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Abstract — This paper describes the design of a general data logger for Photovoltaic (PV) monitoring system that can store bulk
data from input channels in large memory storage. It utilizes Arduino Mega 2560 board in conjunction with ATmega2560 chip.
For monitoring the related parameters, a 240-W PV system is used where electrical parameters are tapped into the input channels
of the data logger. The system will convert the acquired raw data to digital input for data acquisition and will store the data onto
SD card. The data logger is also equipped with DS1307 Real Time Clock (RTC) chip for data stamping in the SD card every at the
occurrence of the logging process. Results and findings are recorded and compared with the data that was taken by one
commercial data logger DataTaker DT80 during the testing stage. This is to test the data reliability as well as to examine the
performance of the proposed data logger throughout the testing process.
Keywords - Arduino; data logger; PV monitoring system; microcontroller based monitoring system
I. INTRODUCTION system demands. Everything has its own flaws including the
data logger itself. In a bright side, the flaws are covered by
Data logger has been used widely not only in electronic other advantages presented in the data logger produced. For
worlds but in all systems which relates to technology [1]. example, some of them are having large data storage system
Due to its capability in storing information for a long time, but lack in input channels [2-8] and some of them are
it is often being used to collect data for a system which having lots of data input but shortage in memory storage [2,
relates to electrical parameters and meteorological 4, 8-14]. Many high quality data logger are equipped with
parameters. Speaking of that, data logger has been used sophisticated communication unit where sometime it is not
distinctly in monitoring both parameters especially in really necessary for monitoring PV system [8, 15-19]. And
Photovoltaic (PV) system field. It is very useful for PV what is more to be bothered is the price which is a little bit
system because it has the ability to store a variety of data expensive [1, 8, 9, 19, 20] suitable with the extra features it
over an extended long time without fully inspection by a has. There are some parameters which are not related to PV
user. As an example, for an Off-Grid PV system, data logger systems and happen to be embedded together with the data
plays important role in logging all the data since the system logger [21].
is located in remote area which is most of the time the place Few existing data loggers in market are able to cater
is far from the utility grid. Thus the constant supervision is all the parameters in PV system. One of the problems is they
not worthwhile for a user just to collect the data for have limited memory size. For instance DataTaker DT80
observation purposes. where the internal memory size is only 128MB [22]. With
regards to that, the limitation of data that can be stored into
PV system and data logger have been a great companion the data logger will be decreased in number provided that the
together as data loggers’ capability to store data over a sampling time and logging time are as low as 1 second. As
period of time without regular supervision. These days, PV per stated in the DataTaker DT80 manual, for 1 second scan
system has been accepted by the higher authorities in rate of data, the storage can fill up to 9 hours of reading the
whole data [22]. Any other example of existing data loggers
Malaysia and few environmental association as well as
in market is Squirrel SQ2020 Data Logger which has 128
industrial organization. Its technology has the possibility in MB for internal memory where can store up to 14 million of
supplying the world’s energy needs in a sustainable and readings [23] and it has external memory too which is up to
renewable method. Due to that, the PV system needs a 1 GB that merely works for transferring data from internal
reliable of method for logging data to store all the electrical memory and anything related to storing setups only.
and meteorological data for observing and monitoring
purpose; a data logger seems to be necessitated in this field.
II. DEVELOPMENT OF THE DATA LOGGER 32.768 kHz is utilized in allowing timing pulses to the RTC
Fig. 1 shows the block diagram for the proposed data chip.
logger where it consists of microcontroller, SD card, RTC C. Data storage
and sensors. Two 4GB size of SD cards are used to store all data
received from sensors. The reason of choosing only two SD
cards are because to test the ability of the memory storage of
the data logger can cater throughout logging and storing
process. Certainly the SD card can be placed in the data
logger as many as possible due to its Serial Peripheral
Interface (SPI) pins which can be shared to many slaves;
provided that the digital pin for Chip Select (CS/SS) is
sufficient in the microcontroller.
Figure 1. Block diagram for the proposed data logger.
D. Proposed data logger
A. Microcontroller The complete proposed data logger is shown in Fig. 2.
While the schematic diagram of the data logger connected to
In this proposed data logger, Atmel ATmega 2560 has the PV system during testing session is presented in Fig. 3.
been chosen to be the main microcontroller by referring to
the past reviews by other researchers. According to [24, 25],
a high performance and a low usage of power of
microcontroller is needed to build a fast as well as little cost
used and it was chosen by many for their researches. The
important elements that the microcontroller has are a stable
of analog to digital converter (ADC) and universal
synchronous and asynchronous serial receiver and
transmitter (USART). Besides, the bigger number in
input/output (I/O) that ATmega 2560 had made many
researchers choose it over other boards. As per written by
[26], ATmega 2560 contributes incredibly in electronics
control applications such as data logging, data acquisition
system and many more as it is well known for its
economical and greatly-flexible chip amongst electrical
circuit designer. Apart from that, the chip is always referred
as a high performance microcontroller and it was totally
seconded by many other researchers to have a great Figure 2. Complete proposed data logger
performance microcontroller in their researches [2, 10, 17,
27-31]. Furthermore, by performing powerful instruction in
a single cycle, the chip manages throughputs approximating
1 MIPS per MHz, thus will balance the power consumption
and the processing speed [27, 32].
B. Time stamp
For this prototype data logger, real time clock (RTC)
PROTO board has been chosen for time stamping purpose.
The product was produced by MikroElektronika© and it
includes PCF8583 which is a calendar and clock chip with
I2C interface. One of the features that the chip offers is able
to manage the current time even when the microcontroller is Figure 3. The schematic diagram of the proposed data logger connected to
not operating. The real-time clock is operated by one the PV system for testing.
particular battery which is not linked to the power supply.
Thus, the date and time for each data will not be affected III. SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT
whenever power is disconnected from the circuit. Two
Arduino Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
pieces of 10K pull-up resistors are placed in between the
is chosen for constructing the codes for the proposed data
connection of SCL and SDA from PCF8583 to the pins
logger. Fig. 4 shows a brief of software procedure to be
from ATmega 2560. The pull up resistors are needed for a
referred at before constructing code in the Arduino IDE.
smooth process in the I2C bus [7]. In addition, a crystal of
(1)
37 7 19 24 60 60
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