Radiation Sensor Interface

StarteR2

Hello, I was wondering if i could conect the following radiation senzor:

Detector Technology:      Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT)
Sensitivity:     0.1 milliREM/hour
Full Scale:     1,000 mREM/hour  (Cesium 137)
Outputs:     Logic Level Alarm Signal, Dosage Rate, Accumulated Dosage
Memory:     512KB Flash Memory
Power Input:     3.6V @ Nominally 600 uA
Power Consumption:     <2.2mW Typical
Battery Life:     15 months to approx. 3 years reduced power operation (7.2A-h Li/SOCl2 &#8220;C&#8221; cell)
Communications:     RS-485
Operating:     Temperature: -20°C to +50°C ambient,
Humidity: 5% - 90%RH non-condensing

With any of the BASIC Stamp of the BOE Bot and I was wondering whats the best way to do it and what do I need?

Thank You

Post Edited By Moderator (Jon Williams (Parallax)) : 12/17/2005 6:16:56 PM GMT

PJAllen

Well, there with "outputs", it would seem highly likely.

Logic·Level·Alarm·Signal: This is likely a "Y/N" proposition, Hi/Lo

Dosage·Rate, Accumulated·Dosage: These must be sent out in some format.· Is it TTL or RS-232?· How are the numbers sent out (binary, bcd, ascii, lsb first, msb first)?

If you've never STAMPed before, then you might consider a HomeWork board, available at RadioShack.· Are you an electronics person (technician or engineer)?· If so, you may prefer an BS2-OEM board (look that up on the parallax site.)

****

I see there that it says 'RS-485', so you might have to consider a RS-485 to RS-232 converter (no big deal that.)

[noparse][[/noparse] Please Edit your original post and enter a SUBJECT name.· Also, they'll probably move this one over to The Sandbox. ]


Post Edited (PJ Allen) : 12/17/2005 6:04:22 PM GMT

Bruce Bates

StarteR2 -

If you can give me the manufacturer and model number, I'll see what more I can find out for you. I have a freind who collects radiation detectors as a hobby. He probably has one of every model that was ever produced, going back as far as the Civil Defense units of the early 1950's.

I suppose I should add (in his defense) that he spent many years as a health physicist working with radioactive materials every day; thus the interest. He also directly supervised the disarming of nuclear weapons! Fun job, if you've got the NERVES for it.

Regards,

Bruce Bates

Post Edited (Bruce Bates) : 12/17/2005 7:10:10 PM GMT

StarteR2

The thing is I am working on a science fair project which includes a small robot travelling throu the house and collecting information on humidity level, presence of toxic gases and presence of radiation. Parallax cells only Humidity sensors thus I need somehow to integrate the radiation and toxic gas detector in the boe bot. The radiation senzor is here:
http://www.rftrax.com/radiation_sensor.xml

The Toxic Gas detector is here:
http://www.generalmonitors.com/products/toxic_ts4000.html

I am a 15 year old student and im very bad in technology i have no idea what to do.

Can you help me please?

Paul Baker

You are going to have to contact rftrax for technical documents on how to use thier device, they do not provide any public information on how to do so. Also they are a manufacturer and dont provide any links to distributors, you'll have to contact them to found out the cost + if it is possible to aquire a single unit. You'll have to explain your interest and purpose for the unit.

The toxic gas sensor is only capable of detecting a single type of toxin at any time, requiring you to exchange the cylinder for each type of toxin, also the unit is quite large, something that would be unwieldy on a small robot, a larger form robot would be required.

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
·1+1=10

Post Edited (Paul Baker) : 12/17/2005 7:23:32 PM GMT

StarteR2

Could you sujest me a Conector/convertor from RS-485 to Basic Stamp. BASIC stamp uses PIN while the radiation sensor uses RS-485. Is there any method to conect theise 2?

Post Edited (StarteR2) : 12/17/2005 9:20:08 PM GMT

PJAllen

RS-485 is enhanced RS-422.· Here's a link for a RS-422 to·TTL converter: http://www.bb-elec.com/bb-elec/literature/422TTL_3404ds.pdf· It's $35 -- less than a BS2 (or you'll have to make your own.)· I don't know what the output connector on your RadSensor is, but you'll have to make a cable for use between it and the converter and another one for use between it and the STAMP.

Do you have one of these sensors?· If so, can you·post some·pictures of it?

