Dickson Data Logger Software
Lutero Chaloux
A data logger is a small, self-contained unit that measures and records a stream of information. This information can be stored for later retrieval and analysis, or transmitted to a central location in real time. A common use for data loggers is to monitor environmental conditions in areas where sensitive products are made, stored, and transported. In these situations, data loggers are a key part of the systems that ensure the quality of medicines, foods, and other safety-critical products.
Dickson data logger software
Digital data loggers have enabled the distribution of sensitive products across geographically expansive networks, through temperature-controlled supply chains, including cold chains. For example, data loggers have been a key part of the safe distribution of vaccines and other medicines to remote locations with unpredictable infrastructure. The importance of environmental monitoring using data loggers is reflected in federal regulations, FDA guidance documents, and quality processes like the AS9100 standard for aerospace manufacturing.
The primary role of environmental data loggers is to ensure that critical locations and process units are within specified limits, which is important for protecting valuable products, ensuring consumer health and safety, and regulatory compliance. Monitoring data can also be used to detect issues with and improve the efficiency of control equipment through reviewing historical data.
A number of different sensors are available for this type of data logger, including thermistors, resistance temperature detectors (RTDs) or thermocouples. The best sensor for a given application is a balance between cost and performance specifications like temperature range, accuracy, and drift.
Relative Humidity (RH) is similar to temperature monitoring, since it can impact the shelf life of some products, and cause problems during manufacturing. For example, humidity can affect pressing powders into tablets, or curing advanced coatings and composite materials. Because temperature and humidity are commonly measured in the same locations, some data loggers incorporate sensors for both in a single unit.
Another reason that humidity is a safety-critical parameter is that a minimum level of RH is needed to reduce static electrical discharges, making it important to monitor in areas with sensitive electronics, like surgical robotics. Likewise, RH must be kept below a critical level to prevent microbial growth.
Data loggers that measure differential air pressure can be used to monitor areas where air pressure is used to control the flow of small particles (viable and non-viable), like bacteria, viruses or dust. This is used in hospitals, labs, and semiconductor manufacturing facilities to prevent cross-contamination. (Loggers also exist for measuring higher fluid pressure, which can be used in process monitoring and water treatment.) Depending on your application, negative pressure rooms used to contain particles (Emergency rooms, BioHazard areas) or positive pressure rooms (e.g clean rooms, surgical suites) need these sensors to ensure safe conditions.
Voltage and current data loggers can be combined with external sensors to measure less common properties. For example, sensors are available to measure conditions like fluid level, flowrate, pH, or dissolved oxygen, typically generating industry standard signals (1-5 V or 4-20 mA), that can be used as the data input for this type of logger.
Calibration is needed when sensors are first installed, and periodically to correct sensors that drift or become contaminated over time. Sensor recalibration is an important aspect of ongoing data logger maintenance and should be included in the overall quality management system for facility and process monitoring. To simplify calibration and minimize downtime, data loggers can be designed with easily replaceable sensors so that calibrated sensors can be quickly swapped in.
Most modern data loggers are powered through building AC, auxiliary DC, or power over ethernet (PoE), with rechargeable battery backup. In locations where this is not possible, loggers can also be battery powered, with replacement intervals in the range of months to 1-2 years.
A notable exception to this are compact, simple temperature monitors that are meant to travel along with shipments of sensitive materials. These monitors are made to be inexpensive and simple, often with non-replaceable batteries. These are useful in cases where temperature monitoring is needed during shipping, but returning the monitor to the supplier is not feasible.
These loggers typically have user-defined data sampling intervals, and the total amount of time the logger can run without retrieving data is determined by both factors. For example, a data logger with a capacity for 100,000 readings set to collect 1 reading per minute can run for 100,000 minutes, or about 70 days, before exceeding its storage capacity. The data sampling interval can also affect battery life.
A second option is to transmit data wirelessly from the logger via bluetooth or NFC (near-field communication). This can be useful in applications like shipping containers, where real time access to data is needed, but the logger cannot be easily accessed.
However, the state of the art in this area are data loggers that upload monitoring data continuously to a cloud-based software tool. This makes it possible to monitor and react to environmental monitoring data in real time. This approach is particularly powerful when you have a distributed network of many sensors, and is well suited for businesses that plan to scale up in the future. These loggers transmit data to a central location via WiFi or ethernet, and usually have a data backup within the unit in case connectivity is lost.
Using a data logger that can remotely transmit data also allows the use of customized alarms. For example, advanced data loggers can be set up to send an SMS text, phone call, or email when a problem is detected. These messages can include a description of the problem, so that response staff are prepared when they arrive.
Historical data can be used to set the optimal alarm triggers, to ensure fast response by the right personnel, escalation when needed, and avoid alarm fatigue caused by excessive false or nuisance alarms.
Data loggers are an important part of a comprehensive environmental monitoring and quality management system. They are used across a wide variety of industries, including some where environmental conditions are important for ensuring consumer health and safety.
These cover the most common options. For specialized, remote applications, renewable sources like solar panels combined with a rechargeable battery can be used. This type of setup is typical for weather monitoring stations and other off-grid locations where battery replacement would be difficult.
Bluetooth
A Bluetooth-enabled data logger can operate in a couple of different modes. One mode is similar to a USB logger, where the data is stored locally, then periodically transferred via Bluetooth. An example is a temperature data logger that is embedded in a refrigerated package during shipment. When it arrives at the customer site, the temperature history in the logger is downloaded via Bluetooth, giving the customer a full record of temperature during the trip. (A data logger enabled with NFC, near field communication, also works this way.)
Another way to use a Bluetooth logger is to have it continuously transmit data to a nearby handheld device or computer. From there, data can be monitored in real time, or uploaded to the cloud for remote access.
There are also a number of options for the format of the data itself. For example, a simple system can export a table of time-stamped data points, which can then be plotted and organized in data analysis software.
More sophisticated monitoring systems use online software tools that integrate seamlessly with data logger hardware. This is a powerful approach that can be used to collect and visualize data that is continuously transmitted by any number of Wi-Fi or ethernet enabled loggers in the field, organizing it by time, location, data type, or other user-selected parameters. Data logger software can also provide dashboards that quickly summarize the most critical data for large monitoring networks, including the status of any custom alarm limits.
Cobalt X data loggers support up to 4 external sensors simultaneously to monitor your invaluable equipment. Readings are recorded in onboard memory, then transmitted to the DicksonOne or OCEAView remote monitoring solutions via LoRaWAN or Bluetooth Low Energy connectivity. The Cobalt X offers interactive touchscreen controls and highly visible alert indicators, with support for a wide variety of environmental sensors, including our Bluetooth-enabled remote sensors.
The DicksonOne data logger collects temperature, humidity, and differential pressure data and automatically delivers it to the DicksonOne cloud application. From there, you can access your secure data from any internet-connected device, anywhere in the world. No more downloading data or changing charts, DicksonOne does all the work for you.
With no AC power or WiFi required, our newest data logger allows you to monitor even the hardest to reach places. Thanks to impressive battery life, unparalleled data transmission distance with LoRa, and its compact size, this data logger can go where no logger has gone before.
With no AC power or WiFi required, our newest data logger allows you to monitor even the hardest to reach places. Thanks to impressive battery life, LoRa data transmission, and its compact size, the Battery-Operated Data Logger can go where no logger has gone before.
This device requires the Dickson RF Lora Gateway. If you are looking to expand an already installed system then it is not necessary to add an RF LoRa Gateway to your order. If you are looking to begin building a new system we recommend the DicksonOne Battery-Operated Starter Kit or to call 630-543-3747 and speak to an expert.
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