The Bee Data Logger
If you have done any data logging using microcontrollers you’ve probably realised what features are important for a successful data logging platform. The Bee Data Logger has obviously considered these needs and built them into a neat and affordable off-the-shelf module.
The Bee Data Logger is built around the venerable ESP32 microcontroller and as such you can program it via the Arduino IDE or with CircuitPython. There are heaps of provided examples if you dig into the code section of the linked GitHub repository. Alongside the ESP32 there is an onboard Real Time Clock (RTC) using the popular and accurate DS3231. The RTC means that long and time-critical data-logging missions are easily achieved. If you’ve considered a long-term logging project before, you know you need to consider power consumption. The Bee data logger has dual low-dropout regulators and some clever deep sleep power management resulting in very low power consumption when sleeping. On the product page, we can see the device is rated to draw a mere 21.3uA — that’s 21 millionths of an amp. With a connector for a single-cell LiPo battery and an onboard charge controller, it’s pretty trivial to set up a long-duration data-logging project.
With this level of efficiency and power management, you might begin to worry about data storage. The Bee Data Logger has an SD card slot on board which will accept SD cards up to 16GB in size. 16GB equates to a huge amount of data, more than enough for most. Rounded out with dual STEMMA/Qwiic connectors you have a wide range of sensors for this platform.
As a final bonus, we like that the repository includes some 3D models of the device. This is handy if you wanted to incorporate it into another project or design an enclosure to keep your Bee safe!