Inexpensive Digital Strip Chart Recorder

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

Too_Many_Tools wrote:
> 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

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

>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 

Too_Many_Tools wrote:
> 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

On 10 Jan 2006 17:47:31 -0800, "Too_Many_Tools"
<too_many_tools@yahoo.com> wrote:

>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.

-- 
Rich Webb   Norfolk, VA

Too_Many_Tools wrote:
> 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

Too_Many_Tools wrote:

> 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

"Too_Many_Tools" <too_many_tools@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1136941627.419160.149340@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
> 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/


>

On 10 Jan 2006 17:07:07 -0800, "Too_Many_Tools" <too_many_tools@yahoo.com> wrote:

>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.picotech.com/ do a number of devices that may be suitable.