06/10/2021

How to Set Up & Use the ThermaData 4 Channel Logger

So you’ve just bought a ThermaData 4 Channel Logger? Now it’s time to set up your instrument and start logging your temperatures. Read on to learn how to do this, plus how to download and view your data.

How to set up your logger

The first thing you will need to do, if you haven’t already, is to download and install the latest version of ThermaData Studio software (v6.0.0.0).

Once you have done that, plug your logger into the computer using the USB cable provided and open the software. A pop-up should appear in the bottom right-hand corner to let you know that your instrument has been installed.

Select the ThermaData tab at the top of the page. Click on ‘Instrument Settings’ to configure your instrument. From here you can rename your sensors and set high and low limits for each, select your reading intervals, enable multiple logs and sound alarms and select when you want your logger to start and finish taking temperatures.

The top of the device has four ports for each of your probes. The ports are numbered so you can see which probe corresponds to which sensor number on the device. Ensure you have inserted your probes before starting a log.

Starting a log

You can program your logger to start immediately, after a set time delay or at a specific time and date. Setting a time delay is useful for applications where the logger may need to acclimatise before starting.

Once you have inputted your settings and you are ready for the logger to begin, click ‘Send Settings’ at the bottom of the Logger Settings window. This will send your new settings to the device, erasing any existing data from the instrument in the process. A pop-up window will remind you that all data from the device will be cleared if you continue.

Once you have confirmed that you would like your new settings to be sent to the device, the instrument will either display “Pres to Strt” or “Strt At XXhr XX”.

If the logger is displaying “Pres to Strt”, you can either press the start/stop button on the instrument to enable it to begin logging, or you can select the start button in the bottom right-hand corner of the Logger Settings window in ThermaData Studio. It will begin to log immediately or after a time delay if you set one.

If the instrument is showing “Strt At XXhr XX”, it will automatically begin logging at the time that you have set it to commence from.

You can then unplug the device from the computer.

Using the logger

On the display you will be able to view two sensors at one time. Press the display button to toggle between viewing sensors 1 and 2 and sensors 3 and 4.

The display will show the last recorded temperature, minimum and maximum temperatures, the high and low alarms for each sensor, and the volume and battery levels.

To turn the volume on or off, hold the mute button for five seconds. To stop the screen from toggling, hold the display/lock button down for five seconds.

Stopping a log

You can program your logger to stop recording in several ways through the logger settings when you set up the device. You can set it to stop manually, when the logger is full, after a set number of readings or at a specific time and date.

If you selected the manual option for your logger to cease logging, you can either click the stop button in ThermaData Studio (if the logger is plugged in to the computer) or you can hold the start/stop button down on the device for five seconds. Once the device has been stopped the log is complete and ready to be downloaded.

If you have enabled the instrument to carry out multiple logs, you can press the start/stop button for 3 seconds. the display will then show “logX done” and will be ready to and it will start recording a new log, by pressing start. You do not need to download previous logs as it will save them on the device for download later. You can do this up to 20 times, or until the memory of the instrument becomes full.

If you have not enabled the instrument to carry out multiple logs, when the instrument stops recording you will need to download your data and restart the logger in ThermaData Studio before beginning a new log.

Downloading your data

You can download your data at any time, without interfering with or corrupting any current logging taking place.

To download your data, plug your logger into the computer and open ThermaData Studio. Select the ‘Home’ tab at the top of the page, then click ‘Download’.

To download data between specific time frames, selected sensors or logs, click ‘Options’ at the bottom of the Save As box. Once you have selected the format and location of your download and clicked ‘Save’, you will be able to view your data in ThermaData Studio.

Visiting the ‘File’ tab will enable you to print and share your data, or save it in a different format (such as a Microsoft Excel document).

Viewing your data

You can view the results of your log in several ways — through a data summary, data graph or data window. The data summary and graph will pop up when you download your data, but you can also access them through the toolbar.

Data summary

The data summary will enable you to view your settings for the log, a summary of each log if in multi-log mode, alarm information and you have the option to record any notes.

Graph

The graph displays the temperature recorded on each sensor over the recording period of your log(s). Each sensor will appear in a different colour, and you can select which sensors and logs (if in multi-log mode) you would like to view on the graph through the right-hand side of the window.

Data Window

Click on the ‘Data’ tab in the toolbar to bring up the data window. This will show you a table with each log number, the date/time of the log and the temperature recording for each sensor. If using multi-log mode, you can scroll down to see each log or you can select which one you would like to view from the ‘Multiple Logs’ tab in the toolbar.