Data Logger: Input of geotechnical sensor data

The Data Logger module is the main tool for the importation of geotechnical data to Trimble 4D Control Server. The Data Logger module extracts the data from the data logger data file, performs quality control checks on the data, and passes it on to the monitoring database. It is a software representation of the physical data logger being attached to Trimble 4D Control Server. Each instance of the Data Logger module represents an individual data logger and its related set of geotechnical sensors.

Geotechnical sensors are defined within the Data Logger module. This replicates the physical data logger installation and provides the mechanism for recording sensor-specific information, such as data column headers.

The stored data can then be used by:

The Alarm Manager module to create alarms.
The In-Place Inclinometer module for computing a total deflection value from a series of inclinometers (tilt sensors).

The monitoring (default: T4DDBMonitoring) database.
The Trimble 4D Control Web module.

Adding the module

The Data Logger module is available from the Tree view root Trimble 4D Control Server. Trimble 4D Control Server accepts multiple Data Logger modules in the system.

When the module is being added, the Data Logger Properties dialog appears. It lets you configure the Data Logger module to the physical Data Logger being attached to Trimble 4D Control Server. Each instance of the Data Logger module (that is, each configuration) represents an individual data logger and its related set of geotechnical sensors. Each configuration holds information on the raw data file to be imported, on the data logger hardware and the sensor components connected to it, and on the alarming thresholds. You also may remove a configuration from here, if you do not need it anymore. You may update a configuration any time, if the file import is disabled.

Data visualization

Once configured, the Data Logger module provides collective information about data acquisition. Through the views available to this module, one can quickly determine the health and status of that particular data logger setup.

In the Tree view, each Data Logger module is represented by its configuration name and a status-identifying icon.

	Inactive, data will not be read in. No indication for an alarm status.
	Active, reading in raw data and converting it to engineering units. No indication for an alarm status.
	One of the following: Reading of file failed for a short time; Alarm status: At least one sensor did not deliver data for one of its parameters;
	Alarm status: No data for any sensor connected to the data logger hardware.

Alarming

With alarming activated, the Data Logger module triggers alarms, if it is in one of the or (alarm) states.

The following alarm states can be reported:

No data: The sensor did not deliver any data.
Sensor failure: The sensor sends data, however at least one of the data types or data sets expected did not arrive for the current measurement.

Logging into the database

The Data Logger module writes the module history into the technical database, and raw measurements for all devices (data logger, sensors) into the T4DDBMonitoring database.