.