If you are facing issues during your experiment whether it is a sensor giving the wrong reading or not being detected by the MeasureLab console, you can use this troubleshoot guide to diagnose and resolve the issue.
1. General Issues:
Sensor not being detected:
If you have connected an external sensor and it is not being detected by the MeasureLab console, the first thing to do is to check if the cable is connected properly. It might sound strange but often times, a loose cable connection can be the culprit behind problems of this sort. You should hear a click sound when the cable is plugged in properly.
Another common mistake is choosing the wrong channel when connecting the sensor. Make sure you have selected the correct channel when you specify the quantity you are trying to measure. You can always refer to the following diagram which can also be found in the MeasureLab Setup Guide:
Physlogger not showing any quantities:
Sensor not showing change/the correct value:
If your sensor is not detecting any change at all or is not displaying the correct amount of change, it could be due to:
Loose power cord.
Some sensors require the external power source to be connected. If the power cord is not properly plugged-in , you will get an error message on top of your screen:
This error message may disappear after a while, even if the it is not connected. So, make sure you connect the cord properly if your sensor requires it.
Incorrect selected range
While setting up your sensor, you might choose a range which is either too small or too big compared to the range that you are trying to measure. An example of this can be when you set up Temperature Probe.
If you choose a range/resolution too big or too small compared to the change that you are trying to measure, the sensor will not display accurate results. For example, if you are trying to measure the human body temperature as well as temperature of a cold glass of water, you need to choose the second option in the resolution menu because:
- The range in the first option is too high so the change you see would be very small.
- The range in the third option is too small so the change might overshoot or undershoot your resolution.
If you have chosen an incorrect range or would like to change the range during the experiment, you can do so using the “Quantities Menu”. Open the menu and click on the quantity whose range you would like to change. You will get a pop-up menu where you can reselect the range. For example, the menu for changing the range of voltage looks like this:
