Abstract. Automated electronic data loggers revolutionized environmental monitoring by
enabling reliable high-frequency measurements. However, the potential to
monitor the complex environmental interactions involved in global change has
not been fully realized due to the high cost and lack of modularity of
commercially available data loggers. Responding to this need, we developed
the ALog (Arduino logger) series of three open-source data loggers, based on the popular and
easy-to-program Arduino microcontroller platform. ALog data loggers are low
cost, lightweight, and low power; they function between −30 and
+60 ∘C, can be powered by readily available alkaline batteries, and
can store up to 32 GB of data locally. They are compatible with standard
environmental sensors, and the ALog firmware library may be expanded to add
additional sensor support. The ALog has measured parameters linked to
weather, streamflow, and glacier melt during deployments of days to years at
field sites in the USA, Canada, Argentina, and Ecuador. The result of this
work is a robust and field-tested open-source data logger that is the direct
descendant of dozens of individuals' contributions to the growing open-source
electronics movement.
Open source data logger for low-cost environmental monitoring