benjamintheyon:
Question 3: What do I gain (beyond the obvious) by using a discrete data logger such as this: SparkFun OpenLog - DEV-13712 - SparkFun Electronics ? Would that simplify the design by possibly obviating the need for a separate microcontroller
As I read the datasheets, the accelerometer uses I2C/SPI which the data logger doesn't handle. So you would still need the processor.
They seem to have basically packaged up an SD card chip on a board, so you could get a similar thing by just wiring up an SD card yourself (and then you can just pull the card out and plug it into your computer to get the data off).
For simplicity, an SD card shield might be easiest. I think some come with a bit of prototyping space, so you could solder the accelerometer onto it. eg.
That gives you the clock, the SD card, and room to solder on the accelerometer.
Mind you, in your shoes I would be a bit worried about the shield coming adrift if you are subjecting it to multi-G shocks. But perhaps a bit of PVC tape wrapped around the whole thing would secure it.