{"id":4123,"date":"2018-05-25T22:15:10","date_gmt":"2018-05-26T05:15:10","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2025-06-04T13:52:46","modified_gmt":"2025-06-04T20:52:46","slug":"4123","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vernier.com\/til\/4123","title":{"rendered":"Go Direct Energy Sensor Troubleshooting and FAQs"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"\/product\/go-direct-energy-sensor\/\">Go Direct<sup>&reg;<\/sup> Energy Sensor<\/a> (<nobr>GDX-NRG<\/nobr>)<\/h3>\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"\/manuals\/GDX-NRG\">Specifications and User Guide<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.vernier.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/product.gdx-gdx-nrg.revised._hero._001.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Troubleshooting<\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>General Test:<\/strong> Press the power button on the sensor to turn it on. Connect your sensor as described in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vernier.com\/til\/get-started\/go-direct\">Getting Started instructions for your device<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p class=\"has-very-light-gray-background-color has-background wp-block-paragraph\">When connected to Graphical Analysis, choose Sensor Data Collection. Two graphs should appear on the screen: Potential vs. Time and Current vs. Time. In addition, you should see five meters at the bottom of the screen: Energy, Potential, Current, Power, and Resistance.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Primary Test:<\/strong> Connect the sensor to Graphical Analysis or LabQuest. Make sure the load switch is in the &#8220;Internal 30 \u03a9&#8221; setting. Connect the sensor to a 1.5 V battery (AAA, AA, C, or D). The Potential should be approximately 1.5 V.<\/li>\n<li><b>Secondary Test:<\/b>  If the above steps are successful and the unit is still not behaving properly when connected to your power source, try the following:\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Check that all connections are secure and make sure the alligator clips are not touching each other.<\/li>\n<li>Check that all connections involve metal touching metal, not metal touching wire insulation or something else.<\/li>\n<li>Check that your power source is functioning properly. For example, see <a href=\"\/til\/3183\/\">How do I test a KidWind generator?<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>If the three steps above don&#8217;t reveal any problems, contact Vernier technical support for assistance.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Additional Troubleshooting<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"\/til\/3182\/\">What software do I need to use a Vernier Energy Sensor?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/til\/3228\/\">Readings from Vernier Energy Sensor are noisy.<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/til\/3243\/\">Can I use the Vernier Energy Sensor in place of other voltage or current sensors?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/til\/4223\/\">Why doesn't the warning LED of my Energy Sensor come on?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/til\/4408\/\">Energy Sensor gives erratic readings with custom generator.<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/til\/15786\/\">Go Direct sensor does not connect to LabQuest 2 via Bluetooth.<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/til\/4014\/\">How do I remove or replace a Go Direct battery?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/til\/6827\/\">Troubleshooting Bluetooth Connections with Go Direct Sensors<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/til\/12943\/\">What can I do if a Go Direct sensor's Bluetooth LED flashes red and green when I try to connect to it and the connection fails?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/til\/3857\/\">Will my device work with Go Direct Sensors via Bluetooth?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/til\/3085\/\">How do I know if my LabQuest will work with Go Direct Sensors and Go Wireless devices?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Specifications<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Source input potential range<br \/>\u26ac Internal load: \u00b15 V<br \/>\u26ac External load only: \u00b130 V<\/li>\n<li>Source input current range<br \/>\u26ac Internal load: \u00b1 0.18 A<br \/>\u26ac External load only: \u00b11 A <\/li>\n<li>Resolution<br \/>\u26ac Potential: 1 mV<br \/>\u26ac External load only: 40 \u03bcA<\/li>\n<li>Input impedance:\u00a0 1 M\u03a9<\/li>\n<li>Insertion resistance:\u00a0 1 \u03a9<\/li>\n<li>Connections:<br \/>\u26ac Wireless: Bluetooth<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> v4.2 (wireless range 30 m unobstructed) <br \/>\u26ac Wired: USB 2.0 full speed<\/li>\n<li>Battery: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vernier.com\/gdx-bat-300\">300 mA Li-Poly<\/a><br \/>\u26ac Battery Life (single, full charge): ~24 hours continuous data collection<br \/>\u26ac Battery Life (lifetime): 2 \u2013 5 years (typical)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Calibration<\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Calibrate? No. The Go Direct Energy cannot be calibrated. However, you may consider &#8220;zeroing&#8221; the current and voltage sensors before the start of an experiment. This is done by shorting out the leads of the sensor, then choosing the Zero option in the data-collection software.