108
Geiger's keychain - radiation scout
Is it true that toner is radioactive?
- No, there's lead, and it protects against radiation.
From the conversation I heard.
It is black and mysterious as the SR-71 Blackbird reconnaissance aircraft.
It has no identification marks on board.
He's got great TTH.
He knows almost everything.
He doesn't sleep and doesn't eat much.
He's always with you.
He's ours!
This small triangle, similar to an alien creature, is a unique device for the totality of its characteristics and is necessary for every person.
Miniature wearable device for continuous radiation monitoring, autonomous personal dosimeter, recorder, with a duration of more than 500 days.
In the article: demonstration of work in conditions of normal and elevated levels of radioactive background, interaction with a computer, description of programs, archival graphs, opening of the product and much more.
But most importantly, it is a task for readers of TM = X + GT + MM to display the data of all key fobs on the screens of their monitors, which will reduce the number of hot spots on the planet, determine one of the possible causes of diseases, prolong or save the lives of many people.
An open exchange protocol with the device will help in this, which will simplify the connection of the intelligent sensor to the computer and other devices.
Gene released from the bottleMankind appeared and always existed in conditions of natural radiation of various levels, got used to and did not notice it (except for anomalous zones). It is possible that radiation has played a role in the diversity of life forms on Earth, but now it is not possible.
After the discovery of radioactivity by the physicist A. Becquerel in 1896, the research of the Curie spouses and other scientists, artificial radioactivity was added to the natural one. Despite the fact that the first researchers discovered the biological effect of radioactivity, radioactive materials for a long time attributed useful and therapeutic properties. In the world were sold devices for obtaining radioactive water, pastes, ointments, drugs to improve health, produced key chains with illumination, glowing paint and other radioactive “toys”.
Atomic bombs, power plants, ships, transportation of “fuel” and “workouts” appeared. Radioactive smoke, level, icing sensors have become popular, having many advantages over other types of sensors and having only one minor drawback. Construction materials are sometimes mined in areas with high levels of natural radiation. As a result, new foci arise, and the concentration of radioactive substances on the planet is redistributed. There are also cases of deliberate use of radioactive materials for bad purposes.
Radioactive substances are able to move over considerable distances and have a huge period of dangerous action, so it is necessary to constantly monitor the radiation situation of all territories for the timely detection of dangerous places and materials, and the necessary measures.
Each with a meter?
In addition to terrestrial radiation is of cosmic origin, the level of which is influenced by the magnetic field of the Earth, and it varies in time and height.
There is such a phenomenon as a magnetic anomaly and the most famous of them is the Brazilian.
Back to aviation. In addition to “bonus miles”, lovers of flying accumulate a radiation dose, since at the top (closer to the Cosmos) the radiation level is higher than on the surface of the planet. Maybe that's why some people prefer the train to the plane? How much will a passenger get when flying from one city to another? Is that a lot or a little? Compared to an astronaut? The answer can be found by asking for “radiation dose table”.
Initially, the problem of measuring the level of radiation was usually solved by specialists, but after the well-known accidents at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and Fukushima, the depth of the problem opened up to many people, due to the extensive radioactive contamination of the area.
After Chernobyl, there was a surge in fascination with radiation monitoring devices. The industry produced numerous models of household dosimeters, magazines published various schemes, radio amateurs “stick” homemade devices. But it all went away. The situation in the field of radiation knowledge began to resemble the conversation from the beginning of the article. People calmed down, the batteries in the devices “settled”, the surge faded. Production of devices continued, but convenient, and most importantly - "long-playing" devices were a huge rarity.
Progress in electronics has taken another step forward. A group of our developers has designed a device that combines the best achievements in consumption (a long period of work), miniaturization (a small and light device can always be worn even by girls) and computer capabilities (archives, customization for your needs).
To assess progress in long-playability and instrument mass, consider messengers from different computer ages.
1. A significant part of the frame was taken by the model of the early 70s, the DP-5B X-ray meter (pre-MS-DOS period). Here is the information from the club of his fans:
The power kit ensures continuous operation of the device without taking into account the illumination of the scale under normal conditions for at least 40 hours when using fresh elements.
