Data Logging
activity:data-logging

Data loggers can help to record data from a sensor over time -- often over days or weeks, or even months. There are a variety of data loggers available, both commercial and open source. Each entry from a logger -- stored on, for example, a memory card -- may have a timestamp and some data loggers can record location from a GPS as well. Data loggers can be [paired with specific sensors](/wiki/water-sensors), and an [enclosure](/wiki/sensor-enclosures), as part of a test. ## Design constraints What are we trying to do that existing commercial data loggers don't do, or don't do well enough? We're looking for designs that optimize: * low cost (i.e. <$100) * easy to use * easy to build or buy * weatherproof (possibly) * waterproof (possibly) * Arduino-compatible (so that they're compatible with the huge [Arduino](http://arduino.cc) ecosystem) ## Options Most of the below options are #arduino based, and all are open source: [wikis:datalogger] [notes:datalogger-option] Edit the [full spreadsheet here](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zBcLpN4PZIATLh6aDR7mwCoejWryLYYm6cJD38MqT58/edit) (by @cfastie) **** ## Questions [questions:data-logging] ## Activities We're hoping to collect a set of activities you could do with several different data loggers here, such as an example "field test," so please add help us by adding activities which can be performed with different data loggers: [activities:data-logging] **** ## Power How do you keep a data logger going in the field? Solar, big batteries, even run an extension cable out? We're developing resources on powering your data-loggers here. ## Power Questions [questions:data-logging-power] ## Activities [activities:data-logging-power] **** ## Waterproof enclosures The #riffle project -- and others -- have explored a lot of ways to make cheap waterproof enclosures for data loggers, but where wires and sensors can still stick out. Here are a some notes and prototypes under the tag #data-logger-enclosures. You can also visit the page on [sensor enclosures here](https://publiclab.org/wiki/sensor-enclosures) [notes:data-logger-enclosures] ...


Author Comment Last activity Moderation
mathew "right above "Step 1" is a paragraph with links to the stores where parts are available. " | Read more » almost 10 years ago
Paolo "Hi guys! I'm Italian and i'd like to build a Dustduino... How can I find the components of the Dustduino? " | Read more » almost 10 years ago
JSummers "OK. Got them up on GitHub. Please see the new section in the body of the Research Note where I (hopefully) have it all chronicled. Jack " | Read more » about 10 years ago
clothos "Hello Dr. Summers,I've tested both the Energia code for the Tiva C board, and the Prcessing GUI.It all compiles properly and runs as advertised.I w..." | Read more » about 10 years ago
clothos "Hello Dr. Summers, Thanks so much for getting everything up so quickly; I realise that you have alot on your plate.I appreciate your time! If I hav..." | Read more » about 10 years ago
JSummers "OK, I am making slow, slow progress with GitHub. I put the Energia code for the LaunchPad in the wrong place but you should be able to access it. ..." | Read more » about 10 years ago
JSummers "Hi Mark, Glad to hear that you think this will be helpful to you. The GUI was written in Processing and the microcontroller software is in Energia...." | Read more » about 10 years ago
clothos "hello Dr. summers,thought I'd pipe in here to express some interest in both the data logger circuitry details as well as your neat GUI. It certainl..." | Read more » about 10 years ago
stevie "Hi Matthew! Can I use the picture of the Dustduino in a presentation I'm giving on Wednesday? Hope all is well, did you get any sent off to Wiscons..." | Read more » about 10 years ago
mathew "The Speck team indicates that airflow is a big issue. they're controlling with a fan. If I move the Speck around just a little bit the values cha..." | Read more » over 10 years ago
donblair "Thinking about this a bit further: when determining particle counts, is the "% low pulse occupancy time" technique relatively insensitive to tempe..." | Read more » over 10 years ago
willie "Awesome commentary here. By popular demand: a dustduino wiki page: http://publiclab.org/wiki/dustduino Got to give the people...give the people ..." | Read more » over 10 years ago
donblair "Hi Folks! Great comment thread here. Just following up on Schroyer's lead: the github code had a nice link, in a commented section, to a useful ..." | Read more » over 10 years ago
Schroyer "Hi Warren, The Syhitech looks neat, especially for the price point, but I would like to see more peer-reviewed studies to confirm how well the sen..." | Read more » over 10 years ago
warren "Is reading from the Shenyei really as easy as this? valP1 = digitalRead(8); valP2 = digitalRead(9); What do the values represent, or how do you ..." | Read more » over 10 years ago
warren "So I think the sensor the Speck is using, the "Syhitech DSM501A" (http://publiclab.org/notes/chrisbartley/04-15-2014/speck-particle-monitor) is ~$2..." | Read more » over 10 years ago
warren "Willie just posted a followup about a field-test of the optical sensor component: http://publiclab.org/notes/Willie/04-01-2014/field-testing-the-sh..." | Read more » over 10 years ago
Schroyer "Hi eustatic, The particulates sensor being used for the DustDuino could not identify the composition of the particulate matter, but indeed could b..." | Read more » almost 11 years ago
eustatic "Anyway, Jeff I was thinking of using this as a possible screening tool with the ongoing PM sampling that we are doing in Plaquemines, in prepara..." | Read more » almost 11 years ago
eustatic "Aidan, I think the github link is in this writeup? I dunno, i'm a biologist, i don't speak github well. Schroyer, that is cool. Bogalusa? or som..." | Read more » almost 11 years ago
Aidan "Awesome! Is this on github? " | Read more » almost 11 years ago
Schroyer "Warren and Aidan, you might be happy to know I've been developing a slimmed down board that will cut cost and energy consumption. Also looking at S..." | Read more » almost 11 years ago
Aidan "I agree that the cost should be cut. It is prohibiting me from replicating this at the moment. Warren, can you post how to use those alternatives? " | Read more » almost 11 years ago
warren "Yes - you could make a page at http://publiclab.org/wiki/dustduino and tag that? I'm curious about two things - would this be appropriate for dete..." | Read more » almost 11 years ago