<\/p>\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Battery Troubleshooting<\/h3>\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the sensor can be turned on when connected by USB but not when disconnected from USB, the battery likely needs charging. <\/span><br \/>\u26ac <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Charge the sensor for several hours and try again. <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the sensor shows fully charged but still won&#8217;t turn on when connected via USB, then the battery has likely disconnected. <\/span><br \/>\u26ac <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check the battery connection.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the sensor still won\u2019t turn on, try swapping the battery with a working sensor to see if the problem follows the battery or stays with the sensor.<\/span><br \/>\u26ac If the problem stays with the sensor, the battery is probably not the issue.<br \/>\u26ac If the problem follows the battery, <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the battery has likely reached its end of life.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the battery is indeed at the end of its life, the sensor cannot be used even if connected by USB, so the battery will need to be replaced. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"\/product\/go-direct-300-mah-replacement-battery\/\">Go Direct<sup>&reg;<\/sup> 300 mAh Replacement Battery<\/a> (<nobr>GDX-BAT-300<\/nobr>)<\/span><\/li>\n<li>See <a href=\"\/til\/4014\/\">How do I remove or replace a Go Direct battery?<\/a> for more information (including a <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/Lv2yCaL0ruU\">video<\/a>).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-very-light-gray-background-color has-background wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Rechargeable batteries are covered by a one-year warranty.<\/strong><\/span><br \/>Batteries <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">should last two to five years in typical use. <\/span><\/p>\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Related Products<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"\/product\/micro-usb-to-usb-c-cable\/\">Micro USB to USB-C Cable<\/a> (<nobr>CB-USB-C-MICRO<\/nobr>)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/product\/sensor-cart-charge-station\/\">Go Direct<sup>&reg;<\/sup> Sensor Cart Charge Station<\/a> (<nobr>GDX-CART-CRG<\/nobr>)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/product\/vernier-variable-load\/\">Vernier Variable Load<\/a> (<nobr>VES-VL<\/nobr>)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/product\/vernier-resistor-board\/\">Vernier Resistor Board<\/a> (<nobr>VES-RB<\/nobr>)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/product\/kidwind-advanced-wind-experiment-kit\/\">KidWind Advanced Wind Experiment Kit<\/a> (<nobr>KW-AWX<\/nobr>)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/product\/kidwind-basic-wind-experiment-kit\/\">KidWind Basic Wind Experiment Kit<\/a> (<nobr>KW-BWX<\/nobr>)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/product\/solar-energy-exploration-kit\/\">Solar Energy Exploration Kit<\/a> (<nobr>KW-SEEK<\/nobr>)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/product\/vernier-energy-sensor\/\">Vernier Energy Sensor<\/a> (<nobr>VES-BTA<\/nobr>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Replacement Parts<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"\/product\/go-direct-300-mah-replacement-battery\/\">Go Direct<sup>&reg;<\/sup> 300 mAh Replacement Battery<\/a> (<nobr>GDX-BAT-300<\/nobr>)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/product\/micro-usb-cable\/\">Micro USB Cable<\/a> (<nobr>CB-USB-MICRO<\/nobr>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Specifications and User Guide Troubleshooting General Test: Press the power button on the sensor to turn it on. Connect your sensor as described in the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[5369,6944,4814],"class_list":["post-4123","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","tag-gdx-nrg","tag-nrgmain-gdx-nrgmain","tag-renewable"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vernier.com\/til\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4123","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vernier.com\/til\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vernier.com\/til\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vernier.com\/til\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/31"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vernier.com\/til\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4123"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.vernier.com\/til\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4123\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vernier.com\/til\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4123"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vernier.com\/til\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4123"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vernier.com\/til\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4123"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}