Measurement Computing USB-5100 Series Reference guide

USB-5100 Series
USB Data Loggers for Windows® and Mac®
Software Help
Document Revision 6
December 2015
© Copyright 2015

SM USB-5100.docx
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3
Table of Contents
About this Help Document...................................................................................................................6
What you will learn from this help document ....................................................................................................6
Conventions in this user's guide .........................................................................................................................6
Where to find more information.........................................................................................................................6
Chapter 1
Introducing USB-5100 Series...............................................................................................................7
Getting Started....................................................................................................................................................7
Installing USB-5100 Series Software.................................................................................................................7
Installing USB-5100 Series Software ............................................................................................................................... 7
Checking for Software Updates........................................................................................................................................ 7
A Tour of the USB-5100 Series Software Interface...........................................................................................8
The Points Table............................................................................................................................................................... 8
The Details Pane............................................................................................................................................................... 9
The Plot............................................................................................................................................................................10
Chapter 2
Working with USB-5100 Series Data Loggers..................................................................................11
Connecting Devices..........................................................................................................................................11
Connecting a USB logger ................................................................................................................................................11
Disconnecting a Device ...................................................................................................................................................11
Connecting Multiple Devices...........................................................................................................................................11
Launching Devices ...........................................................................................................................................12
Launch Logger Dialog Box ..............................................................................................................................12
Launch Options for USB-5100 Series Data Loggers........................................................................................13
Logger Information..........................................................................................................................................................13
Sensors.............................................................................................................................................................................13
Deployment......................................................................................................................................................................14
Options.............................................................................................................................................................................15
Using Launch Utilities......................................................................................................................................15
Configuring a Filter Series at Launch ..............................................................................................................................15
Configuring a Data Assistant (Scaling)............................................................................................................................16
Configure Alarms ............................................................................................................................................................18
Statistics: Maximum, Minimum, Average, and Standard Deviation ................................................................20
Filtered Series vs. Statistics Logging................................................................................................................21
Burst Logging...................................................................................................................................................22
Checking the Device Status..............................................................................................................................24
The Status Dialog Box......................................................................................................................................25
Device Identification........................................................................................................................................................25
Device Details..................................................................................................................................................................25
Current Readings .............................................................................................................................................................25
Stopping a Device.............................................................................................................................................26
Chapter 3
Reading Out, Plotting, and Analyzing Data......................................................................................27
Reading Out Data .............................................................................................................................................27
Plotting Data.....................................................................................................................................................28
Opening Files....................................................................................................................................................30
Working with Plots...........................................................................................................................................30
Actions..............................................................................................................................................................31
Menus...............................................................................................................................................................31
Using the Arrow Tool.......................................................................................................................................32

4
Using the Crosshair Tool..................................................................................................................................32
Zooming, Panning, and Smart Scaling Plots ....................................................................................................33
Zooming...........................................................................................................................................................................33
Panning............................................................................................................................................................................33
Smart Scaling...................................................................................................................................................................33
Copying the Plot...............................................................................................................................................34
Closing a Plot ...................................................................................................................................................34
Printing Plot Elements......................................................................................................................................34
Printing a Graph...............................................................................................................................................................34
Printing Points and Details...............................................................................................................................................34
Chapter 4
Modifying a Plot ..................................................................................................................................35
Setting Properties for Plot Elements.................................................................................................................35
Setting Axis Properties ....................................................................................................................................................36
Setting Series Properties...................................................................................................................................37
Setting Legend Properties.................................................................................................................................38
Setting Title Properties.....................................................................................................................................39
Setting View Properties....................................................................................................................................39
Adding a Graph Label ......................................................................................................................................40
Moving a Series from Front to Back on the Plot ..............................................................................................41
Filtering a Series...............................................................................................................................................41
Hiding/Showing or Removing a Series from a Plot..........................................................................................42
Copying a Series to Another Plot .....................................................................................................................42
Overlaying Series.............................................................................................................................................................42
Merging Files....................................................................................................................................................43
Converting Units...............................................................................................................................................44
Undoing and Redoing Plot Changes.................................................................................................................45
Saving Project Files..........................................................................................................................................45
Using the Linear Data Assistant (USB-5106 Only)..........................................................................................45
Default Settings................................................................................................................................................................45
Hiding Assistants.............................................................................................................................................................45
Updating the Linear Scaling Assistant.............................................................................................................................45
License Agreement ..........................................................................................................................................................46
Linear Scaling Assistant...................................................................................................................................46
Using the Linear Scaling Assistant..................................................................................................................................46
Exporting Data..................................................................................................................................................47
Exporting Table Data........................................................................................................................................47
Exporting Details..............................................................................................................................................48
Formatting the Date/Time Column in Excel.....................................................................................................49
Chapter 5
Hardware Reference ...........................................................................................................................50
Updating USB-5100 Series Logger Firmware..................................................................................................50
Determining the installed firmware version:....................................................................................................................50
Updating the firmware.....................................................................................................................................................50
Fixing a Read Header Failed Error...................................................................................................................51
Chapter 6
Preferences..........................................................................................................................................52
Setting Preferences...........................................................................................................................................52
General Preferences..........................................................................................................................................52