The weight of the device with power elements (with a case and auxiliary property) is not more than 2.8 kg. The weight of the full set in the laying box does not exceed 7.6 kg.2. To the left is the household dosimeter of the early 90s "Bella" (the period of Windows 3.1). Data from Wikipedia:
The time of continuous operation at a natural radiation background is at least 200 hours.
Weight, not more than 0.25 kg.3. In the left part of the frame sheltered the tiny hero of the review, “Geiger keychain” (by the way, his acronym “BG” sounds good), an indicator of radioactivity of the birth of Windows 10. Fragment from the instructions for operation of the device:
The service life of the battery at an exposure dose power of no more than 0.2 μSv / h and normal climatic conditions: at least 500 days.
Mass 15,
In the article, we will not delve much into the α, β, γ-radiation (they themselves delve into us) and the harm they cause to human health and life. The study of numerous units of measurement also goes beyond the scope of the review. For general understanding, you can read the article on the website “Popular Mechanics” “Medicine for Radiophobia: All About Radiation”, or other articles that perform useful educational purposes.
Let's move on to the instrument.
In addition to the environment in the form of the Pentium link, the power and capabilities of microprocessor technology are embedded in the “brains” of the device. Intelligence appeared with a simultaneous decrease in the size and mass of the meter.
Currently, people do not smoke enough and forget the size of the matchbox, so the processor is a good tool for assessing the size of the product: 52×50×12 mm.
In addition to measuring dimensions, infants are weighed. Outstanding number!
And that joy is powered by the widespread lithium power supply CR2032 in computer circles, promising a fabulous lifetime of at least 500 days! What could be cooler these days?
The service life of the food element is affected by:
background level (the higher it is, the more often the discharge of the ionization chamber of the sensor occurs, which causes the subsequent operation of the high-voltage converter);
sound indication of exceeding various thresholds;
the volume of every second sound click of the indication of work;
ambient temperature;
- type (brand) of the element of power.
Let's see, let's hear. What can he do?3D modeling failed to master, so as a visual inspection proposed rotation on the screw.
Note: screwdriver and screw are not included in the package.
Did you notice a lace with a shiny lock on the end? With this, the product can become part of a bundle with keys, which gave it the first part of the name “Brelok”.
The next step is to make sure the keychain is alive. When it gets boring, or the battery sits on the phone, you can always apply a key fob to your ear and hear a clear soothing sound of uniform clicks with a frequency of 60 beats per minute - power is normal.
If the level of radiation background is exceeded, it is not necessary to bring the key fob to the ear. A loud sound can be heard from a distance. And something suggests that the developer of the device is well acquainted with Morse code.
As in a modern aircraft there is no mechanical connection between the steering wheel and controls, and in this indicator of radioactivity there is no direct connection between the penetration of the discharge chamber of the sensor during the flight of an ionizing particle and sound, as it was in ancient devices. The device uses the concept of “alarm levels” for various events displayed by audible signals. All possible situations arising during the operation of the device are taken into account.
For most residents, the default alarm levels are optimal. But the great thing is that all levels are easily customized to specific conditions.
1. Every second clicks of the indicator of the operability of the device were demonstrated above. You can choose from five click volume levels with the ability to turn them off.
2. Five different radiation thresholds are indicated by a pack of as many sound signals as the level has been exceeded. An example of exceeding the third and fourth levels is one tablet that pleases the dosimeter.
3. Exceeding the dose accumulated from the moment of start or reset (with the possibility of daily reset) is impregnated with three short signals • •, "C" (SOS) or the English "S" (SOS) in Morse code, which means "enough, it's time to take off the legs."
4. When the power supply voltage is reduced to the default threshold of 2.8 volts, the device once every half hour reports the need to replace the power supply with a combination of long and three short signals - • •, the letter "B, B" (battery, battery). It will work in this mode for a long time - up to a quarter of the entire period.
In addition to a shoelace for attaching to a bunch of keys, the most attentive people paid attention to the connector in the case of the device. The package includes a beautiful woven cord. And this is not the “lost tail” of Ea’s donkey, but a meter-long USB cable, which implies connecting the device to the computer, where it perfectly enters and exits!
