jfelipemaia / uno-breadboard-datalogger

Code for the basic UNO & Breadboard data logger described on the project blog

This repository contains a basic data logger script that will run on BOTH the Pro-Mini based "Modules & Jumper Wires" logger described in the Sensors paper: http://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/18/2/530 AND the UNO based logger described in the Arduino UNO Datalogger for Complete Beginners post at: https://thecavepearlproject.org/2015/12/22/arduino-uno-based-data-logger-with-no-soldering/

In general you only have to do four things to add a new sensor to this logger base code:

1. Download an #include the library that drives your sensor. This is usually provided by the sensor vendor (Adafruit, Sparkfun, etc)
2. Connect your sensor as appropriate. The easiest ones to work with are often I2C sensors, which should be connected in parallel with the RTC module (since is also an I2C device)
3. Add commands to take a reading from that sensor and put it into a variable at the beginning of the main loop. This is usually means adding: YourSensorVariable=readsensor(); with the functions provided by the library
4. In the middle of the code where the data is concatenated into the dataString add:

dataString = dataString + ","; //comma separates new data from that already in the string

dataString = dataString + String(YourSensorVariable);

The code then saves all the ascii characters in dataString to the SD card as CSV text. The code assumes you already have an empty file that is 8.3 named "datalog.txt" on the SD card waiting for that data save. Make this empty file with any generic text editor. To retrive your data, unplug the battery, and then exchange the SD card with a new one. Then import the CSV files into any spreadsheet like Excel, Google sheets, or Open Office.

You will find an introduction to the different types of sensors that you can use with the UNO logger at:

Arduino Tutorial: Adding Sensors to Your Data Logger https://thecavepearlproject.org/2017/12/17/adding-sensors-to-an-arduino-data-logger/

If you are using the UNO, check that the sensor you want to use can handle the UNO's 5V positive rail.

Also note: that I have a directory of little utility scripts that come in very handy when testing your Arduino based data loggers at: https://github.com/EKMallon/Utilities