5
Export Settings.................................................................................................................................................................52
Selecting Devices.............................................................................................................................................................52
File Associations..............................................................................................................................................................53
Startup..............................................................................................................................................................................53
Data Encoding .................................................................................................................................................................53
Export Settings .................................................................................................................................................53
Communications Preferences ...........................................................................................................................54
Other Options...................................................................................................................................................................55
Plotting Preferences .........................................................................................................................................................55
Fonts................................................................................................................................................................................55
Layout..............................................................................................................................................................................55
Points Table & Details Pane ............................................................................................................................................55
Gridlines ..........................................................................................................................................................................55
Plot Setup.........................................................................................................................................................................55
Other Options...................................................................................................................................................................56
Undo & Redo...................................................................................................................................................................56
Display Preferences..........................................................................................................................................56
Default Units....................................................................................................................................................................56
Date/Time ........................................................................................................................................................................56
Series ...............................................................................................................................................................................57
Warnings Preferences.......................................................................................................................................57
General.............................................................................................................................................................................58
Warnings Before the Launch Screen................................................................................................................................58
Warning After the Launch Screen....................................................................................................................................58
Restoring Default Preferences..........................................................................................................................59
Menus...............................................................................................................................................................59
The USB-5100 Series Menu ............................................................................................................................................59
The File Menu..................................................................................................................................................................60
The Device Menu.............................................................................................................................................................60
The Edit Menu.................................................................................................................................................................61
The View Menu ...............................................................................................................................................................61
The Window Menu..........................................................................................................................................................62
The Help Menu................................................................................................................................................................62
The Toolbar......................................................................................................................................................62
Setting the Language/Format on Your Computer.............................................................................................63
On Windows....................................................................................................................................................................63
On Macintosh OS X.........................................................................................................................................................63

6
About this Help Document
What you will learn from this help document
This help document describes the Measurement Computing USB-5100 Series.
Conventions in this user's guide
Note
Text presented in a box signifies additional information related to the subject matter.
bold text Bold text is used for the names of objects on a screen, such as buttons, text boxes, and check boxes.
italic text Italic text is used for the names of manuals and help topic titles, and to emphasize a word or phrase.
Where to find more information
Additional information about USB-5100 Series is available on our website at www.mccdaq.com. You can also
contact Measurement Computing Corporation with specific questions.
Knowledgebase: kb.mccdaq.com
Tech support form: www.mccdaq.com/support/support_form.aspx
Email: [e-mail]
Phone: [phone] and follow the instructions for reaching Tech Support


