My project focus has made dramatic shift. I now need to model a server farm. I'd like to have accurate measurements of temperature and pressure from the power supply fans of the individual server stations.

Anyone have any suggestions as to the physical tools I should get? I'll need a thermometer, and an anemometer I think, but very delicate ones.

There is probably about 80 servers in an 18 cubic meter room, and ambient temperature right now, because of four fans pumping out air, is 28 degrees Celcius.

You can use thermal couples or thermistors to measure temperature. They can be made really small. furthermore, some power supplies (ATX/SFX/WTX form factor) even have their own temperature sensor and fan speed control mechanism. From the fan speed, you might be able to figure out the pressure difference. With these power supplies, you can write some server/client program to communicate with each power supply to determine temperature and pressure information. This might be the easiest way. Otherwise, you will have to build measurement circuits, which can be really messy.

Thanks rio... unfortuantely this server farm is a hodge-podge of computers and servers, ranging from 1993 - 2004... not all of them have on-board diagnostics.

I am looking at getting a thermo-anemometer for about $350.... but it may not be precise enough.

"Otherwise, you will have to build measurement circuits, which can be really messy."

Before I ask my boss for a purchase order, could you possibly explain why a thermo-anemometer would not be able to do the job? (I am really afraid of buying something I wouldn't be able to use effectively)

Thanks for your help.