Inexpensive Digital Strip Chart Recorder

[Too_Many_Tools]

I am looking for an inexpensive digital strip chart recorder.

Does something like this exist?

Are there addons for a laptop, pda or pocket pc that allows one to
record, store and display analog data similar to the good old chart
recorder?

Thanks for any leads.

TMT

 

[Donald]

I am looking for an inexpensive digital strip chart recorder.

Does something like this exist?

Are there addons for a laptop, pda or pocket pc that allows one to
record, store and display analog data similar to the good old chart
recorder?

Thanks for any leads.

TMT

Inexpensive and "strip chart recorder" are mutually exclusive.

Yes, there are lots of addons, google gets tons of hits
"http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=analog+data+recorders"

The next question is: "how much do you want to spend ?? "

Portable, USB, serial, .... lots of questions.

What are you trying to measure will determine what kind of analog data
recorder to buy.

donald

 

[Too_Many_Tools]

I would agree...I am surprised that in today's world of electronics
that an inexpensive turnkey appliance is not available.

The uses for something like this is many....and I am not trying to be
specific since this will be used to measure a number of physical
parameters.

Let's say one wants a digital solution to what a old HP 680 Strip Chart
Recorder would work for...is there anything out there today that works
the same?

TMT

 

[Harold E. Johnson]

I would agree...I am surprised that in today's world of electronics
that an inexpensive turnkey appliance is not available.

The uses for something like this is many....and I am not trying to be
specific since this will be used to measure a number of physical
parameters.

Let's say one wants a digital solution to what a old HP 680 Strip Chart
Recorder would work for...is there anything out there today that works
the same?

TMT

Radio Shack used to sell a Metex VOM (Metex ME-11) that had a serial port
output and software that made essentially a data logger which you could then
pop into an excel or Quattro spreadsheet and massage the data anyway you
liked. I bought two of them from their on-line catalog when they were on
sale maybe 3 years ago, suspect you can still find them, maybe with an USB
port these days. I use one of mine for metering the transmitted signal from
NAA to detect SIDS. Lots more practical than my old Rustrak strip chart
recorder, I can just throw away the "uninteresting" data and not use any
paper at all. The other one is just a backup for my Fluke 77.

W4ZCB

 

[John Popelish]

I am looking for an inexpensive digital strip chart recorder.

Does something like this exist?

Are there addons for a laptop, pda or pocket pc that allows one to
record, store and display analog data similar to the good old chart
recorder?

Thanks for any leads.

TMT

I don't know if the software is available, separately, but for $25 you
can buy a 4 channel analog digitizer that comes with such software.
http://www.dataq.com/194.htm

 

[Rich Webb]

I would agree...I am surprised that in today's world of electronics
that an inexpensive turnkey appliance is not available.

The uses for something like this is many....and I am not trying to be
specific since this will be used to measure a number of physical
parameters.

Let's say one wants a digital solution to what a old HP 680 Strip Chart
Recorder would work for...is there anything out there today that works
the same?

Something like the USB-1208LS from Measurement Computing (I'd post a
link but their referral/tag/cookie system seems to want two or three
lines for the URL) plus an old laptop PC might do the trick.

It's a relatively inexpensive USB gadget that comes with basic "strip
chart" software as a demo app. They have other, faster, and more
expensive models and more software, of course. IIRC, they still include
their Universal Library w/ the device, so you can write your own apps
with your own look & feel.

Higher end stuff is available from places like http://www.astro-med.com/
.... and priced accordingly. Good gear, though.

 

[Donald]

I would agree...I am surprised that in today's world of electronics
that an inexpensive turnkey appliance is not available.

The uses for something like this is many....and I am not trying to be
specific since this will be used to measure a number of physical
parameters.

Let's say one wants a digital solution to what a old HP 680 Strip Chart
Recorder would work for...is there anything out there today that works
the same?

TMT

OK,

So the spec's are: not battery operated and must weight in at about 15
pounds. ;-)

I have used some of the smaller devices at :
http://www.dataq.com/c_cr/index.htm

There will be trade offs on "chart speed" = sample rate and resolution
(step size) and max input voltage.

good luck

donald

 

[Neil Kurzman]

I am looking for an inexpensive digital strip chart recorder.

Does something like this exist?

Are there addons for a laptop, pda or pocket pc that allows one to
record, store and display analog data similar to the good old chart
recorder?

Thanks for any leads.

TMT

Sure

Look For Data loggers.

DataQ makes some cheap ones www.DataQ.com

 

[Frithiof Andreas Jensen]

I am looking for an inexpensive digital strip chart recorder.

Does something like this exist?

Are there addons for a laptop, pda or pocket pc that allows one to
record, store and display analog data similar to the good old chart
recorder?

"Round Robin Database Tool" - RRDTool - can possibly be hacked into
submission: http://people.ee.ethz.ch/~oetiker/webtools/rrdtool/

 

[[email protected]]

I am looking for an inexpensive digital strip chart recorder.