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Chapter 1
Introducing USB-5100 Series
USB-5100 Series is used for launching, reading out, and plotting data from USB-5100 Series data loggers.
Launch and read out USB-5100 Series data loggers
Check the logger status and current readings
Plot, filter, and export data
Save changes to graphs in a project file
Getting Started
Follow the instructions in the USB-5100 Series Getting Started to install the software, connect your logger,
launch, and readout data. You can expect to be comfortable with software fundamentals within a few minutes.
For an introduction to the software interface, see A Tour of the USB-5100 Series Interface.
Installing USB-5100 Series Software
You can download and install USB-5100 Series software from the MCC website.
Note: You must be an administrator to install USB-5100 Series software.
If you have additional questions, please contact MCC Technical Support.
Installing USB-5100 Series Software
Refer to the ReadMe.rtf file installed with the software for detailed information about the system
requirements needed to run USB-5100 Series.
Installing on Windows
You must be an administrator to install USB-5100 Series.
1. Download the USB-5100 Series for Windows from www.mccdaq.com/software.aspx.
2. Run the USB-5100 Series_Setup.exe installer file and follow the onscreen instructions.
The Java™ Runtime Environment is required. If the correct Java Runtime Environment version is not
already installed on your computer, the setup program asks if you want to install it. Click Yes and follow
the prompts. After the Java Runtime Environment is installed, the software installation continues.
3. Launch the software by double-clicking the USB-5100 Series icon .
The software is installed by default to \Measurement Computing\USB-5100 Series.
Installing on Macintosh
1. Oracle Java is available from www.java.com. Download a disk image for the Java Runtime Environment
(JRE) for Java 7 or higher and install it before installing the USB-5100 Series software.
2. Download the USB-5100 Series for Mac OS X from www.mccdaq.com/software.aspx.
3. Launch the USB-5100 Series.pkg file, and follow the onscreen instructions.
4. Click Restart when you reach the final screen of the installation program. The software does not recognize
your logger until you have restarted.
5. After restarting, launch the software by double-clicking the USB-5100 Series icon in the computer
Applications folder.
Checking for Software Updates
Periodically check for updates to USB-5100 Series at www.mccdaq.com/software.aspx.

USB-5100 Series Software Help Introducing USB-5100 Series
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A Tour of the USB-5100 Series Software Interface
This is the main USB-5100 Series window. Use the menu bar or tool bar to access all the features within the
software. The status bar at the bottom of the window shows the current view in place (as selected from the
Window menu) as well as the device currently selected or connected.
1 Points table 3 Plot
2
Details pane
Figure 1. Main USB-5100 Series Window
This example shows a file that has been opened and plotted. There are three components to a plotted data file:
the Points Table, the Details Pane, and the Plot.
The Points Table
The Points Table lists data points (values) and logged events displayed in the plot. The Points Table is linked to
the graph – only the data for the series and events on the plot are listed in the Points Table.
Figure 2. Points Table
The data points are listed chronologically. Each point or event is listed in a single row and each series or event
type is displayed in a column. You can resize the columns by clicking and dragging the dividers between the
column headers.

USB-5100 Series Software Help Introducing USB-5100 Series
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To navigate the Points Table:
Use the arrow keys or scroll bars to move up, down, left, and right in the Points Table.
Click the crosshair tool in the plot to select the corresponding point in the Points Table.
Click a value or event cell in the Points Table to display the crosshair on the graph at the time
corresponding to that cell.
To resize the pane, drag the divider between the Points Table and the plot.
To hide the Points Table, clear the View»Points Table checkbox option.
To hide the Points Table by default when you plot data, complete the following steps:
1. Select File»Preferences»Plotting»Layout.
2. Clear the Show the points table when plotting data checkbox.
The Details Pane
The Details Pane shows information for each series and event displayed in the plot including:
Information about the devices, such as model and serial numbers.
Deployment information, such as the launch description, deployment number, start time and time zone,
logging interval, and battery voltage at launch.
Series statistics, such as the total number of sensor samples and events, time of the first and last sample, and
the maximum, minimum, average, and standard deviation for each sensor series in the plot,
Figure 3. Details Pane
Click to expand or to collapse an entry in the Details Pane. Click Show All/Hide All to expand or collapse
the entire details tree.
Click a series node in the details tree to select the corresponding series on the graph and corresponding column
in the Points Table.
To resize the pane, drag the divider between the Details pane and the graph.
Right-click a series to hide it on the plot and in the Points table. The hidden series will be grayed out in the
Details Pane. Right-click a grayed out series to show that series or select Show All Hidden Series to show all
series that were previously hidden.
To hide the Details Pane, clear the View»Details Panecheckbox option.
To hide the Details pane by default when you plot data, complete the following steps:
1. Select File»Preferences»Plotting»Layout.
2. Clear the Show the details table when plotting data checkbox.

