I'm not sure what kind of temperature probe suitable for server room to monitor and control temperature. Both temperature sensor and thermocouple use for temperature measurement.

I would appreciate your thoughts When do you use temperature sensor and thermocouple

 

Are you looking for "logging" as well as monitoring? Where do you want the monitor/display/logger(?) relative to the sensor? Do you need alarms? Do you need multiple sensor locations?

Ken

 

Some UPS's have remote sensor capabilities. They can also send SMTP traps.

There are systems designed to monitor server rooms. Thermocouples are likely not the way to go. They require special extension wire and terminations.

Thermisters are good for limited range. Accuracy can be good. Semiconductor sensors such as one-wire would be good for multiple sensors.

There are sensors that could do temperature, humidity and dew point for a comprehensive solution. Most electronics are specified with a temperature and humidity, but with a "non-condensing"

Depending on the needs of your server room, you need to find a comprehensive "server centric" type of system. The room temperature might not be enough. You might be looking at individual rack temperature.

SMTP traps are a normal way of handling computer issues, BUT you might need email and paging abilities and use a different set of skills. Fans dying is a typical failure.

 

Are you looking for "logging" as well as monitoring? Where do you want the monitor/display/logger(?) relative to the sensor? Do you need alarms? Do you need multiple sensor locations?

Ken

I am looking for monitoring and controlling temperature of server room. All the details would be store into database system

 

I am looking for monitoring and controlling temperature of server room. All the details would be store into database system

I doubt that the room temperature would be enough.[/QUOTE]

 

I am looking for monitoring and controlling temperature of server room. All the details would be store into database system

Generally for an application like this you are looking at more an environment control system commonly called a HVAC (Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning) system where temperature as well as humidity are controlled making for a controlled environment. The control portion or section is only a single part. The control system must control the heating and cooling sections as well as the humidity in a server room and that depends on the size of the room and location as to what the outside environment is. It's not as simple as turning a heater on or off. How large is the server room (things like volume of air)? How well insulated is the server room? All of this leads to building technologies.

Monitoring and data logging as well as controlling temperature can be as simple or complex as the needs of the total system. How important is for example energy conservation? What technology is to be used for heating and cooling? As to temperature sensing I have seen thermistors, thermocouples and PRT (Platinum Resistance Thermometers) used depending on how tight of a tolerance band is needed. Most server rooms are maintained at 18 to 27 degrees C with about 23 degrees C a nominal temperature and RH (Relative Humidity) is maintained between 40 to 60% with 50% being nominal. There are sensors made to do this and made for this specific application. They typically communicate with a controller over a serial bus.

Finally these systems also use an independent sensor as a "watch dog" with alarm functions just in case the main system has a failure. When a problem arises a good watchdog system will automatically alarm and email and text key people when a facility is closed such as weekends or holidays. This all comes down to budget?

Ron

 

"Server room"is kinda vague/ It could be one rack of equipment or Google server. e.g.

 

When do you use temperature sensor and thermocouple

For room temperature monitoring anything will do .... Thermo couples have low thermal inertia so are good for very rapid fluctuations.

 

But, for whole room environments you do not want to respond to rapid temperature fluctuations.

Ken

 

you can use RTD to measure temperature room temperature

thermocouple comparing RTD , RTD has faster response and more accurate .

 

you can use RTD to measure temperature room temperature

thermocouple comparing RTD , RTD has faster response and more accurate .

Definitely agree that RTDs are more accurate, but I've never seen them be faster.

 

UTRIX-16
$39.00
LogTag UTRIX-16 Direct USB Temperature Data Recorder with PDF Reports
-25°C to 70°C Temperature Measurement Range with ±0.5°C Accuracy

• Stores up to 16,129 Recorded Readings onto Internal Memory for Download to PC
• 2 Years of Battery Life Typical @ 15 Minute Sampling Interval
• Direct USB Connection to PC Computer; Docking Station Not Required
• Can Generate a Fully Detailed PDF Report without Special Hardware

 

A smart thermostat (such as an Ecobee 3 like I have) can perform logging of temperature and humidity and make that data available securely over the Internet, all in addition to the normal thermostat functions. It’s under $100.

If you just want a cheap sensor, I’d use an LM35 and a cheap multimeter to read it. No logging, but really cheap.

 

UTRIX-16
$39.00
LogTag UTRIX-16 Direct USB Temperature Data Recorder with PDF Reports
-25°C to 70°C Temperature Measurement Range with ±0.5°C Accuracy

• Stores up to 16,129 Recorded Readings onto Internal Memory for Download to PC
• 2 Years of Battery Life Typical @ 15 Minute Sampling Interval
• Direct USB Connection to PC Computer; Docking Station Not Required
• Can Generate a Fully Detailed PDF Report without Special Hardware

Small units like this have become very popular and inexpensive. I use a similar small unit in my gun safe, also home to important documents and my wife's jewelry, where I like to control mostly the humidity. I use desiccant bags and when they start to saturate I bake them out. Every now and then when my little humidity indicators show my humidity creeping up I just bake the desiccant bags out in the oven.

I can simply view a chart on my PC or dump the data in a csv format to chart it or dump it into an Excel sheet. Before I retired at work we were replacing all the Hygrothermographs using paper charts and pens with units like this.

Simple Chart from the factory software:


CSV files dumped into Excel:


While small little devices like this won't control anything they are real handy for logging temperature and humidity and dumping the saved data to wherever one wishes to save it in a variety of formats.

Ron