Someone really needs him. If you give this lace for your birthday (along with the counter), then the person will be happy!
Sorry, distracted.
Once connected, the computer detects and installs...
HID-compatible device called Atom PRO. Early versions of the device featured under the name "Atom mini 2", "Atom mini 2", but now it is called "Geiger keychain".
With the help of the Atom Basic program, the device is set up and archives are read.
The program window has a top and bottom panel, as well as three main tabs: “General”, “24 Hour Archive” and “300 Day Archive”.
The bottom panel is used to connect / disable the device and indicate the state.
In its left part there is a “Connect” button with an indicator in the lower right part of “Disconnected”. After the connection, the labels change to “Disable” and “Connected” respectively.
The "General" tab.
Buttons with circular green arrows allow you to get (calculate) a parameter from the device.
The green tick sets (records) a new value in the device.
The red cross resets to the default value, and in the “Time and Date” section synchronizes with computer time.
Slider “Click Volume” allows you to set the volume from 0 (clicks off) to 5 (maximum volume). Since the volume of clicks affects the battery discharge and in addition to the indication of work is not used anywhere, it is advisable to set the minimum audible level. A side application of this setting is to determine the quality of the hearing aid of the owner of the device.
The tab "Archive 24 hours" allows you to see the minute values of the radiation level recorded in the device for the last day.
The tab "Archive 300 days" will show the daily data of the archive for the last 300 days, where every day has information about each hour.
To read the archive and update the graph, when you are on the appropriate tab, you need to click on the button with circular green arrows in the left part of the upper panel of the program.
The buttons “Increase”, “Decrease”, “Initial scale”, “Switch to the chart left, down, up, right” allow you to perform appropriate actions with the schedule.
Archive schedule "24 hours".
Schedule of the archive "300 days".
Recording archives is another valuable property of this device.
The keychain has a built-in clock, thanks to which, when viewing graphs, on the time scale, you can remember your location at the time of increased radiation levels.
When you click on the floppy disk icon in the upper panel, the archive you are viewing will be downloaded to your computer in “csv” format. An example of a table for the 24-hour Archive graph shown above.
Present.Forget about the Atom Basic program. Currently, everything can be done at a higher level with the help of a new program “Atom”, which has a modern graphical interface with setting screens and graphs, counting the accumulated dose for the period and other interesting “bags”.
Installation of the program consists in several clicks on the buttons “Next” and “Install”. Versions 0.9.1, 0.9.3 and 0.9.4 were tested.
After launching the program and connecting the device, we observe the main window of the program.
For most cases, a circular color indicator is enough, where the arrow displays the value, and the color scale is the level of danger. Everything was so clear that I could stop there. But the possibilities of the program are more extensive.
To the right of the color indicator scale is the indicator of the accumulated (from the moment of inclusion or the last reset) dose, setting the threshold for signaling the accumulated dose and the “tick” of the daily reset.
In addition to the arrow pointer, the current value is duplicated on the central digital indicator, under which a small switch is located.
At this point the struggle between the adherents of the various units of measurement is declared to be over. Each chooses the usual μR / h (the window is shown above) or μSv / h (below).
On the main screen, you can also configure five different alarm levels: from 0.4 μZ / h to 500 μZ / h (40 ... 50,000 μR / h), above which the key fob will prescribe the number of times corresponding to the level.
Set a date/time or synchronize it with your computer.
Select the optimal volume of the indicator (every second clicks).
Apply new settings or return to factory settings.
At the top of the program window there are elements:
Program icon (atom and 12 elements around, is it carbon?)
- indicator (choice button) of the program interface language;
- indicator of connection of the device to the USB-connector of the computer;
- indicator of the charge level of the power element;
- Closing button.
When the cursor is found on one of the elements for more than five seconds (the user is thinking and does not know what to do), a window with a pop-up prompt appears.
In addition to performing the main task of warning about the excess of radiation power, the device does not forget the results of its measurements, fixing them in the depths of memory for further viewing in the form of graphs when connecting to a computer.