USB-5100 Series Software Help Introducing USB-5100 Series
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The Plot
The plot displays the data series and events in a graph. The plot has a time axis (x-axis) and a value axis (y-axis)
for each series selected in the Plot Setup dialog box. The title is displayed at the top of the plot by default. The
title text comes from the Description field in the Plot Setup dialog box.
The legend lists the keys (line colors and marker types) for each series, and is displayed to the right of the plot
by default. If the crosshair tool is in use, it also lists the date, time and point values currently selected by the
crosshair.
Figure 4. Plot Display
To hide the title, clear the View»Title checkbox.
To hide the legend, clear the View»Legend checkbox.
Double-click a plot element (series, axis, title, or legend) to change its properties, or right-click the plot and
select the item from the context menu.
For more information about working with the plot, see Reading Out, Plotting, and Analyzing Data.

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Chapter 2
Working with USB-5100 Series Data Loggers
Working with USB-5100 Series data loggers involves the following basic steps:
1. Connect the logger to the computer for the initial setup and launch.
2. Configure the options for the logger deployment and then launch the logger.
3. Check the status of the logger and any existing readings while it is still connected to the computer. This
helps verify that the launch is configured as expected.
4. After deploying the logger, read out all recorded data and save it to a file.
5. After reading out the logger and saving the data, select and define the data series to plot in a graph. Data
Assistants may be available for certain loggers to automatically scale data when plotting.
6. Analyze the data and customize the plot using the tools for exporting, filtering, merging files, and more.
7. Save changes to the axis, series, plot, and legend properties as well as any filtering or merging to a project
file (.hproj).
Connecting Devices
Connect a USB-5100 Series data logger to the computer with the USB cable that shipped with the device.
Once a device is properly connected to the computer as described below, the device name is listed in the status
bar at the bottom of the main USB-5100 Series window.
Note (Windows only)
If the device has never been connected to this computer before, it may take some time for the computer to detect
the new device and report that it has connected successfully. One or more messages display, indicating that new
hardware has been found. You may also hear a chime.
Your computer may prompt you to reboot before you can use the device. It is not necessary to reboot.
Connecting a USB logger
To connect a logger to a computer using a USB cable, complete the following steps:
1. Launch the USB-5100 Series software.
2. Plug the large end of the USB interface cable into a USB port on the computer.
3. Plug the small end of the USB interface cable into the port on the device.
Disconnecting a Device
To disconnect the logger, unplug the USB cable.
Connecting Multiple Devices
If your computer has multiple USB ports, you can connect multiple loggers and work with them one at a time.
When multiple loggers are connected, the Select Device dialog box opens every time you select Launch,
Readout, Stop, or Status from the Device menu. Click the button next to a device to select it, then click OK.
The selected action then proceeds. The status bar lists the number of devices connected.
To display the Select Device dialog box at any time, click the Select Device icon on the toolbar, or select
Device»Select Device. Check the serial number (S/N) on your devices to make sure that it matches the one
selected in this dialog box.

USB-5100 Series Software Help Working with USB-5100 Series Data Loggers
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Launching Devices
To set up a logger to record data, you must configure several options and launch the logger.
To launch a logger, complete the following steps:
1. Connect the logger to the computer.
2. Click the Launch icon on the toolbar, or select Device»Launch.
3. Different messages may display depending on the state of the logger. Answer each of the prompts
accordingly.
Note
A warning displays if the logger has already been launched. Click Yes to continue or click No to cancel.
A warning displays if the logger has recorded data since its last readout. Click Yes to proceed to the Launch
Logger window, or click No to cancel the launch and read out the data first. Because loggers are tested before
shipping, there may be data in your logger the first time you launch it. In this case, it is not necessary to read out
the logger. Click Yes to proceed.
4. Select the options for the launch in the Launch Logger dialog box.
5. Click Start when you finish configuring launch settings. Note that the caption on the Start button changes
depending on when you chose logging to begin. The software displays the progress of the launch and warns
you not to unplug the logger while it is being configured.
Once the logger begins logging, it continues logging until the memory is full (if configured for this condition),
the logger is stopped, or the battery runs out.
Launch Logger Dialog Box
Use the Launch Logger dialog box to set up your logger to record data. The Launch Logger dialog box is
divided into the following three panes:
Logger Information: The name of the logger currently selected displays at the top of this pane, along with
the serial number, deployment number, and current battery level.
Use the Description field to enter a name (up to 40-characters) for the logger deployment. The description
is used as the default file name when you read out the logger and save the data. It is also the default title on
the plot. For new loggers, the description defaults to the logger serial number.
Click Status in this pane to see the current status of the logger and the settings used on the previous launch.
Sensors: This pane displays a list of the sensors available for the logger. Choose the sensors, or channels,
that you want to log in this deployment, select any external sensors you may be using, and type labels for
sensors as needed. Labels may not be applied to some calculated or derived channels, such as filtered
series. This pane also displays any utilities available for your logger, such as Alarms, Scaling, and Filters.
Deployment: Use this pane to configure the logging interval and when the logger begins recording data.
Loggers can be configured to start logging immediately, on a specific date/time, at an interval, or by
pushing the button.
This pane also displays the logging duration, which is the approximate time it takes to fill the logger
memory based on the logging interval, sensors, and other configured options. You can also set a sampling
interval, a stop logging condition, and turn on/off the LCD.
When you are done configuring the launch options, click (Button/Delayed) Start in the lower right-hand corner
of the dialog box to send the settings to the logger. That the button text varies depending on the configured Start
Logging mode.

