Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What does the flashing Status indicator at startup mean?
A. Immediately after powerup, the Chainsaw logger will test the tricolour Status indicator by flashing Green then Blue then Red, then a one second pause.
Next, it will display the status of each of the 8 temperature sensors. A sensor that is plugged in and working is indicated with a quick Green blink. A sensor that is not plugged in, has a broken cable, or is otherwise not working is indicated with a quick Red blink.
After temperature sensor staus is displayed, another 1 second pause. If the Chainsaw is unable to detect the internet, Status will rapidly flash Red until connectivity is established.

Q2. What is the normal Status indicator sequence?
A. Normally, The Chainsaw slowly flashes the Status indicator Green to indicate it is operating normally. If the indicator doesn't flash, something is wrong.

Q3. Why does Status sometimes flash blue or red?
A. The Chainsaw incorporates our own "Adaptive Logging" technique
Routine updates are sent every 5 minutes, but each sensor is continuously monitored. If anything changes by more than 1 degree C, an update is immediately sent unless:
1. Status was sent less than 30 seconds ago; or
2. Status is due to be sent within 30 seconds.
If condition 1. is met, Status will flash Red/Green.
If condition 2. is met, Status will flash Blue/Green.

Q4. Can I swap sensors?
A. No. Each sensor is actually a microprocessor, and has its own unique ID.
The Chainsaw is configured to each sensor during assembly. Depending on your network, we may be able to do it remotely.

Q5. Can I get the raw data?
A. Yes. Sensor data for a given time range can be downloaded in CSV form from the portal.

Q6. Can I use the graph on my website?
A. Yes. You can link directly to the image file. For example: 

<img src="http://logging.net.au/sample/boiler.hot.gif">
will display

Q7. Is my data secure?
A. You can choose to have your logging data either:

Q8. Does the unit store data locally if the internet is down?
A. A minimal amount of data is stored locally. With realtime graphing and alarms, storing and sending data later makes little sense. Our hosted logging application can be configured to generate an alarm if it doesn't get timely updates from your logger.

Q9. How does the Power Monitor function work?
A. The Power Monitor option is a 3-pin mains inline adapter which detects when a 240V device is turned on. The Chainsaw records the state (on/off) and also an accumulated run time (seconds).
Up to 3 Power Monitors can be connected to a standard Chainsaw

Q10. Why am I seeing temperatures of -98 or -99 degrees?
A. While the sensors can return temperatures from -55 to +125 degrees C, there are two special conditions the logging system handles specifically and differently. Where a sensor is not configured (a customer has ordered a 4-channel logger but is trying to display channel 5 or above) an UNCONFIGURED sensor will show as -99. Where a configured sensor has failed or is unplugged, the system will show as -98. This allows filtering of bad data, or detection of failed sensors.
If all sensors show -98, there is either a short circuit on the bus (could be on any sensor lead) or excessive noise being induced onto the bus. Carefully check your cabling. Unplugging sensors and re-testing may help isolate the fault(s).