Most sensors are capable of being detected automatically by Logger Pro. When Logger Pro is first launched, or when you choose New from the File menu, Logger Pro will detect all auto-ID-capable sensors and add them to the sensor setup. Depending on the preferences set in Preferences for updating screen objects, a graph may or may not be added for sensors that are detected.
When an experiment file is opened, Logger Pro will attempt to match the detected auto-ID sensors to the sensors specified in the file. If any sensors are missing, the Sensor Confirmation dialog will open. The missing sensor or sensors are listed in the top section of the dialog. The dialog will close when compatible auto-ID sensors are connected. If you are using sensors that are not auto-ID, you can specify where they are connected. By default any extra sensors are ignored, although you can specify that the sensors should be used.
After the initial detection of sensors, Logger Pro will continually look for new sensors using automatic sensor polling and will respond to the connection and removal of auto-ID sensors. Automatic polling is always on, unless data are being collection or Live Readouts (found in the Experiment menu) are turned off. As a result, most of the time when a new sensor is connected, it will be automatically added to the sensor setup and a data column will be created.
To force an auto-ID of sensors, choose Set Up Sensors > Auto Detect Sensors from the Experiment menu. This will add any newly connected auto-ID-capable sensors to the current sensor setup on all connected interfaces. Any non-auto-ID sensors that have been set up manually will not be changed. Auto-ID sensors that have been set to non-default settings will not be changed. Auto-ID sensors that had been previously auto detected, but have now been disconnected, will be removed from the setup.
Sensors that are not auto-ID capable can be set up manually (all sensors requiring adapters are not auto-ID). To set up a sensor manually, click the icon for your interface in the Logger Pro toolbar. Find the sensor in the scrolling list, and drag it to an empty channel. See How To Manually Set Up a Sensor for more information.
Generally when a sensor is added to an existing setup, a new graph and meter will be added to the page. If the sensor shares the same units as a previously detected sensor, it will be added to an existing graph. If no data have been collected by a sensor and it is disconnected, its graph and meter will also be removed. The automatic adding and removing of graphs and meters can be altered in the general preference settings, found under the File menu. The default is to automatically add screen objects (graphs and meters) for new sensors, but this can be disabled for new setups (after the initial detection of sensors from File>New) or for saved files (after the initial opening of a file using File>Open).