USB-5100 Series Software Help Working with USB-5100 Series Data Loggers
13
Launch Options for USB-5100 Series Data Loggers
Select Device»Launch to display the Launch Logger dialog box. The following launch options are available for
USB-5100 Series data loggers.
Figure 5. Launch Logger Dialog Box
Logger Information
Description: Enter a description (up to 40 characters) for the launch. This description is used as the default
file name when you read out and save the data recorded by the logger. It is also the default title of the plot.
Serial Number: Displays the serial number of the logger
Deployment Number: Displays the number of times (including this time) that the logger has been
launched.
Battery Level: Displays the current battery level in the logger.
Status button: Click Status to display the logger settings from the previous launch.
Sensors
The Sensors list displays all sensors available to record data. Choose the sensors (channels) that you want to log
in this deployment, and select the appropriate sensor type from the listbox. Enter a label for the sensor as
needed.
To change temperature units, select File»Preferences»Display»Default Unit System and select either SI (°C)
or US (°F) units.
If you are launching an analog sensor, you can also enter a custom unit (up to three characters) to display on the
LCD screen.
Although it is useful to see the connected sensors/devices when setting up the launch, it is not required that
you physically connect them while selecting sensor type options. You can set up the launch for a delayed or
push button start, then connect the sensors/devices later, before logging begins.
Important: Sensors that are connected after logging begins may not log accurate data.

