Vernier LabQuest 2 User manual

2
Reference Guide
v1.01
©Vernier Software & Technology

LabQuest 2 Reference Guide
i
SAFETY INFORMATION
Federal Communication Commission Interference Statement
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device,
pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection
against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can
radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions,
may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that
interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful
interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment
off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the
following measures:
Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver
is connected.
Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
FCC Caution
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two
conditions:
(1) this device may not cause harmful interference and
(2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause
undesired operation
RF Exposure Warning
The equipment complies with RF exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled environment. The
antenna(s) used for this transmitter must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any
other antenna or transmitter.
You are cautioned that changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible
for compliance could void your authority to operate the equipment.
IC Statement
This device complies with Industry Canada license-exempt RSS standard(s). Operation is subject
to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause interference, and (2) this device
must accept any interference, including interference that may cause undesired operation of the
device.
Industry Canada - Class B This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio
noise emissions from digital apparatus as set out in the interference-causing equipment standard
entitled “Digital Apparatus,” ICES-003 of Industry Canada. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions: (1) this device may not cause interference, and (2) this device must accept any
interference, including interference that may cause undesired operation of the device. To reduce
potential radio interference to other users, the antenna type and its gain should be so chosen that
the equivalent isotropically radiated power (e.i.r.p.) is not more than that permitted for successful
communication.

LabQuest 2 Reference Guide
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RF exposure warning: The equipment complies with RF exposure limits set forth for an
uncontrolled environment. The antenna(s) used for this transmitter must not be co-located or
operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter.
Le présent appareil est conforme aux CNR d’Industrie Canada applicables aux appareils radio
exempts de licence. L’exploitation est autorisée aux deux conditions suivantes : (1) l’appareil ne
doit pas produire de brouillage, et (2) l’appareil doit accepter tout interférence radioélectrique,
même si cela résulte à un brouillage susceptible d’en compromettre le fonctionnement.
Cet appareil numérique respecte les limites de bruits radioélectriques applicables aux appareils
numériques de Classe B prescrites dans la norme sur le matériel interférant-brouilleur:
“Appareils Numériques,” NMB-003 édictée par industrie Canada. L’utilisation est soumise aux
deux conditions suivantes: (1) cet appareil ne peut causer d’interférences, et (2) cet appareil doit
accepter toutes interférences, y comprises celles susceptibles de provoquer un disfonctionnement
du dispositif. Afin de réduire les interférences radio potentielles pour les autres utilisateurs, le
type d’antenne et son gain doivent être choisie de telle façon que l’équivalent de puissance
isotrope émis (e.i.r.p) n’est pas plus grand que celui permis pour une communication établie.
Avertissement d’exposition RF: L’équipement est conforme aux limites d’exposition aux RF
établies pour un environnement non supervisé. L’antenne (s) utilisée pour ce transmetteur ne
doit pas être jumelés ou fonctionner en conjonction avec toute autre antenne ou transmetteur.
ABOUT THIS GUIDE
LabQuest 2, released in March 2012, ships with a Quick-Start Guideintended to get you up
and running with basic data collection and analysis. The LabQuest 2 Reference Guide is an
extended guide designed as a comprehensive resource detailing the features, hardware, and
software of LabQuest 2.

