Multimeters and other instruments with
the capability to record measurements to
internal memory or upload them to a com-
puter are available from equipment suppliers
such as Fluke, AEMC, and Extech. You will
need the appropriate software from the meter
vendor. This may be included in the price of
the meter or available as a low-cost option
(typically in the range of $30 to $60). Addi-
tionally, you will need a data-link cable to con-
nect the meter to your PC, which is generally
included with the software and in most cases is
a serial port connection. By following normal
PC software installation procedures, and
selecting a communications port for your PC,
you should be ready to go in no time.
Most meters can be programmed to record
different intervals of data “hits.” For example,84 electrical systems troubleshooting
my Fluke 860 with FlukeView software allows
me to program data sampling in 1- to 45-second
intervals or 1- to 15-minute intervals. Depend-
ing upon what you are checking—rapid
change or change over extended periods of
time—this is an important adjustment. Also,
if you are monitoring over a 24-hour period,
you may want to extend the sample-rate
timeperiod to conserve hard drive space on
your PC.
No adjustments are required in how you
connect the meter to the circuit—volts, amps,
and ohms are tested the same way as with
non-data-logging instruments. The only
essential difference is the use of spring-loaded
alligator clips instead of straight test probes
to hold the leads in place while the meter goes
to work.A somewhat outmoded laptop or PC capable of running Windows 95 or better is generally sufficient to capture output
from most equipment into data-logging software.