PhysLogger is a data acquisition tool developed by Qosain Scientific that revolutionized the way data is collected in labs across Pakistan. Prior to its development, the PhysLab relied on NI DAQ cards to record real-time data using the LabView software. Unfortunately, this setup proved to be a headache for both students and instructors, with students spending more time trying to understand the software than the underlying concepts of their experiments.
To solve this problem, Qosain Scientific launched PhysLogger as an alternative to traditional DAQ cards. PhysLogger allowed students and instructors to measure and control a range of physical quantities, such as temperature, pressure, voltage, current, speed, mass, and humidity, using a user-friendly interface. PhysLogger was introduced into the PhysLab through two experimental setups: the linear air track system and the determination of the latent heat of vaporization of liquid nitrogen. Most experiments in the lab have been updated to utilize PhysLogger instead of traditional oscilloscopes or DAQ cards. Based on student feedback, PhysLogger’s interface is much simpler and more user-friendly than the complicated process of setting up an oscilloscope or using LabView to acquire real-time data from an experiment.
Students are particularly impressed with how PhysLogger can be used to verify Faraday’s law—by observing the motion of a semicircular body containing magnets through a coil and logging real-time data. In another experiment, PhysLogger is used to measure human blood pressure. Students are fascinated by this experiment as they can see arterial oscillations through changes in pressure. The goal of the experiment is to determine the diastolic and systolic pressure by marking an envelope around the oscillations obtained through the real-time logging of the student’s blood pressure using PhysLogger. Students can also record sample ECG using ECG circuit and PhysLogger, a very interesting experiment to understand the physics of the human body.
Thermodynamics is a notoriously difficult subject for many students, but fortunately, the freshman lab has devised a setup that effectively demonstrates the concepts of how objects heat and cool in a simple yet effective manner. This experiment uses a thermocouple connected to the analog channel of a PhysLogger to measure the temperature of various objects, allowing students to gain a better understanding of the fundamental principles behind heat transfer, forced cooling, and natural cooling. In another experiment, PhysLogger together with its compatible sensing instruments (PhysTherm, PhysBar, PhysDisp) has been used to verify gas laws and investigate the Otto cycle. Students were amazed by the demonstration of how a practical heat engine cycle works.
PhysLogger proved to be a game-changer for the PhysLab, replacing expensive and complicated DAQ cards with a more affordable and user-friendly tool that allowed students to focus on the underlying concepts of their experiments rather than struggling with software installation. With its success in the PhysLab, Qosain Scientific hopes to see PhysLogger used in labs across Pakistan, revolutionizing the way real-time data is collected and analyzed in educational settings.
Written by: Zarak Jamal Khattak (Lab Instructor 2023 – Physlab)