USB-5100 Series Software Help Working with USB-5100 Series Data Loggers
14
Click the Alarms button to set an alarm for this logger. Note that the Logging Mode must be set to Normal
or Statistics to configure an alarm. For thermocouple loggers, alarms can only be configured on
thermocouple channels; they are not available on the internal 10 K thermistor (temperature) channel.
Click the Filters button to create additional filtered series for any of the configured channels. The filtered
series is automatically calculated when you read out the logger and plot the data.
You can record the logger battery voltage at each sample time; this is the last channel in the sensors list.
Like the other data channels, logging the internal battery channel consumes some of the logger memory.
Unless you suspect abnormal battery performance, you do not need to log the battery voltage. You can also
hide the battery channel with Series preferences (File»Preferences»Display»Series).
Although it is possible to set up more than one scaling value for each sensor, only the first scaling value for
that sensor will be used.
Labels do not apply to all calculated or derived channels, such as filtered series channels.
Deployment
Logging Interval: Select how often the logger records data. You can choose either one of the preset
logging intervals or specify a custom logging interval. The minimum logging interval is one second and the
maximum interval is a Custom interval of 18 hours, 12 minutes, and 15 seconds. The shorter the logging
interval, the more quickly memory fills and battery power is consumed.
Logging Mode: Select Normal, Burst Logging, or Statistics logging mode.
oNormal:Configures the logger to collect data at the selected logging interval.
oBurst Logging:Configures the logger to use a different logging interval when specific conditions are
met. Burst logging is not available for the internal temperature channel (if available).
The Burst Logging interval must be less than the Logging Interval.
oStatistics: Configures the logger to calculate maximum, minimum, average, and standard deviation
during logging for all enabled sensors except battery voltage. The more statistics you record, the
shorter the logger duration and the more memory is required. Once you launch the logger, the selected
statistics are displayed on the logger LCD. Statistics logging is not available for the internal
temperature channel.
If you select Burst or Statistics logging, an Edit button displays next to Logging Mode in the Launch
Logger dialog box. Click this button to make additional changes as necessary.
If you select Normal or Statistics logging, you can click Alarms to set an alarm for the logger.
Click Filters to create additional filtered series for any of the channels you configured. The filtered series is
automatically calculated when you read out the logger and plot the data.
You can record the logger battery voltage for each sample. Logging the internal battery channel consumes
logger memory. Unless you suspect abnormal battery performance, you do not need to log the battery
voltage. The logger records a bad battery event even if it is not logging the battery channel. You can also
hide the battery channel with Series preferences (select File»Preferences»Display»Series).
Logging Duration: Calculates the approximate time it takes to fill the logger memory based on the logging
interval, logging mode, and sensors currently selected. This is an estimate only – battery life and other
factors also affect the duration.
Start Logging: Select one of the following options to launch the logger:
oNow: Logging begins as soon as you click Start in the Launch Logger dialog box.
oAt Interval: Logging begins at an exact interval (for example 9:00:00 rather than 8:47:00 when you
choose a one-hour logging interval). The exact start time depends on the logging interval you choose.
oOn Date/Time: Logging begin at a date and time you enter, up to approximately six months from the
present. The LCD screen counts down to that start date/time and then logging begins.
oPush Button: Logging starts when you press the Start/Stop button on the logger and hold it down for
at least three seconds. The LCD screen on the logger displays Start until you press the button.
Stop Logging: Select one of the following options to stop the logger:
oWhen memory fills: The logger stops recording data once the memory is full.
oNever (wrapping): The logger records data continuously until either the logger battery runs out or you
stop it. When the logger memory is full, the newest data overwrites the oldest data. A wrap indicator
icon displays on the logger LCD screen.

USB-5100 Series Software Help Working with USB-5100 Series Data Loggers
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oPush button: The logger stops recording data when you press the Start/Stop button on the logger for
three seconds. The LCD screen on the logger displays Stop when this option has been selected.
oResume logging on next button push: Only available when Push button is selected as a Stop
Logging option. You can resume a stopped logger when the next logging interval is reached by
pressing the Start/Stop button for three seconds.
For example, you launch the logger and it starts logging immediately at 9:45:00 am with a logging
interval of 1 hour. You press the Start/Stop logging button once at 10:15:00 am to stop logging. You
press the Start/Stop logging button once again at 11:20:00 am to start logging. The logger does log
another sample until 11:45:00 am, which is the next sampling interval based on the 1-hour logging
interval. You can then continue to start and stop logging as often as you'd like during this same
deployment. Any gaps between when you stopped and restarted logging during this deployment are
reflected on the plotted data when you read out the logger. Once you relaunch the logger with the
software, a new deployment and data file is created. The data from the previous deployment is not
carried over to the new one.
oSpecific stop date: Select the date you want the logger to stop recording data. Choose either a preset
time or set your own custom date and time.
If you select a specific stop date and also have the logger configured to resume logging on the next
button push, then the logger stops logging at the date you select regardless of how many times you stop
and restart the logger with the Start/Stop button.
Options
Turn LCD off: Configure the logger to operate in stealth mode with the LCD screen turned off. You can
override this temporarily by pressing the Start/Stop button on the logger to turn the LCD on for 10 minutes.
Important: After you choose the launch settings in this dialog box and click Start, the settings are then loaded
into the logger. The LCD screen on the logger does display LOAD during this process. If you disconnect the
logger from the USB cable before this process is finished, Err displays on the LCD screen instead. If you see
Err at any point during launch configuration, check the USB connection between the computer and the logger,
reopen the Launch Logger dialog box and click Start again.
Using Launch Utilities
The Launch Logger dialog box includes the following utilities for setting up customized data series, configuring
alarms, and setting advanced logger options:
Filters
Alarms
Statistics: Maximum, Minimum, Average, and Standard Deviation
Filtered Series vs. Statistics Logging
Burst Logging
Configuring a Filter Series at Launch
As part of the launch setup, you can create a filtered series that automatically calculates additional values, such
as maximum, minimum, average, or total, for a set interval upon readout of the logger. The filtered series is
saved as an additional series in the data file so it is always available when plotting your data. This saves you the
time of manually filtering data for each series after readout using the regular USB-5100 Series filter tool,
although this tool is still available should you need to further filter data later.
Complete the following steps to set up a filtered series at launch:
1. Enable one or more channels and enter a name and LCD units for the channels.
2. Select the type of filter and the interval to use.
3. Edit the Resultant Series Name as needed and click Create New Series.
The newly created series is added to the Filtered Series list as shown below.

