With a LogIT name it handles the practical science that schools need to do and feasibly can do. But the Datavision outshines this as a fast, inexpensive bench instrument that physics teachers want. For example, it has an oscilloscope feature that lets them see between sound waves and measure their frequency. And for biology, it is a data-logger that stores field-work graphs - a logical menu helps you set when you want to start and stop recording.

Unusually, there is a back-lit colour screen which displays results as a graph, bar chart or a table. You’ll appreciate how colour differentiates one graph line from another and you can print the screen through a PC. I’m using an early model, but any day now a firmware upgrade will be released on the internet. For compatibility, Datavision has both USB and serial sockets to connect to the PC and the USB socket powers the unit. Cleverly, a software driver is already built into most Windows versions so there’s no need to insert a driver CD mid-lesson. Many USB systems nag for a driver disc - even when you use a different USB socket to last time - but happily it is not the case here. The engineered solution to this lesson-staller is commendable.

Newcomers wanting to go large with class sets will enjoy the rugged construction, good battery life and a screen just good enough to permit data analysis without a PC. Existing users have an easy bridge to new functions because this unit works with the oldest LogIT sensors - even from the days when the curriculum first said we should use computers in practical science.

LogIT Datavision CX

Price pound;359

www.dcpmicro.com

Griffin Education Tel: 01509 555944

Commotion

Tel: 01732 773399

Fitness for purpose *****

Ease of use *****

Features****

Quality ****

Value for money *****

Training - IT in Science and Roger Frost

Roger Frost is the author of “Data-logging in Practice”, pound;16.50 from ASE. He is showing his books and software at BETT

Stand SW100

Tel: 01763 209 109

www.rogerfrost.com

www.ase.org.uk