What the MT-16 data logger does
Most data loggers are general-purpose boxes that need a laptop, a wiring diagram and an afternoon of configuration on site. MT-16 is built around one job: measuring how a road and the ground under it respond to traffic and weather, for months or years, without anyone on site.
- Sixteen sensor ports in one outdoor enclosure, so a full test section fits on one logger.
- Plug-in probes that identify themselves. Each probe carries a small memory with its type and calibration. Plug it into any port and the logger configures that port.
- Event recording for heavy vehicles. A roadside trigger wakes the logger and the whole pass is recorded at high rate on every channel, on one common clock.
- Slow data too. Temperature profiles, frost depth and soil pressure are logged on a schedule between events.
- 4G cellular upload every day, with local storage on the logger as a backup.
- Safe probe swaps. Each port has a button and a light: press, wait for the light to go out, unplug.
Sensors it reads
| Sensor type | Typical use |
|---|---|
| Full-bridge strain gauges (6-wire with remote sense, or 4-wire) | Asphalt and concrete strain under wheel loads |
| Half- and quarter-bridge gauges (completion in the probe connector) | Existing gauges and custom installations |
| RTD temperature sensors, PT100 / PT1000 (2-, 3- or 4-wire) | Pavement temperature profiles, air temperature |
| Bridge-type pressure cells and load cells | Earth pressure under embankments and slabs |
| RS-485 digital sensors (Modbus RTU), powered from the port | Soil moisture, frost and weather sensors |
| 4–20 mA and voltage-output transmitters (adapter in the probe connector) | Level, pressure and other industrial sensors |
Vibrating-wire sensors can be connected through an RS-485 interface module.
In the field
- Outdoor enclosure designed for pole or wall mounting, with sealed connectors on the underside.
- 24 V DC supply from a mains adapter or a solar and battery system. For sites with no power and no signal, see custom off-grid systems.
- Designed for Canadian winters; cold-weather testing is part of the current program.
- USB-C service port and removable storage inside the enclosure.
Status
MT-16 is at the prototype stage. We are running a pilot program with a small number of road agencies, consultants and research groups. Specifications will be confirmed through field testing.