College - Author 1
College of Engineering
Department - Author 1
Electrical Engineering Department
Degree Name - Author 1
BS in Electrical Engineering
Date
12-2022
Primary Advisor
Ben Hawkins, College of Engineering, Electrical Engineering Department
Additional Advisors
Andrew Danowitz, College of Engineering, Electrical Engineering Department
Abstract/Summary
Geiger counters are devices designed to detect and measure ionizing radiation. They are generally used to survey the surrounding environment for radioactive sources and relay information back to the user. It isn’t uncommon for devices to exceed prices of $1k. This project describes an economic, handheld Geiger counter. The system uses a radiation sensor in the form of a Geiger-Müller tube (GM tube) which outputs a detectable pulse upon being ionized by a radiation source. A microcontroller (MCU) keeps track of the number of pulses it receives. This counted value is then displayed on the LCD in counts-per-minute (CPM) through a simple conversion. GM tubes generally operate at high voltages (HV) – 300V to 1.2kV – to function properly. Thus, a HV transformer is used to generate the necessary operating conditions. The system is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery.
URL: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/eesp/610
Included in
Electrical and Electronics Commons, Hardware Systems Commons, VLSI and Circuits, Embedded and Hardware Systems Commons