If your schools is moving to Chromebooks, you may wonder what the most cost-effective path to use Vernier sensors would be. Each school is a bit different, so this guide is intended to help you navigate some of the most common questions.

If you are starting from scratch, the answer is easy—purchase Go Direct sensors. These will connect directly to Chromebooks by Bluetooth or USB.

If your school is like most, you probably already have at least some Vernier sensors. If so, and they are still in working order, you may already have the hardware you need to switch to Chromebooks. If not, you will have to decide whether you want to invest in new interfaces, such as LabQuest Mini (LQ-MINI) or LabQuest 3 (LABQ3), that will allow your students to use existing sensors with Chromebooks or start over with Go Direct sensors. The number of existing sensors and their age are both important factors to consider in the decision. Additional information to help you decide is below.

Sensors

The biggest part of a school’s investment is usually in the sensors themselves. Good news—most sensors manufactured after the year 2002 are Chromebook-compatible as long as you have a compatible interface.

Connector type	Chromebook Compatible?	Notes
	Yes	Go Direct sensors have both USB and Bluetooth built in
BTA sensors	Yes	The sensor needs to connect to the Chromebook though an interface (see below)
BTD sensors	Yes	Same as BTA, but has higher interface requirements
DIN sensors	No	Sorry, but even with an adapter, these older sensors can not work with Chromebooks.
Go! Sensors	Yes	Both Go Temp and Go! Motion have USB connectors and can connect directly to Chromebooks.

Interfaces

Interfaces are used to connect sensors to a device, or, in the case of LabQuest 2 or LabQuest 3, it is the device itself. Most USB interfaces work with Chromebooks.

Interface	Chromebook Compatible?	Notes
Go!Link	Yes	This is the most cost-effective interface for connecting BTA sensors. Not compatible with microphones, photogates, and many physics sensors. See full list of compatible sensors at: What sensors do not work with Go!Link?
LabPro	No	Unfortunately, The LabPro cannot work with Chromebooks. LabPro does still work on Windows and Macintosh computers. For many schools, this is the only piece of hardware that needs to be replaced. The most popular option (especially in physics classrooms) is the LabQuest Mini.
Go Wireless Link	No	The Go Wireless Link is not compatible with Chromebooks. Unfortunately, the only “Go Wireless” products that work with Chromebooks are the Go Wireless Heart Rate and Go Wireless Exercise Heart Rate Monitors.
Original LabQuest	Yes	Many schools have breathed new life into their original LabQuests by using them as a USB interface with Chromebooks. If the battery is depleted, connect it to power and you are all set. You can also get a replacement battery as order code LQ-BAT, $19.
LabQuest Stream	Yes	LabQuest Stream lets you connect any BTA or BTD sensor via USB. Note that LabQuest Stream was discontinued in 2023 due to a critical component becoming unavailable.
LabQuest Mini	Yes	LabQuest Mini lets you connect any BTA or BTD sensor via USB.
LabQuest 2	Yes	This is a very versatile way to use any Vernier sensor. It connects by USB or WiFi and can broadcast data to multiple Chromebooks at the same time via Data Sharing. Note that LabQuest 2 was discontinued in 2021 with the introduction of LabQuest 3.
LabQuest 3	Yes	This is a very versatile way to use any Vernier sensor. It connects by USB or WiFi and can broadcast data to multiple Chromebooks at the same time via Data Sharing.
Others	No	We made several other interfaces over the years, including ULIs, Serial Boxes, MPLIs and more. Older interfaces (not pictured here) are not compatible with Chromebooks.

Note: Some Chromebooks have USB C ports. All of the compatible USB devices listed above can be connected to USB C ports. We sell USB C cables separately. Details are at:
How do I use Vernier USB products with a computer or Chromebook having only USB-C ports?

Software

A lot of people ask us if we have “Do you have Logger Pro for Chromebooks?“. Since there is not a way to convert Mac or Windows software to Chrome, we offer the Graphical Analysis app for ChromeOS. If you saw an early version of this, we encourage you to take a fresh look. We have made many improvements since the first release, and can now perform all of the activities from our core lab books on a Chromebook. Some of the more advanced/specialized features that teachers grew to love in Logger Pro need the more advanced features in Graphical Analysis Pro. One other big difference for physics teachers is that video analysis is now in its own app, Vernier Video Analysis. For more details about what you can’t do on a Chromebook (yet), see:
What are the differences between Graphical Analysis Pro and Logger Pro?

Graphical Analysis – free app for use with most sensors
Graphical Analysis Pro – for-purchase upgrade to Graphical Analysis (1YR – 5YR License options available)
Spectral Analysis – free app for use with Vernier Spectrometers
Instrumental Analysis – free app for use with Go Direct Mini GC and other instruments
Vernier Video Analysis – a for-purchase web app for analyzing motion of objects in a video (1YR – 5YR License options available)

Related:
How can I deploy Graphical Analysis and other Vernier apps to all student Chromebooks?
Google will stop supporting Chrome Packaged Apps for ChromeOS.

Lab Books

We have updated most of our lab books to include instructions that work with the Graphical Analysis app and our other “Analysis” apps. In most cases, you do not need to re-write the instructions; we have already done that. You can always get the updated version of any book you have purchased by logging into your Vernier web site account at:
https://www.vernier.com/account

Conclusion

We are here to help! We can help you find the best solution for your classroom and budget, including reviewing your school’s purchase records from 1997 to now and figure out how to ride the current wave of technology without spending a lot of money. Please don’t hesitate to contact us for advice.

Related Documents

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