In the Atom program, an interesting world of charts is located on the second tab, which becomes available when you click on the sidebar with the arrow.
Implemented:
simultaneous display and the ability to work with daily and annual schedules;
automatic reading of data from the device and updating of graphs;
Automatic scaling of the upper limit of the scale;
scaling using a slider or mouse wheel;
Moving along the time axis with a slider;
- displaying the cursor location line with automatic indication of the date and dose rate;
automatic calculation of the accumulated dose when allocating the necessary time fragment on the graph.
A few examples.
Power on the daily schedule and counting the accumulated dose on the annual.
Iron
The second part in the name of the product hints that the device includes a Geiger counter, to be more precise, the Geiger-Müller. In the article you can read about the principle of the sensor.
To see the contents of the device with the loss of warranty for repair allows the operation “Opening”.
The halves of the hull were firmly fastened, and it was originally intended to saw the hull with a small “Bulgarian”, but only a knife was used in the process.
It is better to start the separation of the body from the ledge for the lace. After an exciting process, the inner world of the device opens to the eye.
On the top of the board are the main elements.
Sensor for recording hard beta and gamma radiation SBM-10, which is designed for a maximum limit of 3.6 R / h (36 mSv / h). An interesting solution was used for its mounting - the body is glued to the contact platform with the help of a conductive compound: "stitched" dead - you can not tear it off!
The shiny metal element marked “4155” is a micro-USB connector from Tyco Electronics, which is soldered to the board through the holes to increase the strength of the attachment.
Plastic rectangle next to the sensor - SMD piezoelectric sound emitter PKLCS1212 (12 and 12, its dimensions at a body height of 3 mm),
It emits sound through the outlet in the body.
Also, in addition to the small “binding” on the upper side of the board are: a quartz resonator at a frequency of 12 MHz, a throttle of a high-voltage converter and a “brain” – a microcontroller MSP430F5510PT. In addition to the mind and 32 KB of memory, the microcontroller is characterized by low consumption and a wide supply voltage range of 1.8 to 3.6 volts. To the right of the “brain” are the contact platforms used to program the product.
Economical high-voltage circuits love cleanliness and low humidity. For this purpose, the board of the device is covered with varnish, and the lower, high-voltage part, also with a sealant, with which the board is glued to half the case. It is glued very tightly, so I did not break the fee - the guarantee is already lost, and I do not want to lose my working capacity.
We can speculate that the main part of the dark side of the board is the “3 in 400 volts” voltage converter necessary for the functioning of the Geiger counter.
The voltage converter for powering the gas discharge meter is widely known in narrow circles PN3-400-0.1M. Technical information and video demonstration.
When working in low background radiation, the device consumes an average current of 13. .15 μA. During squeezing, consumption increases to 0.5 mA.
Based on the data on the capacity of the power source (210...240 mAh) and the current consumed, it is possible to estimate the continuous operation time of the device.
I think of battery devices 20 years ago, where 0.5 mA was a huge achievement.
Significant progress has been made in minimizing consumption. And this happened simultaneously with the increase in the intellectual capabilities of the device.
Disadvantages of the device.
The structural surface of the body looks very impressive. But if you will be photographing the device for writing a review, it is better to do it before the start of operation, since the embossed lunar surface (can it still be a device from another planet?) attracts various specks. For most owners, this problem does not matter.
Dust, or rather the possibility of its penetration into the socket of the connector in the pockets of some owners of the device (I am among them) is also a minor nuisance. On the other hand, do not put a plug in the connector!
A similar connector is present in most modern phones. Keep your pockets clean!
As long as we are united, we are invincible!
Now the actual purpose of writing the article and why Habr/GT?
Many harmful factors a person feels: temperature, noise, humidity, brightness, bad air, etc. If desired and with sufficient willpower, he can independently reduce their negative impact on his life.
With radioactive radiation, this will not work – a person does not have the appropriate sense organs, and when the biological effect of radiation begins, the consequences have already occurred or will manifest in the future. Therefore, hot springs must be detected as quickly as possible to eliminate them and reduce the zone of radioactive contamination.
