×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Data Acquisition: Recommendations for simple scenario. (Looking for anything thats not overkill)

Data Acquisition: Recommendations for simple scenario. (Looking for anything thats not overkill)

Data Acquisition: Recommendations for simple scenario. (Looking for anything thats not overkill)

(OP)
Hi,

Currently I'm looking for a data logger to match a relatively simple scenario and set of specifications. However, search results continue to yield overpriced and frankly overkill systems which I am not interested in.

I'm wondering if anyone can point me in the direction of some simple acquisition units, i.e: no front panel/interface, at least 4 channels and able to interface with a PC(there must be some sort of monitoring software).

Please feel free to throw out any names, catalogues, or any resources where I can find less over-kill and simple data loggers and I'll sift through them all to see if they match my scenario or not.

In a nutshell: PC compatible / Compact(i.e no frontpanel, displays) / 4 input channels / 0-5V or 4-20mA compatible input.

Regards,
Joel Aspinall

RE: Data Acquisition: Recommendations for simple scenario. (Looking for anything thats not overkill)

How many bits of resolution do you need?
How slow a sampling rate can you tolerate?

Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

RE: Data Acquisition: Recommendations for simple scenario. (Looking for anything thats not overkill)

(OP)
Hi Mike,

Thanks for the reply. I'm looking for something around 8 - 12-bit nothing too overkill, and a sampling rate as low as 1 minute and up to 24 hours.

I've actually found a few ideal loggers so far however they are all missing the ability to save data entries to memory: I need the ability to store a minimum of 20,000 entries(5,000 per channel)
which I can then download off of the device to a PC.

Is there any way that you know of off hand in which I can save the incoming to the memory of another device, and use that as my storage device if you see what I'm saying? Sort of using another product or even technique to compensate for the non-memory feature of the logger?

If you could point me in the direction of where to look for something like that I'd be grateful.

RE: Data Acquisition: Recommendations for simple scenario. (Looking for anything thats not overkill)

You didn't mention space constraints.

You can do a lot with a $50 used laptop.

... pretty much guaranteed to come with a virus, so scan it thoroughly, or just format the HD and commit it to Linux, or boot it from a floppy and run ColorFORTH.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

RE: Data Acquisition: Recommendations for simple scenario. (Looking for anything thats not overkill)

I've not personally used them but know some engineers who use these for simple data acquisition. Visit www.labjack.com and look at their U3 or U12 system. The engineers I know write their own code for these, but it looks like LabJack has a free download in addition to software drivers.

Otherwise, I would check out the ads in a hobbiest electronics magazine like Circuit Cellar or Nuts and Volts.

RE: Data Acquisition: Recommendations for simple scenario. (Looking for anything thats not overkill)

I've not used these but I get e-mails from them. They seem to have some decent products at an affordable price.
http://www.mccdaq.com/

RE: Data Acquisition: Recommendations for simple scenario. (Looking for anything thats not overkill)

We usually use a NI USB-6008 for these sorts of data acquisition tasks. Comparable to the LabJack and MCC products already mentioned.

But as soon as you mention logging on the device itself it's a different kettle of fish! For this task (data logging) we tend to use the DataTaker devices such as the DT80. But they're certainly not cheap.

I agree with Mike - the cheapest way to go is one of the USB DAQ devices and an old Laptop!

RE: Data Acquisition: Recommendations for simple scenario. (Looking for anything thats not overkill)

Koyo or EZAutomation PLC with a little custom programming?

RE: Data Acquisition: Recommendations for simple scenario. (Looking for anything thats not overkill)

VE1BLL they look like an excellent solution! Dedicated purpose and ready to use. Do you have any experience with them? I reckon we would benefit from having a few of those laying around the lab, rather than rolling our own every time.

RE: Data Acquisition: Recommendations for simple scenario. (Looking for anything thats not overkill)

No experience with them. Last time I did data logging we dragged a 60lb chart recorder onto the airplane and strapped it down. smile

RE: Data Acquisition: Recommendations for simple scenario. (Looking for anything thats not overkill)

What about this:

HOBO U12 4-Channel External Data Logger - U12-006

The HOBO U12-006 accepts a wide range of energy and environmental sensors. It provides 12-bit resolution measurements for detecting greater variability in recorded data, and stores 43,000 measurements.

http://www.onsetcomp.com/products/data-loggers/u12...

It has 4 ea. 0-2.5 volt inputs. For 0-20 ma. use a 125 ohm resistor, scale 4-20 in software. Don't bother with their cable.

Steve

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources