A datalogger (also know as data acquisition system or DAS) is piece of electronic equipment which converts an input into a digital time series representation. Immense care should be taken when setting up and programming a datalogger. It is highly recommended that only experienced users program their own dataloggers and all others should consult a EPIC staff member for assistance.

While specific procedures and programming details will vary between the various types of dataloggers, there are several things that hold true when working with any datalogger.

The datalogger should be:

Strong-motion sensors are accelerometers, and are designed to measure the large amplitude, high-frequency seismic waves typical of large local earthquakes. These seismic waves result in the strong ground motion we feel during a large earthquake. Strong ground motion is often to blame for the structural damage that occurs during an earthquake. The data seismologists record with strong motion sensors is used to improve the design of earthquake resistant buildings and to understand earthquake-induced geologic hazards like liquefaction and landslides. The range of motions of interest for strong-motion applications includes accelerations from 0.001 to 2 g and frequencies from 0 to 100 Hz or more.