Brads Electronic Projects Forum

We have a new data logger at work which measures humidity and temperature.
The instructions talk about if the devices doesn't respond that you have to take the batteries out.
The unit costs hundreds of dollars.

We went a week without data and we have to explain why we don't have the data.
We once tried to change the settings, it wasn't fully responding even though it looked like it was functioning.
The unit has an SD card and internal memory.
Before we take the SD card out, we have to hold down one of the buttons for the counter to go to zero before we take the card out so that it can make a write.
The difficult thing is that we don't know when the device is frozen because it can say it is recording but we don't want to go a week without data because we can't see inside and know if it is fully functioning.

Why does electronics freeze?
Does it sound like it was scoped correctly and had its signals measured correctly?
Can you explain a little to me so that I can make an explanation that has some valid reasons to it?

My only experience with data logging is with Arduino/Pic devices, and the only issue I've experienced with SD Cards is when the PIC writes/reads to the SD Card, it sometimes gets corrupted and the SD Card write/read is left in a constant loop meaning that the programme doesn't continue, the cause can be many reasons and the only fix is to power down the device and restart.
I wouldn't expect this behaviour from a device costing hundreds of dollars though, are you using the correct type of SD Card?
does the device recommend a certain SD Card type?.

I would probably be looking at contacting technical support for who ever made the data logger?.

I went to a specialized computer store after looking at the manual and getting the correct cards. We have more than one unit and the other units have not had a problem.

What I remember is we tried to change the settings on the working unit and it wouldn't respond.
Customer support said to take the batteries out.
Someone tried to change the settings again and it didn't change.
I believe it was recording and we lost a week of datalogging.

I remember posting about oscilloscopes and finding $300,000 oscilloscopes which cost more than some houses and I think I remember they were used to work on computers with SD cards.

Chuckt wrote:We have more than one unit and the other units have not had a problem.

Sounds to me that you have a faulty unit then, if you have more than one unit and the other units work fine?.
It's difficult to say what the problem can be, as it can be many things, power, component, interference, dry solder joint, microprocessor etc?
There is just so many possible causes that would cause electronics to fail..