Trend Data - SD card

T3000 Software
1

I would like to store Trend Data on an SD card so that I can analyse the trend data using Excel. My T3-BB has an SD card slot.
Some basic questions:

  1. If I insert an SD card (while system running?) and check “SD- card Normal” flag in configuration / settings / basic information - will trend data start being recorded automatically - or are other actions needed?
  2. should I pre-format the SD card? What file system?
  3. What format (eg CSV) is used for data storage?
  4. The on-screen Trend display (which I am updating every 10sec) has gaps from time to time, and also seems to be suspended when editing programs etc. Will the SD-card data have the same data gaps?
  5. Reviewing the on-screen trend data, it appears that the analog trends are not correctly synchronized with the digital trends - the analogs seem to be delayed compared to digitals. Is this plausible?
  6. I currently have 3 trend “monitors” running (ie “ON”). If I have not been looking at graphical trends for a while the trend only displays analog data starting from when I first click “Graphic”. Digital data "back-dates for maybe 15 minutes. Is this normal?
2

There’s a new trend log system just released which will be better for analyzing and reporting. Just update the T3000 software and set up a few parameters as shown below. The data will be logged to your local hard disk in SQL format.

The only downside is that you will need to leave the PC running the T3000 application to keep the logging going. If you dont have a PC to dedicate to this task you can still get the trend logs from the SD disk as you mentioned. The data is in a binary format which we need to still tie into this new SQL database system. More on that soon.

One work around for now is to set up a Pi with windows to handle the SQL logging.
Heres a tutorial on how to set that up.

Here’s the very simple setup screen for logging EVERYTHING in your building, all inputs, outputs and variables on ALL devices in the building will be logged using this system. Its still in development so we welcome your feedback.

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3

Does this new Trend system cancel the old Trend? Is there any documentation on the new system that I can review before updating?

I am not sure I am ready to abandon the old system without being sure the new system is working properly.

If necessary, can I revert to the old version? (I’m not sure I know how to do that)

I notice the default choices of update-period start at 15 minutes - although custom intervals can be entered. Is 10sec possible?. For debugging and also monitoring fast moving trends, 15 minutes is way too slow.

What is “data splitting”?

4

Data splitting is chopping the log into separate chunks. Make it easier to manage, the files are several GB in large systems.

Keep the old system for now, this new system is … well, new.

5

Agreed,
So in the meantime - how does the SD card thing work? (see previous questions)

6

Just put the SD card in the slot, it will be auto formatted. We tested only wiht the smaller size cards so do look around for the smallest one you can find, 1G and smaller.

Once its detected it should show up in the trend log dialog screen.

7

The smallest I have is 8GB - although 1GB can still be found.

Might it work with 8GB?

8

One way to find out… give it a try.

9

My other outstanding question is what is the data/file format?

10

Since there is no documentation about SD card/Trend I would like to clarify:

  1. Trend data starts saving to the SD-card as soon as it installs?
  2. All defined and active (“ON”) trends are recorded?
  3. Each defined Trend has a separate file?
  4. All data relating to a trend is in one (large) file which may cover several weeks?
  5. Data is saved to file regardless of whether the trend screen is active?
  6. If the SD-card fills up, the older data “falls off the back”?
  7. The only way to retrieve data is to remove the SD-card?
11

I wouldnt get too deep with the trend logs on the original system, it is on the way out. New T3000 installs will use the new trend log system so let’s discuss based on that.

  1. The SD card is a buffer, when the PC running T3000, the ‘server’ you could call it, fires up it can grab data from the SD card to make up for periods when the PC was off. This isnt fully implemented yet, so for now the server has to be running full time. Data stored on the SD is in binary format which will take some real wrangling to be useful.

  2. ON trends are recorded, OFF trend are not recorded.

  3. Each trend is a grouped into batches of 14 items, I beleive.

  4. You can break the file into chunks on the user defined period.

  5. Data is stored 24x7 no matter what screeen is on the T3000 display.

  6. Once the card is full and data keeps coming in, the older data will be tossed out.

  7. The SD card can stay in the device, use T3000 to pull data off it. The data is stored on the Win10/11 PC in SQL format.

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