USB-5100 Series Software Help Working with USB-5100 Series Data Loggers
16
To make a change to a filtered series, either double-click the series name or select the series name and click
Edit.
To delete a filtered series, select the series name and click Delete.
Figure 6. Filter Series Dialog Box
4. Repeat steps 1 through 3 to create additional filtered series.
You can create filtered series for all channels and multiple filtered series on a single channel (for example,
you can show the maximum, minimum, and average temperature for a single temperature channel).
5. Click Done when finished. The number of filtered series that you created is displayed on the Filter button
in the Logger Launch dialog box.
After you launch the logger and read it out, the filtered series is automatically listed in the Plot Setup dialog,
from which you can select the series you wish to plot.
Note
If you change the GMT offset for the filtered series, the data points do not reflect that change. They do continue
to be filtered based on times within the original GMT offset at launch.
See Filtered Series vs. Statistics Logging for more information.
Configuring a Data Assistant (Scaling)
When you run a Data Assistant from the Launch Logger dialog box, you can create a derived series, which is an
additional data series automatically calculated each time you read out the logger. The Data Assistants dialog
box lists only those assistants available for the currently selected sensor and logger at launch time. There may
be other Data Assistants available for use after reading out the logger.
Complete the following steps to set up a derived series using the Linear Scaling Assistant:
1. Enable one or more channels and enter a name and LCD units for the channels.
2. Click Scaling to open the Data Assistants dialog box.
3. Select Linear Scaling Assistant and click Create.
4. Select the scaling parameters to apply to the selected series and click Save. The new series is added to the
My Derived Series list.

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Note: Although it is possible to set up more than one scaling value for each sensor on the USB-5106, only
the first scaling value for that sensor is used.
The example below shows a scaled series named Percentage set up for the first voltage channel (ch1).
Since channel 1 is using a 24-volt sensor, to set up the series to show a percentage, set the scaled value to
equal 100 ÷voltage =100 ÷24 =4.16.
Figure 7. Linear Scaling Assistant Example
5. Create additional scaled series as needed.
To change a derived series, either double-click the derived series name or select it and then click Edit.
To delete a derived series, select the series and then click Delete.
6. After you finish creating, editing, or deleting one or more derived series, click Done.
The total number of derived series created appears on Scaling button in the Launch Logger dialog box. Derived
series are also listed in the Status dialog box.
After you launch the logger and read it out, the derived series is automatically listed in the Plot Setup dialog,
from which you can select the series you want to plot.

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Configure Alarms
To set an alarm to trip when a sensor reading rises above or falls below a specified value, complete the
following steps:
1. Click Alarms in the Launch Logger dialog box.
If the Alarms button is disabled, make sure the Logging Mode is set to Normal or Statistics. Alarms are not
available for USB-5100 Series loggers when the Logging Mode is set to Burst.
2. In the Alarms dialog box, select the sensor that you want to have an alarm.
Figure 8. Filter Series Dialog Box

