Temperature Monitor/Logger DS-108
English User Instructions
General Description
The
DS-108
is an 8 channel temperature monitor and logger which connects to a PC via a
USB port, ideal for use in laboratories, workshops, classrooms and on site. It has 8 input
channels for use with digital temperature probes which operate between -55C (-67F) to
+125C (+257F), as well as an internal circuit/ambient temperature (a ninth channel). The
DS-108 also has 8 digital (0/1) input channels which allow the monitoring and logging of
the status of switches, interlocks, pumps, compressors, fans, doors, etcetera. The digital
input channels can accept DC voltages up to 30Vdc, voltages from 0V to 1.8V are
considered logic 0 (off) and voltages from 2.2V to 30Vdc are considered logic 1 (on). A
range of signal conditioning interface circuits are available to convert parameters such as
mains voltage, light intensity, magnetic field strength to a voltage level appropriate to the
digital input channels (0-5Vdc).
1. DS-108 hardware
The
DS-108
Is housed in a strong ABS case with 8 temperature inputs on the front, via
3.5mm jacks and 8 digital inputs (0Vdc to 30Vdc) on the rear, via screw terminals. The DS-
108 also has a 5V/400mA output to power any peripheral signal conditioning circuitry. To
communicate with the PC the DS-108 must be connected to a Personal Computer (PC) via
a USB A to B cable.
2. TempLog Software (download free from www.acksen.com)
TempLog runs under Microsoft
®
Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10 or 2003/2008/2012 Server. It
will allow the user to:-
Monitor and record data from the DS-108 on the PC, in both tabular and graphical format.
Store the data to disk and / or export to spreadsheet format.
Print data and/or reports.
3. USB A to B cable
Used to connect the DS-108 to a PC.
4. Carry case
The carry case allows you to keep the DS-108, temperature probes, USB lead and any
conditioning circuitry together.
5. Digital Temperature Probes and Leads
The standard DS-
108 ‘SET’ comes complete with 4 (four) digital temperature probes with
3.5mm plugs, with 3m (10ft) leads,
‘DS-108-
4
-
3
- SET
’.
Hardware requirements
To run TempLog you must have a PC with Microsoft Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10 or
2003/2008/2012 Server.
Our minimum system specification is a 2Ghz Intel Core2Duo, 2GB RAM, 1GB free disk
space, 1366x768 resolution, 24-bit colour and Windows XP.
Our recommended system specification is a 3.1Ghz Intel i5-3450, 8GB RAM, 1GB free
disk space, 1920x1200 resolution, 24-bit colour and Windows 7, 8 or 10.
Installing TempLog (download free from www.acksen.com)
Download and run the TempLog installation software from our website. Follow the on-
screen instructions to complete installation. After installation run TempLog from the Start
menu in Windows.
Getting started
The DS-108 is powered from the USB port on the PC, it normally takes around 100mA. The
5V output on the DS-108 is fused to 400mA, so the DS-108 should never take more than
500mA. When you first connect the DS-108 to the PC you may have to wait until Windows
installs the correct drivers before you can communicate with the DS-108.
When the DS-108 is connected to the PC it is automatically powered, signified by the
flashing blue LED on the front.
Open the TempLog software and if you have not run the software before, register and then
use the ‘Detect Logger’ option to connect to the DS-108.
To record the data from the DS-
108, simply press the ‘Start Recording’ button.
This document is produced in conjunction with the Help file contained in TempLog, which
contains a detailed explanation of all features and contains important information which
should be studied prior to using this product.
Within the software you can set the units to Celsius, Fahrenheit or Kelvin. You can set
temperature alarm levels, label and colour the channels and set many other parameters.
You can also input details of the data recording situation, the location, the item under test,
the experiment details. Data can be viewed in a tabular form, a dashboard or in a graph.
For tests longer than 24 hrs the data is automatically saved to a new file each day at 12:00
midnight, so tests that are longer than a day will be split into files of a maximum duration of
24 hours; a week long test will have 7 files each representing 24 hours of data.
Features & Benefits
Feature
Benefit
Unit is small and lightweight.
Easy to install.
Easy to use Windows software.
Can be used by non-technical staff.
Accurate temperature measurement.
Digital probes require no calibration.
Digital logic inputs
Allows correlation of other parameters
The standard
‘DS-108-
4
-
3
- SET
’ is supplied with
4
(four) digital temperature probes, with
3
m
leads. These probes require no calibration. The probes have a range of -55C to +125C
which is -67F to +257F. Simply plug the 3.5mm plugs into the relevant channel on the
logger, start the TempLog software and your logger will transmit the readings to the PC. For
help using the software, please read the Help File shipped with the software.
The digital input channels are used to monitor, record and correlate the status of other external
ancillary or related equipment, for example in a refrigeration system to record, was the
compressor on, was the door open, was the lighting on, etcetera. External signal conditioning
circuits are available to convert the external parameter to the levels necessary for the digital logic
inputs:-
Light sensor
, detects light levels and inputs a digital signal to the DS-108 when the light is above
a set level.
Mains voltage sensor
, detects 120/230Vac and inputs a digital signal to the DS-108 when
voltage is present.
Magnetic field sensor,
detects magnetic flux density levels and inputs a digital signal to the DS-
108 when the flux is above a set level, this can be used to detect the proximity of an item or
whether or current is flowing in a conductor.
Other input conditioning circuits may become available, please contact your local supplier
regarding any special needs you have.
The voltage inputs and the +5V/400mA output are on the rear of the product. The 5V out is rated
at 400mA maximum. Grounds (Gnd) is common and also common to the USB Gnd. The label on
the underside of the logger detail the input and output connections. The inputs have a maximum
of +30Vdc with respect to Gnd (0V). The 5Vdc output can be used to power conditioning circuitry
or for any other use you may have, it is fused internally to 400mA. Logic inputs 0Vdc to ~2Vdc are
considered 0 (off) and ~2.1Vdc to 30Vdc logic 1 (on)
