The main board, or motherboard, of a chart recorder allows the device to receive power. The main board contains additional boards that facilitate effective communication between the mechanical portions of the chart recorder. This includes the chart drive, memory storage units, battery packs, and any potential stylus additions to the chart recorder. The main board houses the microprocessor chip/communication card that dictates the device’s speed and performance. The chart recorder pens are directly impacted by the proper functioning of the main board and its constituents.
The main board is extremely significant to the proper functioning of all variations of chart recorders. Traditional chart recorders require a mother board to allow input (data being measured internally) to be expressed through the pen externally via the writing on the chart. Multiple pens require different additive boards to the motherboard to ensure that each pen is recording a specific desired variable.
In paperless chart recording systems and software, the main board is equally as important. In some ways, the main board is more significant within digital recording systems due to the increasing number of connections that are required to use different digital tools. For instance, the memory that is stored on either a remote or USB-dependent data logging system requires more internal connections between the data being recorded in real time and this same data being stored amongst older data.
Problems that pertain to the main board, such as damage or old age, should be addressed with a technician to prevent further damage upon user inspection. The main board is connected to its constituent boards via multiple cables, resulting in increasingly precarious situations when the user attempts to disassemble without help.