Graphic recording instruments

Article By:

Sydenham, Peter H. Rostrevor, South Australia.

Kibble, Bryan P. Formerly, Division of Electrical Science, National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, Middlesex, United Kingdom.

Last reviewed:January 2020

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.298200

Instruments, commonly known as “pen recorders” or “plotters,” that make a graphic record of one or more quantities as a function of another variable, usually time. The complete instrument is often named a “-graph,” for example, a barograph for recording barometric pressure data, a tachograph for recording the time and velocity that a vehicle is in motion, or a seismograph for recording seismic waves. Although there are still many graphic recording instruments in use, it is more usual now to interface a sensor providing the signal to a computer for presentation as a graph on the computer display or by a printer attached to the computer. This practice is much more versatile and often less expensive than the use of graphic recording instruments. Dedicated graphic recording devices are still in use because it is often not economical to replace them with modern computer-driven equivalents. See also: Computer peripheral devices

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