And then the Geiger keychain comes on the stage, which gives a person a “sixth sense” – a sense of radiation. With it, there is calmness and confidence that the next parameter, inaccessible to human organs, was under control.
As a rule, in official reports, the radioactive background is always “normal”. I want to believe that this is true, but it is better to know everything firsthand.
And the first mouth, these are the owners of sensors living in all regions. In addition to accidents, which are quite rare, there are many other sources that occur spontaneously, or near which we live and do not know about their existence.
To dispel the manifestations of radiophobia, which is a natural human reaction to the unknown, reliable data, information and education of residents are needed. And then the toner won't be radioactive in some people's minds.
Special services are working on measuring radioactivity, but without mass coverage of large areas will not be solved.
In addition to those who need it for work, instruments for measuring the level of radioactive radiation are used mainly by people visiting already known places with elevated backgrounds. And although various dosimeters have a large number of people, these devices lie on shelves with discharged batteries.
The Geiger key fob is a permanent wear device. Such products can be primary indicators of the detection of new dangerous places and objects for further study by other devices and specially trained people according to the information obtained from other devices.
And here opens a huge field of activity for programmers to process data from primary sensors.
It is necessary to create a service (resource) where the owners of the Geiger key fob and other similar devices will be able to send the results of their measurements indicating the location of the indicator or the route of its movement. Based on the obtained and processed data, it is possible to analyze the situation with a convenient display on the map.
This resource should include:
map/globus with data from all sensors
- description of actions and measures in case of danger;
direction of winds, precipitation and other meteorological phenomena affecting the spread of radioactive elements;
- information for the education of residents, including: terms, units of measurement, norms, types, levels and doses of radiation, harm caused, methods of treatment, the accumulated dose is withdrawn or accumulated, at what time, what exactly accumulates in the body, etc., so that there is no confusion in the minds and speculation disappears. Something suggests that it is time to do this not only on April 26.
Then, in what case, the person will have information on the basis of which he can decide whether to fight the phenomenon (and how) or leave the area. Health is the most expensive.
As a result of the implementation of this project, with the mass participation of participants, we will have a map of radioactivity in real time covering huge areas to detect new and old sources of radiation.
An excellent example of information processing was shown by the developers of this unique device, which can become the main long-playing information sensor on the proposed resource. In fact, only one parameter is measured - the number of pulses of the sensor. And how much useful information is obtained as a result of processing and displaying information!
The Atom program lacks one important button – “Share!”
Its addition will allow you to combine all sensors into a single network. And then everything secret, unknown and frightening will become public and not so terrible.
Mass operation of the device will allow in the shortest possible time to identify most dangerous places with an increased level of background radiation.
The developers wish to make it possible to connect the product to the phone (it is always nearby) using a USB cord. Then you can use the phone screen to display the currently measured value when looking for hot particles in a pre-detected area with elevated radiation levels. The task is quite rare, so the feasibility of this proposal is questionable. In this case, you can use other devices that have an indicator, or use a laptop.
If the dangers of radio emissions from microwaves and cell phones are still debated, in the case of radioactivity, everything is simpler: anything above the background is bad. In fact, probably bad and natural background, just nothing can be done for sane money.
From here:
The outstanding Swedish radiobiologist Sivert in 1950 came to the conclusion that there is no threshold for the effect of radiation on living organisms. A threshold level is one below which no damage is detected in each irradiated organism [the so-called deterministic effect]. When irradiated in smaller doses, the effect will be stochastic (random), i.e. certain changes will necessarily occur among the group of irradiated people, but who exactly is unknown in advance. After reading these words, for some reason, a disease that has the same name with an arthropod animal with claws is remembered.
An attempt to reduce background radiation was made in an experiment codenamed “Foil Cap.”
At 5:00 a.m., a disconnected freezer stood in the room. From that moment, an experiment began to test the protective properties of various materials.
7:40 – The fridge keychain moved into a thick-walled stainless steel pan.
10:00 – the pan with the contents is placed in an iron safe.
12:00 – the keychain left the pan, but remained in the safe.