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CONTENTS
I. GETTING STARTED WITH LABQUEST 2.........................................................................................1
What’s Included .................................................................................................................1
Using LabQuest 2 for the First Time..................................................................................1
Quick Start to Data Collection ...........................................................................................2
II. LABQUEST HARDWARE....................................................................................................................4
Power Button......................................................................................................................4
Touch Screen......................................................................................................................5
Hardware Keys ...................................................................................................................5
Sensor Ports........................................................................................................................5
Internal Sensors ..................................................................................................................6
III. LABQUEST APP..................................................................................................................................7
Navigating LabQuest App..................................................................................................8
File Menu ...........................................................................................................................9
Data Collection.................................................................................................................11
Data Analysis ...................................................................................................................18
Viewing Vernier Lab Instructions....................................................................................24
Adding Notes to Your Experiment...................................................................................25
Storing LabQuest App Files .............................................................................................25
Exporting LabQuest App files..........................................................................................26
Printing from LabQuest App............................................................................................26
IV. USING LABQUEST 2 WITH A MOBILE DEVICE .............................................................................28
V. USING LABQUEST WITH A COMPUTER ........................................................................................31
Collecting Data with Logger Lite or Logger Pro.............................................................31
Transferring Data from LabQuest to a Computer ............................................................31
VI. EMAILING FROM LABQUEST..........................................................................................................33
VII. WIRELESSLY PRINTING FROM LABQUEST..................................................................................34
VIII. PROJECTING AND MONITORING STUDENTS’ LABQUEST DEVICES........................................35
IX. ADDITIONAL APPS ON LABQUEST................................................................................................36
Audio Function Generator................................................................................................36
Periodic Table...................................................................................................................36
Power Amplifier ...............................................................................................................37
Calculator .........................................................................................................................37
Sound Recorder ................................................................................................................37
Stopwatch .........................................................................................................................37
APPENDIX A. LABQUEST 2 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
APPENDIX B. LABQUEST MAINTENANCE
APPENDIX C. LICENSE INFORMATION
APPENDIX D. WARRANTY
APPENDIX E. ACCESSORIES, REPLACEMENT PARTS, AND RELATED PRODUCTS

I. GETTING STARTED WITH LABQUEST 2
What’s Included
LabQuest 2 interface
Rechargeable battery
Power adapter
USB cable
Quick-Start Guide
Stylus (in unit)
Stylus tether
Logger Lite CD
Using LabQuest 2 for the First Time
Install the Battery
LabQuest 2 ships without the battery installed. To install the battery, follow these simple
instructions.
Turn LabQuest over and open the battery door by sliding the door lock and lifting the
battery cover.
Remove the small protective sticker covering the battery contacts.
Install the battery with the label side up, ensuring the battery contacts align with the
contacts on LabQuest.
Replace the battery door and make sure the door lock clicks closed.
LabQuest with battery door removed
Charge for 8 Hours
We recommend charging the battery for eight hours prior to using LabQuest for the first time on
battery power. To do this, connect the included power adapter to LabQuest and an AC power
source. You can also charge LabQuest using the LabQuest 2 Charging Station(order code
LQ2-CRG, sold separately).

Getting Started with LabQuest 2
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LabQuest uses a high-quality lithium-ion battery. This is the same chemistry used in premium
laptop and cell phone batteries, and you can expect similar performance. There is never a need to
condition the battery by regular full discharge/charge cycles.
It is safe to leave the battery charging indefinitely, and there is no need to fully discharge the
battery before charging. Battery life will depend on the sensors used, but in most cases you can
obtain six or more hours of use before recharging. We recommend charging LabQuest overnight
to start the next day with a full charge. For more details about the battery, see LabQuest Battery.
Quick Start to Data Collection
Follow these steps to get up and running quickly with basic data collection. For more details, see
Data Collection.
1. Turn on LabQuest by pressing and releasing the
power button located on the top edge of LabQuest.
The LabQuest App will launch automatically.
2. Connect an analog sensor to the CH 1 port on
LabQuest (or connect a digital sensor to the DIG 1
port). LabQuest App will auto-ID the connected
sensor and automatically set up the default
collection rate for the sensor.
Note: If your sensor is an older-style (DIN) sensor
requiring an adapter, the sensor will not auto-ID.
Instead, you will need to set up the sensor manually.
To do this, tap the Sensors menu and choose Sensor
Setup. Next, tap the field labeled “No Sensor” adjacent to the appropriate port to view a list
of sensors. Tap to select the sensor.
3. Next, tap Collect . Data collection will begin
and LabQuest will graph the data collection in real
time.
You can stop collection early by tapping Stop .

Getting Started with LabQuest 2
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4. Once data collection is complete, the graph
autoscales to the data. Tap the graph to examine a
point of interest. The coordinates of the point are
shown in the pane to the right of the graph. Tap
another point or tap the Examine buttons to move
the cursor left and right .
5. To select a region of data for analysis, tap-and-drag
across the graph to highlight the desired region.
Note: To analyze all of the data, you do not need to select a region.
Statistics
To view statistics for the selected data, tap Analyze
on the Graph screen, then choose Statistics. Tap the
checkbox to select a data set. The statistics
information is then displayed in the panel to the
right of the graph.
To remove the displayed statistics, tap Analyze on
the Graph screen, choose Statistics, then tap the
checkbox to unselect the data set.
Curve Fit
To fit a curve to the selected data, tap Analyze on
the Graph screen, then choose Curve Fit. Tap the
checkbox to select a data set. On the Curve Fit
screen, tap Choose Fit, then choose the type of
equation you would like to fit to the data.
LabQuest App will automatically determine the fit
coefficients. A preview of the fit applied to the data
Note: The Curve Fit coefficients cannot be manually
adjusted. To enter your own parameters, see the
sub-section Model within Data Analysis.
On the Curve Fit screen, tap OK to apply the fit and return to the Graph screen.
To remove the fit, tap Analyze on the Graph screen, choose Curve Fit, then tap the checkbox
to unselect the data set.

