Data Logger Instructions: MODEL T-A 'HIGH TEMPERATURE' DATA LOGGER The data logger will arrive fully connected and with the SD memory card in place along with its initial test file made before it was packaged. Specifications: LCD Display: Date / Clock Voltage < +50V DC Current < 30A DC Thermocouple A: -200 C to 1350 C Thermocouple B: -200 C to 1350 C Data File: Date (Current date) Time (current time by second) Volts (to +50VDC @ 14 Bit) Ambient Temperature (-55 C - +125 C) Thermocouple A: (-200 C to 1350 C) Thermocouple B: (-200 C to 1350 C) Current (30A DC Max @ 14 Bit) Watts (Calculated) Voltage and current are sampled 5 times and averaged to assist in eradicating erroneous or spurious noise. Data logger Power Connector: Always use a reliable 9 Volt DC supply with your data logger. It must have a + (Positive) centre 2.1mm connector and a 5.5mm outer connector: Turning On / Resetting: Your data logger will start working and recording data as soon as power is applied. If power is interrupted and reconnected it will automatically restart itself with a new incremented file. This means that a small power outage will not cause potentially important data to be missed or lost. WARNING: DO NOT REMOVE THE CLOCK BATTERY The on-board clock should be good for 3 to 4 years when the data logger is not connected to a power source. When the data logger is connected to a power source the Clock Battery is set to standby. Removing the clock battery WILL stop the clock and cause the data logger to malfunction. 1
If the battery is removed and then reinserted the clock will reset to 01/01/2000 and will no longer record the time against each data point. If the clock is stopped the logger will still record data at 1 second intervals and will display accurately within its CSV data file. If the battery is removed the on-board clock will need to be reprogrammed in order to restart the date and time tagging of data. Do not operate the data logger without a battery. It may malfunction or produce erroneous/erratic results. Even a flat battery is better than none at all. Attempting to reprogram the real time clock (RTC) from the USB port will erase the programming of the main controller. If the clock needs to be reprogrammed this can be done via an Arduino Uno (or one of the many clones) and a simple program. Assistance and instructions for reprogramming the data logger clock are available for Linux, Windows and Apple OS operating systems. Please contact Searchingforheat.com for more information. CONNECTING THE DATA LOGGER: Warning: Applying a NEGATIVE signal to the +RED (Positive) input lead may damage the data logger) There are 5 Sensors available: Voltage to + 50V DC (Not +/- DC. Applying a NEGATIVE signal to the +RED input may damage the data logger) Current to 30A DC Thermocouple A to 1340 Centigrade Thermocouple B to 1340 Centigrade Digital Thermometer Ambient Probe -55 Centigrade to + 125 Centigrade The Ambient Probe, Current Sensor and Voltage Sensor are each plugged in under the LCD display. The Thermocouples A & B are connected to the Data Logger via their interface boards and screw connectors. 2
CONNECTING THE DATA LOGGER: (Cont.) The SD Memory Card Slot, Power and USB port are self-explanatory. SD Memory Card Slot Clock Battery (Do Not Remove) USB Port 9 Volt DC Connector If you find it difficult to grasp the SD Memory card whilst inserting and removing the card then a small piece electricians insulating tape doubled over to form a tab will greatly help. High temperature K Type thermocouple probes should be attached to the green screw terminal blocks as show below. If it is necessary to remove the Thermocouple interface boards then they must be replaced in exactly the same positions as they were removed: 3
Failure to replace the interface boards within the correct pin locations may irreparably damage the interface board and/or the main data logger board. When connecting a thermocouple probe to either of the interfaces, if the reading of either or both of the probes displays a negative (-) value, simply reverse thermocouple wires that screw into the thermocouple interface board. Both thermocouples are displayed in the lower line of the LCD display (as A: and B: ) and in the data file. Voltage Measurement: The absolute maximum DC voltage that may be measured with the data logger is +50V DC. In practice voltage spikes and / or surges may effectively reduce this value. Connection to a voltage source in excess of +50V DC may irreparably damage the data logger. Although the data logger is ready to go there may be a need to trim or otherwise adjust Multi turn the voltage reading provided on the LCD potentiometer display. Connect your data logger to a known smooth DC voltage source and, by means of the blue multi-turn potentiometer, adjust the voltage reading as required. A suitable reference voltage source might typically be a standard 1.5 volt cell or a 9 Volt battery that has been checked with a precision multi-meter. Adjust the data logger to provide a similar reading as the multi-meter. The active voltage is displayed on the upper line of the LCD display and in the data file. 4
WARNING: Do not attempt adjust the blue potentiometer in order to force the data logger to read higher than +50 Volts DC. The data logger WILL be damaged. The Negative (- Black) wire is connected to the Ground of the data logger referred to as a common ground. Floating voltage supplies or signals may easily exceed the limits of the data logger so always check the supply line you intend to monitor with a reliable test meter first before connecting your data logger. The Data File & SD Card: Almost any SD data card will work with the data logger. However the SD file system has a maximum single file size of 2Gbytes. 4Gbyte or 8Gbyte SD memory cards are relatively cheap and provide huge storage and archive potential. SD Cards can be quite fickle and should NOT be formatted by your usual desktop or laptop formatting resources. We recommend SD Formatter 4.0 for SD/SDHC/SDXC from the SD Association : https://www.sdcard.org/downloads/formatter_4/ This is an excellent resource and very reliable. The data logger will create a new file each time it is activated or reset. File creating starts from LOGGER00.CSV and will auto increment to LOGGER99.CSV. If you suspect that the data logger is not recording it is always a good idea to check the memory card to make sure that the file count of 99 has not been reached. The data logger records 8 pieces of data every second: Date Time Volts Ambient Temperature Thermocouple A Thermocouple B Current Watts Current Measurement: Conservatively your data logger is capable of continuous logging for 1.5 years. The current sensor is rated to +/-30Amps. It uses a Hall Effect IC to measure the current. You should therefore avoid using or placing anything magnetic in close proximity to the current sensor as this will provide a false reading. If the current sensor is showing negative values then simply reverse the connections to the sensor. It is not recommended that the current sensor be connected to supplies exceeding 50VDC or 30Amp loads. Continuously running at maximum load will cause the Hall Effect IC to become warm and should be avoided. The sensor may be connected in series with either the positive (+) or negative ( ) supply lines. The active current is displayed on the upper line of the LCD display and in the data file. 5
Ambient Temperature Measurement: Your data logger is supplied with a digital temperature probe. It is not a thermocouple or a thermistor. The metal probe contains a digital thermometer capable of measuring from -55 Centigrade to 125 Centigrade. Please note that the metal casing is waterproof NOT the whole assembly. If the probe is completely immersed in a liquid beyond the metal case then liquid may enter the probe body and malfunction / damage may occur. Never completely immerse the probe in any liquid or expose the probe to temperatures in excess of its maximum rated temperature. The ambient temperature probe measurements are recorded in the data file. The Data File: The data file started new each time the data logger is switched on or reset. It will record 100 files (LOGGER00.CSV LOGGER99.CSV) after which the files need to be removed from the SD memory card. The raw CSV file will look something like this: And when opened in your preferred spreadsheet, will appear something like this: Each CSV file can be a maximum of 2 GBytes and of course as many as can fit on the SD card. Available soon special low-temperature data loggers for electrolysis experiments and custom-built loggers. 6