Data Collection Interval – Recommended Setting
Here we describe the recommended data collection interval for Bolt devices. This ensures that whenever you configure or monitor your devices, you know why 15 minutes is considered the ideal frequency and how it benefits data accuracy, efficiency, and device performance.
Recommended Data Collection Interval
15 Minutes – The Bolt device should ideally collect data every 15 minutes.
Why 15 Minutes is Recommended
| Reason | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Meaningful Trend Analysis | Environmental or operational changes (such as a temperature rise or drop) usually happen gradually over time. A 15-minute interval captures those changes without being overwhelmed by very small fluctuations that do not matter. |
| Clarity vs Noise | Collecting data too frequently (e.g., every 30 seconds or 1 minute) produces large volumes of points. In graphs, this often causes clutter, making it harder to see actual trends when every minor variation is plotted. |
| Room / System Thermal Dynamics | Typical air conditioning systems, room cooling or heating, or other environmental control systems take about 10–15 minutes to show noticeable effects after being turned off/on or adjusted. Sampling every 15 minutes captures the meaningful changes, while more frequent sampling adds little extra value in normal indoor environments. |
| Industry Best Practice | Many IoT applications and smart metering solutions adopt 10- to 15-minute intervals as a standard for balancing data usefulness and resource cost. For example, smart meters in many utilities report every 15 minutes (Amazon Web Services, Inc.). |