II. LABQUEST HARDWARE
Once LabQuest 2 is connected to AC power or the battery has been charged, press the power
button located on the top of the unit, near the left edge. LabQuest will complete its booting
procedure and then launch the LabQuest App by default, as shown above. If the screen does not
light after a moment, connect the power adapter to LabQuest and to an AC power source and try
the button again.
Power Button
Power on –If the screen is off for any reason (LabQuest is off, asleep, or the screen has
turned off to conserve battery power) pressing and releasing the power button once will
turn LabQuest back on. If LabQuest was off, LabQuest will also complete its booting
procedure which takes about a minute and then display LabQuest App.
Sleep/wake –When LabQuest is on, pressing and releasing the power button once will
put LabQuest into a sleep mode. Note that the sleep mode does not start until you release
the power button. In this mode, LabQuest uses less power but the battery can still drain.
This mode is useful if you are going to return to data collection again soon, in which case
waking LabQuest from sleep is quicker than a cold boot. To wake LabQuest from sleep,
simply press and release the power button.
Shut down –To shut down LabQuest, hold the power button down for about five
seconds. You will then see a message indicating that LabQuest is shutting down. Release
the power button, and allow LabQuest to shutdown. To cancel the shutdown procedure at
this point, simply tap Cancel. You can also shutdown LabQuest by tapping Home ,
tapping the System folder, then tapping Shut Down .
Emergency Shutdown –If you hold the power button down for about eight seconds, the
unit will power off uncleanly. This is the same as pulling the battery out of the unit while
it is running. This is not recommended unless LabQuest is frozen, as you may lose your
data and potentially cause file system corruption.

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Touch Screen
LabQuest has an LED backlit resistive touch screen that quickly responds to pressure exerted on
the screen. LabQuest is controlled primarily by touching the screen. The software is designed to
be finger-friendly. In some situations, you may desire having more control for precise
navigation. In such cases, we recommend using the included stylus.
If you are having trouble viewing the color screen or are using LabQuest outside in bright
sunlight, we recommend changing to the High Contrast mode. From the Home menu, tap
Preferences, then Light & Power. Tap the checkbox for High Contrast to enable this mode.
Hardware Keys
In addition to using the touch screen, the three hardware keys
can also be used to control your LabQuest.
Collect –This key starts and stops data collection within
LabQuest App
Home –This key launches the Home screen
Escape –This key closes most applications, menus, and
exits dialog boxes without taking action (i.e., cancels
dialog boxes)
Sensor Ports
LabQuest has three analog sensor ports (CH 1, CH 2, and CH 3) for analog sensors such as our
pH Sensor, Temperature Sensor, and Force Sensor. Also included is a full-size USB port for
USB sensors, USB thumb drives, and USB printers. In addition to the power button, the top edge
of LabQuest has two digital sensor ports (DIG 1 and DIG 2) for Motion Detectors, Drop
Counters, and other digital sensors.

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Also located on the top edge are the audio ports and a micro SD card slot for expanding disk
storage. On the side opposite of the analog ports, there is a stylus storage slot, an AC power port
for recharging the battery, and a mini USB port for connecting LabQuest to a computer. In
between these ports, there is a serial connection for charging the unit in a LabQuest 2 Charging
Station(order code LQ2-CRG, sold separately), and a stylus tether attachment point.
Internal Sensors
LabQuest also has several built-in sensors, including a GPS, microphone, accelerometers,
temperature sensor, and relative light sensor.
To enable internal sensors within LabQuest App, tap Sensors, and choose Sensor Setup. Within
the Sensor Setup dialog box, tap a checkbox to enable the associated sensor. Then tap OK to
return to the LabQuest App Meter screen.
Sensor Setup dialog box