Construction of a data logger

Abstract

The collection of data is a very important part of research. In fact, the primary aim of this project was to construct a device that satisfies the basic requirements of data acquisition, at a much lower cost than most commercially available data loggers that provide similar features. The work consisted in programming a microprocessor to provide the acquisition, processing and storage of data, as well as designing user-friendly software that provides the user-interface through a PC. In this way, a client-server system was established, with the microprocessor acting as the data-logging server. Communication between the two processors became possible through the development of the Data Transfer Protocol that consists of a well-defined set of rules by which both parts must abide in order to transfer information efficiently. Ultimately, the system was thoroughly tested such that all known bugs were corrected, and it was assured that the device performs satisfactorily.