Logger Pro makes default calibrations available for all common units for supported sensors. Most Vernier sensors are auto-ID sensors. Auto-ID sensors can be either Smart sensors or Resistor-ID sensors. Smart sensors contain a memory chip that stores the calibration on the sensor. When Logger Pro identifies a resistor-ID sensor, it looks to the calibration database for the calibration information. Information about a sensor’s calibration can be found in the Calibration Storage tab of the Sensors dialog.
There are a couple of ways to view the Calibration Storage tab:
From the Experiment menu, choose Calibrate. Click the Calibration Storage tab.
From the Sensors dialog, click the channel of the sensor you are using and select Calibrate. Select the Calibration Storage tab from the Calibration dialog.
Calibration Storage Tab
The Calibration Storage tab contains information about the current calibration for the sensor. You can set the Calibration Retrieval Preference here.
Set Sensor Calibration
Clicking Set Sensor Calibration causes the current calibration to be written to memory on the sensor itself. You should only perform this action if you are sure that your current calibration needs to be available to all users of the sensor. Note: This option is only available for Smart sensors.
Set Sensor Factory Defaults
Selecting Set Sensor Factory Defaults will restore the factory-default settings to the memory chip in the auto-ID sensor.
A number of sensors, such as Dual-Range Force Sensors and Light Sensors, have switch settings with their own calibrations. If you choose to write the defaults to one of these sensors, you will be prompted to select which setting you wish to write calibration information to. Make certain the setting on the sensor matches that in the dialog.
Calibration Retrieval Preference
When an experiment file is opened, the desired units are obtained from the experiment file. Logger Pro will look for a calibration with the desired units in the location specified by the Calibration Retrieval Preference.
Sensor: Choose Sensor if you want Logger Pro to retrieve the calibration with the desired units from the memory chip in the sensor. This is the default setting for Smart sensors. If the sensor does not support this option, the option will be disabled.
Computer: Choose Computer if you want Logger Pro to retrieve the calibration with the desired units from the machine’s calibration database. This is the default for all non-Smart sensors.
Experiment File: Choose Experiment File if you want Logger Pro to retrieve the calibration with the desired units from the experiment file, overriding the values that would be obtained from the sensor or the local database.
Notes About Calibrations
The calibration database is also used for sensors that are not auto-ID.
When an experiment file is saved, the current calibration for each sensor is stored in that file, but the calibrations will only be used if Experiment File is selected as the Calibration Retrieval Preference.
In some cases you may want to create a special calibration that is not generally available but specific to a single experiment. For this reason Logger Pro also lets a single experiment file store calibration values for a sensor.