Data loggers

[Elitniy CalcLover]

Im planning on buying a data logger for christmas - making measurements and collecting data always interested me, so I found a thing id really like - a data logger, at this moment i have 2 options:
einstein tablet+ - found a really good option very cheap, has some included sensors but there is nowhere to buy additional ones, and this is the main problem cause included sensors are pretty basic (microphone, temperature, light, etc)

Vernier Labquest - very expensive for me, ebay doesnt ship them to russia, ~100$ for one, 2 included sensor are very basic, but you can buy additional sensors from the same seller easily - this raises a question, can sensors be interchangeable? What if i connect a vernier sensor to an einstein tablet, will it detect it?

So what do you think, or do you know any other data loggers? My budget is very limited though (I can spend around 65$ only)

[teenix]

I used to work at Monash Uni and used a few different data loggers for various things, but mostly strain gauges, LVDT's and accelerometers.

All you can really do is read the spec sheet for the logger types and the sensors that you want to connect, then see if the logger inputs are compatible with the sensor outputs or if you need something in between to make them compatible.

For example, if the logger only reads voltages, then a sensor that outputs changes in current won't work without some signal conditioning. Some sensors need external power as well, while others may be able to be powered by the logger. Thermocouples may need some sort of mathematical translation to get a valid reading from them. Some sensors output digital signals which may or may not work with the logger.

cheers

Tony

[Mark Power]

How about a Raspberry Pi or Arduino with some i2c sensors of your choice. Plenty of libraries are available online and sensors are reasonably priced.

I have a Pi 3 running Influx DB and Grafana, connected to a BME680 for temperature, pressure, humidity and gas resistance.

If you want a more portable version I have the BME680, plus a light sensor, plus 3-axis accelerometer and a DAC connected to the HP Prime (see the 2023 HHC videos for a demo).

[Elitniy CalcLover]

(11-14-2024 03:39 PM)Mark Power Wrote:  How about a Raspberry Pi or Arduino with some i2c sensors of your choice. Plenty of libraries are available online and sensors are reasonably priced.

I have a Pi 3 running Influx DB and Grafana, connected to a BME680 for temperature, pressure, humidity and gas resistance.

If you want a more portable version I have the BME680, plus a light sensor, plus 3-axis accelerometer and a DAC connected to the HP Prime (see the 2023 HHC videos for a demo).

I just dont think i have what it takes to create such a module for hp prime, starting from circuit boards, wires, soldering things and ending with experience (Ill soon have one and it is great! En route, arriving after ~22 days) and I have the same zero experience with raspberry pi`s, plus they are pretty expensive, not talking about additional equipment ill need for one, including screen, battery, etc. But idea to somehow connect the BME680 to the hp prime is nice!

[Elitniy CalcLover]

(11-14-2024 01:04 AM)teenix Wrote:  I used to work at Monash Uni and used a few different data loggers for various things, but mostly strain gauges, LVDT's and accelerometers.

All you can really do is read the spec sheet for the logger types and the sensors that you want to connect, then see if the logger inputs are compatible with the sensor outputs or if you need something in between to make them compatible.

For example, if the logger only reads voltages, then a sensor that outputs changes in current won't work without some signal conditioning. Some sensors need external power as well, while others may be able to be powered by the logger. Thermocouples may need some sort of mathematical translation to get a valid reading from them. Some sensors output digital signals which may or may not work with the logger.

cheers

Tony

Alright, I have thought about this for a bit and realised - einstein tablet is the product of fourier, its sensors are pretty avaliable, and must be the same type of output that the einstein sensors have, one problem - it has a different connection port which is unknown to me (i tried to search) and I dont know if there is any unknown port to micro-usb adapters for sale, if you worked with data loggers you must know what that port is, Ill include the photo

[teenix]

Sorry, I'm not sure what will fit. The loggers I worked with had screw terminal blocks to attach the sensor wires to. It seems reasonable that a suitable connector would come with the equipment or at least a part number to purchase one.

I haven't used the Einstein before, but the external sensors look proprietary and designed for the Einstein and connect via its USB port, so the little blue boxes would contain circuitry to convert the sensor signals to USB compatible digital.

If this is the case, then to connect any other type of sensor is probably not practical because of the USB interface.