T&E Engineer

I do testing of Chemical, Biological and Radiological sensors interfaced to our system at work for a goverment program. One of the handheld radiation sensors is the GR-135 by Exploranium. It is not cheap or tiny like a dosimeter but it verifies everything radiological. We use 10 u curries of Cesium 137 (Gamma radiation source) to test with which I saw listed on the first posting.

Tracy Allen

You can usually interface RS485 directly to a Stamp without a converter, provided you do not need the long distance (differential) capabilities. RS485 uses 0-5 volt signals on paired wires, and the (+) and (-) sides have opposite polarities. Simply connect the (-) side of incoming data to a Stamp pin (via a 1kohm protection resistor). Connect the Stamp output to the (-) side of outgoing RS485 and connect the outgoing (+) side to 2.5 volts (voltage divider). Use "inverted" mode on the Stamp.

How much does the radiation sensor cost, and is it really available? (hehe!?).

Other manufacturers of toxic gas sensors are www.figarosensor.com/ and www.synkera.com/products/sensors.htm. Most of those are catalytic sensors that require a heater (read battery power on your roving robot), and they take a long time to warm up (10s of minutes), and they are quite specific as to target gas. Some active gases like carbon monoxide can be sensed with electrochemical cells in a poteniometric circuit, as in the home safety CO detector. These days a lot of research is going into "electronic nose" (google it!), in order to have one instrument that can detect and identify a wide range of compounds and do it cheaply and in a small form factor. I don't think you can buy one off the shelf yet!

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Tracy Allen
www.emesystems.com

Bruce Bates

StartR2 -

Here is the bad news about that radiation detector, directly from someone who wanted to use them in a similar, stand-alone application:

quote

The CZT sensor is NOT a stand alone unit. It's designed to be daisy-chained with other units and read out remotely, OR for personal use, piggybacked with a module which allows it to be read out on a local LCD. Packaging is at the descretion of the user.

Programming is done by a PC using their proprietary software, and so is clearing the memory, resetting parameters, and even turning it on or off, off being a low power standby mode. Code is NOT available, nor is the comm protocol. Windows software costs $1,400 for one unit or multiple uints. Programming / reading interfaces are sold separately.

end quote

I asked the question "Is there a more apporpriate unit for portable, remote use which is RS-232 compatibale, and reasonably priced?". I'll let you know when I get an answer to that question as well.

Regards,

Bruce Bates

Post Edited (Bruce Bates) : 12/18/2005 5:05:07 AM GMT

SPENCE

I AM NOT SHOUTING. I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO READ AND TYPE ALL CAPS MUCH EASIER FOR OVER 55 YEARS.

CHECK OUT THIS WEB SITE CARFULLY. THEY HAVE UNITS WHICH I THINK YOUR NEEDS. THEIR UNIT WAS COMMONLY USED WIITH THE POCKET PC HP 100 & 200.

http://www.aw-el.com/

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
73
SPENCE
K4KEP

SPENCE

http://www.aw-el.com/users.htm

CHECK OUT THE ITEM ON THEIR WEB SITE ON THE "KANSAS NEAR SPACE PROJECT" USING PARALLAX STAMP.

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
73
SPENCE
K4KEP

SPENCE

HEY STARTER2.

I JUST GOT A EMAIL FROM PAUL VERHAGE KD4STH OF THE "KANSAS NEAR SPACE PROJECT" I AM WAITING FOR PERMISSION TO POST HIS REPLY ON THIS FORUM. HOLD ON TIGHT, I THINK IT IS GOING TO BE REAL GOOD NEWS FOR YOU. HE USED A AWARE ELECT. RM SERIES RADIATION COUNTER INTERFACED TO A STAMP IN THEIR PROJECT.

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
73
SPENCE
K4KEP

Post Edited (SPENCE) : 12/19/2005 10:59:46 AM GMT

SPENCE

JUST GOT THIS FROM PAUL.
***********************************************************
>Please do. The Parallax website has my book on near space. Go to
>Resources, Customer Applications. Then under the science section you'll
>find my book, Near Space. Chapter 8 is all about science experiments.
>Page 37 has my section on the Aware Gieger Counter. Here's a link to
>the page, http://www.parallax.com/dl/docs/cusapps/NearSpace8.pdf. I
>give directions for connecting the counter and collecting data.
>Paul


>I'll be back in town in two weeks, until then, I won't have regular
>access to email. But there's enough in my book to get everyone started.

>Paul

> I've written up something in my book and I'm getting ready to write an
> article for Nuts and Volts magazine. When I get home, I'll put
> something out on the Parallax forums.
>
> Paul
***************************************************************

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
73
SPENCE
K4KEP