Data Logging & Control Software

Definition:
Data logging can be defined as the capture and storage of data for use at a later
time.
If you want some form of output, based on the data that is collected then data logging
can be used with control software. For example, you could monitor the temperature of a
greenhouse and if the temperature got to high a motor could be used to automatically
open a window.

How the data is collected:

Sensors are used to input the data into the data logging equipment. Almost any physical
property can be measured with the correct sensor.

There are two categories of sensors:

Digital sensors - these are either on or off i.e. a light gate sensing something breaking a
light beam. Such sensors can often be connected directly to a computer as the data
output is already digital.

Analogue sensors - these measure some physical quantity by converting it into a voltage.
The voltage signal is then converted into digital form by an interface and either stored
or transferred directly to a computer. The vast majority of sensors are of this type.

Examples of sensors that can be used when data logging:

heat light sound
altitude magnetic forces pressure
movement wind speed oxygen levels
humidity pH radiation

One advantage of data logging is that it can be done in

places that are hostile for humans such as inside a
nuclear reactor or a volcano. Data logging equipment
therefore often has to be very robust so that it can
resist extremes of temperature or radiation for
example.

Another advantage of data logging is that regular data

can be collected over very short or very long time
periods that would be impossible or impractical for a human operator.

Example: data logging equipment can record hundreds of readings in less than a second.
(Imagine asking a human to take 100 pressure readings inside a room as an explosion is
set off)

Example: data logging equipment can take readings at regular

intervals, 24 hours a day, for months or even years on end.
(Imagine asking a human to measure the temperature of the cooling water flowing into a
river from a power station very half hour, 24-hours a day for 6 months!)

Many sensors produce analogue signals which must be converted to digital signals so
they can work with computers. An analogue to digital converter changes the varying
voltage from the sensor into pulses which are the digital equivalent of the voltage value.

How the data is stored:

The data is usually stored in memory or some form of
backing storage as it is collected.
Some data logging equipment is designed to be linked
to a computer (although this can be a wireless link).
This would be suitable if an experiment is taking place
in the laboratory for example.

If you wanted to record data out in the field then

data logging equipment would be needed that could measure and store the data until the
unit is collected. The equipment would then be connected to a computer so the data can
be down-loaded. This could still be done out in the field if a laptop computer was used to
collect the data.

How the data can be displayed:

Once downloaded to a computer, software can be used to display the data. This can be
in the form of graphs or tables on a monitor or on a print out.

The data can also be loaded into a spreadsheet program for analysis.

Examples of data logging in use:

1 - In a hospital:

The sort of life support systems found in intensive care

units will make extensive use of data logging equipment. The
patients will have sensors attached to them which will
continuously measure data such as temperature, blood
oxygen level and heart rate.

Advantages:
• 24 hour monitoring takes place without having to use
a human operator who would need breaks, could lose concentration or could get
tired and make mistakes.
• Alarms would be set off automatically if any measurements exceed a safe value.
• A continual record can be stored or printed out of everything that is being
measured.

2 - Recording over an extended period of time:

In an experiment during the last UK eclipse, light sensors and temperature

sensors were used to continuously recorded the light intensity, the
temperature in the sunlight and the temperature in the shade.
The data logging took place at regular intervals over four hours. Software
was then used to produce a graph from the data that was collected.

Advantages:
• Many accurate reading can be taken at regular intervals over an extended period
of time without risk of 'human-error'.
• The data is digital so it can be transferred straight to software which can
display it or analyse it further.

Summary:

Advantages of using data logging in experiments:

Increased accuracy is possible Sensors can be sealed inside the equipment and this
compare to measurements taken avoids the risk of someone taking a measurement
by humans and interfering with the experiment.

Many measurements over VERY Example: Sensors can record hundreds of

short time periods are possible measurements during experiments lasting less than
a second.

Regular measurements over

VERY long time periods are Example: Sensors could be set up to record the
possible movement of a volcano over months or even years.

Data can be collected from Sensors can be designed to operate in outer space,
hostile environments radioactive areas, the ocean depths, high in the
atmosphere or at the poles.

Control:

Control technology is used to allow a computer to respond to data

that has been captured or recorded using sensors.

An example would be a control system to maintain the correct

conditions in a greenhouse automatically.
• Sensors could measure the temperature and amount of light.
• A control program would make decisions if the readings got outside a certain
range.
• Motors could open windows if the temperature got too high or switch on heaters
if it got too low.
• Motors could close blinds if the light was too much or relays could switch on
lights if it was too dark.

The control program is a series on instructions written in a particular programming

language. This language has commands to read input sensors, process the data in some
way and make decisions and then control outputs such as motors, lights, relays etc.
Many control languages have the following additional features:
They can use and alter variables. This is a way of giving a number a label (such as A=12).
The value of the variable can be easily altered (i.e. A = A + 1 would add 1 to whatever A
was before) or used in a program in decisions (i.e. IF A >= 10 MOTOR OFF).

The can use LOOPS to make part of a program repeat until a certain condition is met
(i.e. REPEAT
T = TEMPERATURE READING (from a sensor)
UNTIL T = 90)
The can use procedures (or macros). These a self-contained bits of program that are
used for commonly repeated tasks in the main program. This avoids having the same bits
of instruction coded repeated in lots of different places in one program. A procedure is
usually given a simple name by the programmer and then the main program uses this
name to run it.

Types of Control Languages:

Command Line languages:

These use a wide range of different commands and they are usually typed into the
computer line by line. When the program runs it starts at the first line and then either
moves through the program one line at a time or is directed from one set of instructions
to another depending on the way the program is written. The way the commands are
entered has to be exactly right (this is called the SYNTAX) and it can take a long time
to learn.
Unfortunately, many different control languages will use a different syntax to do
exactly the same job. For example:
Program 1 Program 2
REPEAT 10 LOOP
T=TEMPERATURE T=TEMPERATURE
IF T>10 THEN END UNTIL T>10
END REPEAT END

Logo:

This is simple command line computer language that is usually used to draw shapes on a
computer screen but it can also be used to move a motorised buggy or "turtle" around
the floor.

Example Logo instructions:

REPEAT 4 [FORWARD 20 RIGHT 90 ]
These instructions would make the 'turtle' draw a square. It would repeat 4 times the
commands to move forward 20 and then turn right 90 degrees.

Flowsheets:
An example of this is Flowol. To construct a program, commands are dragged
and dropped onto a screen and connected by lines. When the program starts
it moves from one command to the next along the connecting lines. The
individual commands can be edited and include Input commands, output commands and
decision commands etc.

Flowsheet programs are usually easier to follow than command line programs.

TASK
Ask your teacher for the WinLogo exercise booklet as well as the Flowol exercise
booklet