How LoggerFlex Combo Data Recorder and Real-time Alarm Systems Work

Bun and Block are dataloggers and alarm systems designed to measure, record, and transmit data for various environmental parameters. They are Internet of Things (IoT) devices that connect to existing WiFi or cellular networks without requiring additional gateways. Most members of both product families are capable of operating on battery for a long time. For instance, a LoggerFlex WiFi temperature datalogger can operate on battery for up to 6 years while recording temperature every 10 minutes and can send real-time email, text message, and automated phone call alarms to an unlimited number of recipients and upload all the records for remote access to the LF cloud online application. To survive for this long on the battery, the device benefits from a unique patented algorithm to optimize battery life, maximize the sampling rate, and make sending real-time alarms possible. The key to long battery life is syncing the records with the cloud in a smart way when it is necessary.

Key Adjustable Intervals in LoggerFlex Dataloggers

There are two key adjustable intervals in every LoggerFlex datalogger:

1. Recording Interval: Also known as the sampling interval, this is the interval between two measurements. The datalogger hibernates between measurements to prolong its battery life. It wakes up based on the recording interval, measures the parameters it is supposed to monitor, compares the measurements with alarm criteria, and if a measured value is out of bounds, it goes into alarm mode. Otherwise, it records the measurement in its internal memory with a timestamp and returns to hibernation until the next designated recording time. The recording interval, like other parameters in the device, is adjustable by the user through the LF cloud web-based interface remotely. The recording interval can be as short as 1 minute (3 seconds by special order) and is set to 10 minutes by default. A BLOCK data recorder can continue recording for over 7 months (220 days) every 10 minutes without accessing the cloud, based on its internal memory size. If the device runs out of space in its internal memory, it will stop recording.

2. Syncing Interval: Also known as the uploading interval, this is the interval at which all the records in the internal memory are synced with the cloud. After the device verifies that the records are correctly copied to the cloud, it erases them from its internal memory to continue recording indefinitely. Syncing intervals are typically longer than recording intervals and can be set to every hour (or down to every minute by special order) and up to once a week, or manual mode for devices intended to work offline as dataloggers. The default syncing interval is every 24 hours. This means if all measurements are within the user’s defined minimum and maximum bounds, the records, although taken at shorter recording intervals, will only be uploaded to the cloud and available for viewing or analysis based on the syncing interval.

Refrigerator Example

For instance, if a datalogger installed to monitor the temperature in a refrigerator is set to record temperature every 10 minutes and sync with the cloud every 24 hours, with a maximum temperature alarm set at 40°F (4.4°C), then if the temperature remains below 40°F (4.4°C) for the entire day (24 hours), new readings will only appear on the cloud every 24 hours. After syncing, all the records of the day (every 10 minutes) will be available for viewing, rendering in graph format, or extracting as raw data or automatic food safety reports according to FDA regulations.

Alarm Criteria & Handling Interrupt Alarms

Depending on the device model, minimum and maximum levels can be set for the alarm boundaries of some or all of the measured parameters. If a measured parameter is out of bounds, the device automatically enters alarm mode and remains in alarm mode as long as the measurements stay out of bounds.

There are other types of alarms that LoggerFlex dataloggers and alarm systems can detect and report, which are not measurement-based but interrupt-based, such as flood or dry contact alarm outputs from a third-party device, a duress button, a door magnet, or any other source of alarm. For example, if a flood occurs, the device will wake up immediately and sync with the cloud without delay, allowing the server to promptly send notification emails, texts, and calls to the recipients.

Alarm Mode

When entering alarm mode, the device reports the latest measurement to the cloud along with all unsynced records in its internal memory immediately, enabling the server to notify the user. Upon entering alarm mode, the recording interval shortens to 1 minute and the syncing interval to every hour, providing a more accurate picture of the events during the alarm and giving faster updates to the user. The user will be reminded of the emergency every hour as long as the alarm condition persists. When the parameters return within range, the device will sync again to report the latest conditions and revert to its original syncing and recording configuration.

Refrigerator Example

If the temperature exceeds 40°F (4.4°C), it will be detected in a maximum of 10 minutes (depending on the recording, not syncing, interval). Regardless of the syncing interval settings, alarms will be pushed to the recipients, and new data will be synced (60 records with each upload) every hour. In other words, the shorter syncing interval does not affect the latency of receiving the alarms but impacts the device's battery life.