The logger is intended to store internally any data produced by the serial device.

This data is stored as a datalog file in the embedded file system on the EtherPAD, rather than being networked directly. The data file is saved once the file reaches a configured maximum size or age. The incoming data can optionally be time stamped. Each data file can be given a sequence identifier to identify the sequence of data files.

The data file can then be retrieved using FTP or the web browser. The EtherPAD can also be configured to deliver the data file to an email address as an attachment. A FTP client is under development which adds the ability to FTP the data file directly to a remote server.

The data from these files is persistent. Should the power fail while data is being written, the file will be recovered on startup and saved. While a file is being written, the previous copy is still available for retrieval.

The logger is useful for recording the data output by any serial device. Examples of applications are:

PABX: recording the time at which phone calls are made, together with the duration of the phone call.

Access control: access to a building can be logged and emailed to an administrator for monitoring or timekeeping purposes.