USB Thermometer - It's Uses + Tips & Available Brand Options

Any devices that accurately measures temperature is considered a thermometer. With the increasing use of electronic means to provide such temperatures, the USB thermometerhas hit the mainstream. If you are using your typical mercury thermometer or even an electrical digital readout one, this Is a logical step up. This article will share the benefits of having one, its uses, and different types available to you.

Uses and Benefits

Electronics Guru

• One of the most popular uses is with electronics. If you have lots of equipment stored close together, you can notice the heat radiating from it. Feel the your laptop battery or computer peripheral now, as that alone radiates a small amount of heat.

• Should you have many devices in small space or simply very close to one another you could use a USB thermometer to keep an eye on potentially dangerous situations. Simply use on of the device on a computer that is near or connected to the circuit of heat producing electronics and you can get alerts or even regulate the device temperature depending on what level of device you have chosen.

• Commercial Uses

  • Commercially this device can be used to collect data sets. For example, should you have a pool or sauna in a public or private area you will want to regulate the temperature of these to suit your clientele and safety needs. Have device within or connected to the device that powers them, will give you a gauge of what needs to be done from a distance. It will save time in the long run; with no one constantly check the temperature, just to return again very shortly after.

• School

  • In the classroom these devices can prove to be lifesavers. Go Temp is one that is made just for this type of use. It has software that allows the user to keep date in real time and then see it plotted on a graph or other program. This one can be order in a Teacher's 8-pac.

• Farming

  • Another option, is based on farm life. As electronics have been integrated into farming it has made many farmer's life much easier, especially when it comes to their animals. What this means is that they can monitor the temperature of their animal habitats to keep it regulated for best possible healthy environments. This is best with newborns and with sick animals.

• Home Life

  • Lastly, which may seem lazy, is simply monitor the temperature outside. With USB thermometer s that have extended cables you can run it out a window to avoid simply stepping out to judge the temperature. It would be an easy setup in a home office, where you personal computer is relatively stationary.

Small List of Thermometers Available:

3-in-1 Combo from Thinkgeek for $14.99

• This is a combination memory card reader, USB hub, and thermometer.

  • 3 USB 2.0 ports with a 90 ° rotation radius

  • Card reader reading and writing capabilities:

    • SD, SDHC, Mini SD, T-Flash/Micro SD, MMC, MMC-II, RSMMC, MMC Plus, MMC Plus Turbo, MMC Mobile / Mobile – ProC, Memory Stick, Memory Stick magic Gate, Memory Stick Pro, Memory Stick Pro Duo, Magic Gate Duo, Magic Gate Pro, and Micro (M2)

• It will represent the temperature in both Centigrade and Fahrenheit

• High Away Cable

• As a bonus you get a USB extension cable

TEMPer NTC – USB Thermometerfrom USBfever for $22.99

• This thermometer has a remote and can also be stretched nearly a meter away from the computer it is plugged into.

• USB powered

• Temperature Range includes both Centigrade and Fahrenheit

  • This is within + or - 2°

• This thermometer works with the software that comes with it to log temperatures

  • The interval is usually every second (unlimited)

  • This data can then be transferred to Word or Excel documents.

• It has the option of setting an alarm, should the interval temperature peak or sink below your set parameters.

• Recommended use:

  • laboratories, sauna, kitchens, farms, and pools.

• All you need to run this thermometer is included in its box; cables, thermometer, and driver software CD.

Driverless (Real Plug and Play) USB Thermometerfrom USBfever for $52.99

• Ready to use, digital thermometer with a USB interface.

• LED status indicator

• Uses both Centigrade and Fahrenheit

• Collects temperature every 10 seconds.

• Data accumulated by this device can be pasted into Word or Excel files.

• Can be set on a timer for extended use.

Quality Thermistor, Inc - DirecTemp Precision Temperature Acquisition System

• This USB Thermometer is on of the most accurate available; within +/- 1 °.

• You can choose a custom probe and cable configuration

• NIST traceable

• Plug and Play

• Data logging and alert notification software

• It has the ability to run multiple systems at once.

• The price was not listed, because this is a customizable system made for specific applications on a larger scale. This does not mean that they will not sell you a single unit, it simply means they usually service on that larger scale.

• Contact Quality Thermistor for any questions and to see all the different features and styles as this is a very small list of its capabilities.

Check out other suppliers like Temperature Alert, MCM Electronics, Brando, and Amazon or Ebay.

Keep in mind that there are several other options available to you, both online and in local stores. The USB thermometer is usually found in online stores, unless you know of a gadget store nearby. Your uses whether they be commercial or residential, this is a fun and cheap gadget to have available to you.

Tips & Help

Plug and Play (Driverless)

• Some of the thermometers are going to be relatively simple to use, as they are setup to be Plug and Play. What this means is that you plug in the USB device and its software is preinstalled in the device, ready for you and your computer to read and use. You will most likely not have to download anything to help you use it. These can usually be used on most Windows, Macintosh, and Linux operating systems.

Software Included

• The devices that come with software will be a little more difficult to deal with as you will also need to learn the software, as well as the thermometer. Always make sure to download the software before attempting to plug in the device. Stepping out of order will confuse you as well as your computer, as many will attempt to find matching software online to fix the problem. Now, with that advice stated, you should know that many devices and there software work on Windows and Linux, but few work with Macintosh.

  • With that said, there is one that offers software compatible with Macintosh. It is called Go! Temp and comes bundled with software called Logger Lite. Priced fairly at $39 and $299 for the Teacher's 8-Pack, it allows you to uses technology to teach science concepts. Some users do not let this limit their use, as the device works the same as many others. The Logger Lite software bundled along with the devices allow temperature reading to be graphed in real time, so you can examine point to point data, as well as other experiments. An advance version of this software is called Logger Pro which has very few limits and utilizes your own computers video and camera to capture visual data.

So, as you can see from above, A USB thermometer is available to anyone. Many still consider this type of device to be business use only. However, there are many viable options for individual use and it can be done cheaply. If you are interested in purchasing one, then remember to price shop for your best options. Using a search engine will bring up several of the same type of device at varied prices, but after a little digging you can find other.