I might have missed something, but I don't know what the white box is with the multi-pin connector.

cheers

Tony

[Ren]

I'm not sure if it will record over an extended period of time, but TI's CBL (Calculator Based Laboratory) would monitor temperature and voltage using a TI-83.
I bought a CBL a couple of decades ago, but haven't used it.
Both the CBL and its successor CBL2 are available on TAS.
I also bought a $40? temperature logger on Amazon a few years ago. (2021)
I was concerned about a refrigerator/freezer maintaining temperature.
It was an ECOWITT DS102 USB Temperature and Humidity Logger (no longer available?)
I placed it into said appliance for a day or two and then its PC software charted the readings.
It did not need to be plugged into the PC while logging.

This past year our Generac whole house generator would start at random times, and I
was concerned if it was responding to glitches in the utility feed or just not working right.
(a firmware update eventually fixed the problem)
I was thinking about buying/renting a logger to see if it was the utility, but didn't pursue getting one because of the cost.

[Elitniy CalcLover]

(11-14-2024 10:30 PM)teenix Wrote:  Sorry, I'm not sure what will fit. The loggers I worked with had screw terminal blocks to attach the sensor wires to. It seems reasonable that a suitable connector would come with the equipment or at least a part number to purchase one.

I haven't used the Einstein before, but the external sensors look proprietary and designed for the Einstein and connect via its USB port, so the little blue boxes would contain circuitry to convert the sensor signals to USB compatible digital.

If this is the case, then to connect any other type of sensor is probably not practical because of the USB interface.

I might have missed something, but I don't know what the white box is with the multi-pin connector.

cheers

Tony

The little white box is the distance sensor, detects distance from 0.4 to 10 meters (this sensor on ebay)
I meant that fourier made fourier sensors, but also einstein sensors and loggers. They are from the same company, this means fourier surely have the same digital output as the einstein sensors, but with different type of connectors - what if I buy a simple adapter from microUSB to multi pin thing and try to connect it? The only thing is that I need to know what is this multipin connector called like

[Elitniy CalcLover]

(11-14-2024 10:42 PM)Ren Wrote:  I'm not sure if it will record over an extended period of time, but TI's CBL (Calculator Based Laboratory) would monitor temperature and voltage using a TI-83.
I bought a CBL a couple of decades ago, but haven't used it.
Both the CBL and its successor CBL2 are available on TAS.
I also bought a $40? temperature logger on Amazon a few years ago. (2021)
I was concerned about a refrigerator/freezer maintaining temperature.
It was an ECOWITT DS102 USB Temperature and Humidity Logger (no longer available?)
I placed it into said appliance for a day or two and then its PC software charted the readings.
It did not need to be plugged into the PC while logging.

This past year our Generac whole house generator would start at random times, and I
was concerned if it was responding to glitches in the utility feed or just not working right.
(a firmware update eventually fixed the problem)
I was thinking about buying/renting a logger to see if it was the utility, but didn't pursue getting one because of the cost.

I dont have a TI calc, furtherwise i dont have many calcs (just the hp 39gs and still arriving hp prime). TI calculators are more expensive then hp, also CBL is pretty much unavailable in russia, texas instruments closed its relationship with russia when ukraine war started. And temperature/humidity loggers are pretty simple and expensive, they would be nice if they are included in the logger with option to connect another sensors, I meant something like hp streamsmart 410 or vernier labquest.

[teenix]

(11-15-2024 08:44 PM)Elitniy CalcLover Wrote:  what if I buy a simple adapter from microUSB to multi pin thing and try to connect it? The only thing is that I need to know what is this multipin connector

Probably the same issue, you need to know what the 2 types of interfaces do, and what the connections are otherwise it might be like plugging an audio jack into a USB port. Plus, they may or may not be compatible with each other even if you find or make a cable. I can't offer much help as I am not familiar with them. The only thing I can think of is to find the operating manuals and see if they have details for interfacing sensor types and hopefully give you a path forward.

[Elitniy CalcLover]

(11-15-2024 10:12 PM)teenix Wrote:  The only thing I can think of is to find the operating manuals and see if they have details for interfacing sensor types and hopefully give you a path forward.

there is little to no information in fourier and einstein sensors manuals and there is no manual for einstein tablet+, everything i found so far is tablet+2 and tablet+3 manuals, but the tablet+ is very different from them. The only path forward is to just make an experiment, try to connect a sensor with a makeshift cable or an adapter, but I still need to find out what the multi pin`s name is. Still if they are not compatible, the tablet costs 30$ and has some sensors built in it, which allows me to measure some things without external sensors.