Different loggers have different features and so the configuration interface for each one is slightly different.
You must use the LogTag Analyzer software to configure the logger. If you have not yet installed the software, see the instructions on this page.
Some loggers will connect to your PC with a Reader, some will have a USB plug that is inserted into a USB port on the computer, and some will connect with a USB cable.
Whichever method, your logger uses, when you connect the logger to your PC while the LogTag Analyzer software is open, the software will automatically detect the presence of the logger.
If the logger has data recorded, that data will automatically be downloaded and a report file saved to your computer.
From the top menu, choose LogTag, and then Configure, or press the F3 key.
This will open a new panel titled LogTag Configure.
Below are some screenshots for recommended configurations for each logger.
The description can be anything you like. Big Fridge. New Freezer. Upstairs Storeroom.
You can configure LogTag Analyzer to use your description as part of the report file name.
Configure password
If you are worried about other staff messing with the configuration of the logger, you can tick the box to prevent unauthorised changes.
Download password
Unless your data is confidential for some reason, there is probably no need to put a password on the logger.
Push button start option
Push button start means the logger will start logging when you push the Start button. This is most likely the option you will want.
Date/Time start option
This allows you to start the logger at a particular date and time. This may be useful if you are using the logger to monitor a shipment and you don’t want the logger to start until it is with the goods.
The logger has a finite amount of memory, so we need to decide what to do when the memory is full.
Record readings continuously …
When the logger’s memory is full, this will delete the oldest memory to record a new one. This means you will always have the most recent data saved on the logger. This is the most common setting and probably the one you want.
Record readings so that …
Selecting this option will allow you to specify the number of days or the number of recordings that you want. Once these limits are reached or the memory is full, the logger will stop recording.
The logger can be configured to record readings at different intervals from 30 seconds to 18 hours. The default is 5 minute intervals.
Why 5 minutes?
Every time the logger takes a reading, it uses battery power, so if you set the logger to record every 30 seconds, you will chew through the battery in no time.
But setting the interval to 60 minutes, for example, means you could completely miss a temperature spike.
A five minute log interval is a good trade-off between battery life and accuracy.
It is also the interval specified in the Strive for Five vaccine storage guidelines.
Start delay
If the logger is at room temperature when you start it, it will take a while to get down to temperature. In a freezer, for example, the logger might go into alarm before it gets down below the upper threshold. To prevent this, we can specify a delay to the start. If you specify a 5 minute delay, the logger will not record its first reading until five minutes after you press the start button.
Most loggers will allow you to turn alarms on and off via a checkbox.
You can set
Alarms
Most loggers will allow you to turn the alarm on and off via a checkbox.
You can then set upper and lower alarm thresholds. Temperatures above the Upper threshold or temperatures below the Lower threshold will trigger an alarm.
Alarm delays
Let’s say the logger takes a reading at the exact moment have the fridge open for restocking and the reading is above your upper threshold. You wouldn’t necessarily want the alarm to trigger.
On the example interface above, this delay is set with this control…
This tells the logger to ignore two consecutive out-of-range readings (10 minutes @ 5 minute interval) and only trigger the alarm if a third consecutive out-of-range reading is recorded.
Latency, when it comes to temperature logging, refers to the delay between a change in temperature and when that change is detected and recorded by the logger. This delay can be due to the sensor’s design, the materials it’s placed in, or the logging interval. While it might sound like a disadvantage, latency can actually serve a useful purpose in certain environments—particularly where short-term temperature spikes are common but not harmful.
For example, in a busy commercial fridge, the temperature may briefly rise every time the door is opened. A logger with high latency won’t immediately react to these short fluctuations, helping to avoid unnecessary alarms or false data indicating a problem when there isn’t one. In these cases, a slight delay in response acts like a filter, focusing attention on real issues—such as prolonged exposure to unsafe temperatures—while ignoring the everyday ups and downs that don’t affect product quality or safety.
Depending on the type of logger you have, connecting your logger to your PC means either:
First Generation LogTags use a separate Reader (sometimes called a dock) for configuration and for downloading recorded data.
The Second Generation loggers only require a USB port or cable. Apart from saving the cost of the Reader, this makes them much better suited for shipping, because the recipient doesn’t need a LogTag Reader to download a report about the shipment’s journey.