Does something like this exist?

Are there addons for a laptop, pda or pocket pc that allows one to
record, store and display analog data similar to the good old chart
recorder?

Check out

http://www.picotech.com/

Farnell stocked some of their gear when I last looked.

 

[carneyke]

Has anyone checked Omega ?

 

[Al]

I am looking for an inexpensive digital strip chart recorder.

Does something like this exist?

Are there addons for a laptop, pda or pocket pc that allows one to
record, store and display analog data similar to the good old chart
recorder?

Thanks for any leads.

TMT

http://www.lascarelectronics.com/promo.cfm?CFID=18736453&CFTOKEN=20840100

Independent datalogger that is connected to your computer via USB.
Program it and download data from it. About 99 bucks.

Al

 

[Steve]

Omega OM-EL-USB

USB data logger, stand-alone, temperature, temp/RH, voltage, or
current, about $60

http://www.omega.com/ppt/pptsc.asp?ref=OM-EL-USB-1

OM-PL series, $115 with more options

 

[Hans-Bernhard Broeker]

[Note: F'up2 cut down --- should have been done by OP!]

I would agree...I am surprised that in today's world of electronics
that an inexpensive turnkey appliance is not available.

While a paper strip recorder might have seemed a good idea back in its
day, actually using one in this day and age would be a rather obvious
waste of paper. The kind of device you're looking for is called a
storage oscilloscope or data logger, these days, mostly depending on
its typical sampling rate and number of channels.

Any computer or PDA with decent sound hardware should suffice for a
working, no-cost, software-only approach. Just connect your analog
input to line-in (adapt level and impedance as needed), and record
your signal as an audio stream, which you can later transform into
whatever kind of plot or display you like. It won't be spectacularly
accurate, granted, but it'll still outperform a paper strip plotter on
all practical counts.

 

[Stef]

In comp.arch.embedded,

Any computer or PDA with decent sound hardware should suffice for a
working, no-cost, software-only approach. Just connect your analog
input to line-in (adapt level and impedance as needed), and record
your signal as an audio stream, which you can later transform into
whatever kind of plot or display you like. It won't be spectacularly
accurate, granted, but it'll still outperform a paper strip plotter on
all practical counts.

For frequencies from 20Hz to 20kHz or so you're right and not only because
the typical paper strip plotter's performance in that range is rather poor.

(Most (all?) PC soundcards ar AC input only.)

 

[GregS]

[Note: F'up2 cut down --- should have been done by OP!]

I would agree...I am surprised that in today's world of electronics
that an inexpensive turnkey appliance is not available.

While a paper strip recorder might have seemed a good idea back in its
day, actually using one in this day and age would be a rather obvious
waste of paper. The kind of device you're looking for is called a
storage oscilloscope or data logger, these days, mostly depending on
its typical sampling rate and number of channels.

Any computer or PDA with decent sound hardware should suffice for a
working, no-cost, software-only approach. Just connect your analog
input to line-in (adapt level and impedance as needed), and record
your signal as an audio stream, which you can later transform into
whatever kind of plot or display you like. It won't be spectacularly
accurate, granted, but it'll still outperform a paper strip plotter on
all practical counts.

Later transformation pretty much is not what a stripchart is all about.
Real time control and observation! Position, zeroing, instant gain change, etc.
Don't forget writing next to the plot. Very simple.

The only thing I have used, is NI VI, which comes with acquisition cards.
Converts to Excel.

greg

 

[Harold E. Johnson]

[Note: F'up2 cut down --- should have been done by OP!]

I would agree...I am surprised that in today's world of electronics
that an inexpensive turnkey appliance is not available.

While a paper strip recorder might have seemed a good idea back in its
day, actually using one in this day and age would be a rather obvious
waste of paper. The kind of device you're looking for is called a
storage oscilloscope or data logger, these days, mostly depending on
its typical sampling rate and number of channels.

Any computer or PDA with decent sound hardware should suffice for a
working, no-cost, software-only approach. Just connect your analog
input to line-in (adapt level and impedance as needed), and record
your signal as an audio stream, which you can later transform into
whatever kind of plot or display you like. It won't be spectacularly
accurate, granted, but it'll still outperform a paper strip plotter on
all practical counts.

 

[[email protected]]

I am looking for an inexpensive digital strip chart recorder.

I've used http://xoscope.sourceforge.net/ with a PCI audio card and got
good results, but never quite come across a chart recorder.

 

[John]

I am looking for an inexpensive digital strip chart recorder.

Does something like this exist?

Are there addons for a laptop, pda or pocket pc that allows one to
record, store and display analog data similar to the good old chart
recorder?

Thanks for any leads.

TMT

Go to http://www.dataq.com/194.htm

For $50US, you get a 4 channel, 10 bit A/D converter (serial interface
to PC) and PC chart recorder software.

John