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oSelect the High Alarm checkbox to trip an alarm when the sensor reading rises above the high alarm
value. Enter the reading next to the High Alarm checkbox or drag the red upper slider. In this example,
the alarm trips when the temperature rises above 85 °F.
oSelect the Low Alarm checkbox to trip an alarm when the sensor reading falls below the low alarm
value. Enter in the reading next to the Low Alarm checkbox or drag the blue lower slider. In this
example, the alarm trips when the temperature falls below 32 °F.
Note: The actual values for the high and low alarm limits are set to the closest value supported by the
logger. For example, the closest value to 85 °F that the USB-5100 Series logger can record is
84.990 °F and the closest value to 32 °F is 32.043 °F. In addition, alarms can trip or clear when the
sensor reading is within the logger specifications of 0.02 °C resolution. This means the value that
triggers the alarm may differ slightly than the value entered. For example, if the High Alarm is set to
75.999 °F, the alarm can trip when the sensor reading is 75.994 °F (which is within the 0.02 °C
resolution).
3. Enter the Number of out-of-range samples displayed which is the number of samples needed to trigger
each alarm. For example, we've set this number to 5. This means that five sensor readings above 85 °F or
below 32 °F are required before the alarm trips. The time indicates how long it would take for the alarm to
trip based on the number of samples you entered and the LCD refresh rate. In the example above, it would
take 1 minute for the alarm to trip (only if Consecutive is selected as described in the next step).
4. Select either the Cumulative or Consecutive option for the Sensor Alarm Mode.
oCumulative:The alarm trips after the set number of samples are outside the limits (the high or low
samples do not need to be consecutive).
oConsecutive:The alarm trips after a specific number of samples (based on the Number of out-of-
range samples displayed setting) outside the limits are logged in a row.
5. Choose how long the logger should maintain the sensor alarm once it has tripped.
oHost has relaunched logger:Alarm remains visible on the LCD until the next time you launch the
logger.
oSensor reading within limits:Alarm clears once the sensor reading returns to the normal range
between the high and low alarm limits.
oCleared with button press:Alarm remains on and visible on the LCD until you press the Alarm
button on the logger.
6. Click OK to save the alarm settings and return to the Launch Logger dialog box.
Once the logger is launched, alarms trip as determined by these settings. Logger alarms display on the LCD
screen .
Important
Alarm limits are only checked when the LCD screen refreshes every 15 seconds. Therefore, if you set the
logging interval to less than 15 seconds and the sensor reading falls outside the alarms limits, the alarm is not
tripped until the next refresh cycle.
When you read out the logger, high and low alarm levels are displayed on the plot. In the example below, the
temperature rose above 85 °F so those readings are in the red, or high alarm, portion of the plot. The
temperature never fell below the low alarm limit, which is the blue portion at the bottom of the plot. USB-5100
Series loggers also display alarm events showing when the alarm tripped (and cleared if applicable). In this
example, there are Chan 1 Alarm Tripped and Chan 1 Alarm Cleared events showing when the
temperature alarm tripped and cleared. The Chan 1 Alarm Cleared event contains the value that was
furthest out of range for the sensor before the alarm cleared (see the Points table for the actual value).

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Figure 9. Alarms on a Plot
Statistics: Maximum, Minimum, Average, and Standard Deviation
You can configure USB-5100 Series loggers to calculate maximum, minimum, average, and standard deviation
statistics for all enabled sensors during logging at each logging interval based on samples taken at a rate you
specify. This results in up to four additional series per sensor that record the following information at each
logging interval:
The maximum, or highest, sampled value,
The minimum, or lowest, sampled value,
An average of all sampled values, and
The standard deviation from the average for all sampled values.
For example, with the logging interval set to five minutes, the sampling interval is set to 30 seconds, and
maximum, minimum, average, and standard deviation all enabled, once logging begins, the logger measures and
records the actual thermocouple values every five minutes. In addition, the logger takes a temperature sample
every 30 seconds and temporarily stores them in memory. The logger then calculates the maximum, minimum,
average, and standard deviation using the samples gathered over the previous five-minute period and logs the
resulting value(s). When reading out the logger, this results in five data series: one sensor series (with
temperature logged every five minutes) plus four maximum, minimum, average, and standard deviation series.
Notes
Statistics are not available for logging if Normal or Burst has been chosen as the Logging Mode in the Launch
Logger dialog box.
Statistics are only available on thermocouple channels and not on the internal temperature channel.
To configure statistics, complete the following steps
1. Select Statistics from the Logging Mode drop-down menu in the Launch Logger dialog box.
If Statistics has already been configured, click Edit.
2. Select the Maximum, Minimum, Average, and Standard Deviation checkboxes for each of the statistics
you want to calculate during logging. Note that Average is automatically selected when selecting Standard
Deviation.
Important
Statistics apply to all enabled sensors; every selected statistic is calculated for all sensors (except battery
voltage). For example, if thermocouples have been selected in the Launch Logger dialog box and you select
Average, then the average is calculated for temperature. The more statistics you record, the shorter the logger
duration and the more memory is required.