13:09 - The device is removed from the safe.
Further, it was planned to check the protective properties of lead screens used in X-ray offices - it was supposed to assess the degree of attenuation of background radiation when the meter is located in the center of the "pie" of two protective plates. But... plates just don’t rent, even for the sake of experimentation.
Helped men from the shop, who always have a piece of leaf lead thickness of 1.8 mm.
The small size did not allow to make a full-fledged “cake”, but now you can find out information about background radiation – where does it come from, from above or below?
13:07 – measure the radiation from the Cosmos (the fob is located on a sheet of lead).
14:10 – The radiation comes from the planet (lead from above).
15:10 - Space radiation turned on (lead removed).
15:55 – End of the experiment.
The result of the experiment is presented on the graph.
Since the level of background radiation changes, for the purity of the experiment, it is necessary to conduct an experiment for a long time, as well as use two identical devices, one of which is placed in a protective shell, and the second remains free. But there was only one device available. It was assumed that the radiation level would decrease so much that the change would be noticeable on the chart. But that didn't happen. Moreover, the maximum value was recorded during the period when the device was in a pot placed in a safe.
At the moment, it can be concluded that the objects used in the experiment, if they reduce background radiation, then only slightly. We need to continue the experiment.
In order for the device to acquire a directed action, it is desirable to use a more effective shielding, for example, a high lead cylinder, with a diameter of ten ... twenty centimeters, drill a deep hole in it, where to place the meter.
Documentation for Geiger's keychain.
1. Device exchange protocol. If the developers are interested, a library under Qt will appear.
2. Photos from the article and others not included in this review.
3. Purchase, as well as a program for connecting to a computer, description, specifications, instructions for operation. published
P.S. And remember, just by changing our consumption, we change the world together! © Join us on Facebook , VKontakte, Odnoklassniki
Source: geektimes.ru/company/dadget/blog/259372/
- No, there's lead, and it protects against radiation.
From the conversation I heard.
It is black and mysterious as the SR-71 Blackbird reconnaissance aircraft.
It has no identification marks on board.
He's got great TTH.
He knows almost everything.
He doesn't sleep and doesn't eat much.
He's always with you.
He's ours!
This small triangle, similar to an alien creature, is a unique device for the totality of its characteristics and is necessary for every person.
Miniature wearable device for continuous radiation monitoring, autonomous personal dosimeter, recorder, with a duration of more than 500 days.
In the article: demonstration of work in conditions of normal and elevated levels of radioactive background, interaction with a computer, description of programs, archival graphs, opening of the product and much more.
But most importantly, it is a task for readers of TM = X + GT + MM to display the data of all key fobs on the screens of their monitors, which will reduce the number of hot spots on the planet, determine one of the possible causes of diseases, prolong or save the lives of many people.
An open exchange protocol with the device will help in this, which will simplify the connection of the intelligent sensor to the computer and other devices.
Gene released from the bottleMankind appeared and always existed in conditions of natural radiation of various levels, got used to and did not notice it (except for anomalous zones). It is possible that radiation has played a role in the diversity of life forms on Earth, but now it is not possible.
After the discovery of radioactivity by the physicist A. Becquerel in 1896, the research of the Curie spouses and other scientists, artificial radioactivity was added to the natural one. Despite the fact that the first researchers discovered the biological effect of radioactivity, radioactive materials for a long time attributed useful and therapeutic properties. In the world were sold devices for obtaining radioactive water, pastes, ointments, drugs to improve health, produced key chains with illumination, glowing paint and other radioactive “toys”.
Atomic bombs, power plants, ships, transportation of “fuel” and “workouts” appeared. Radioactive smoke, level, icing sensors have become popular, having many advantages over other types of sensors and having only one minor drawback. Construction materials are sometimes mined in areas with high levels of natural radiation. As a result, new foci arise, and the concentration of radioactive substances on the planet is redistributed. There are also cases of deliberate use of radioactive materials for bad purposes.
Radioactive substances are able to move over considerable distances and have a huge period of dangerous action, so it is necessary to constantly monitor the radiation situation of all territories for the timely detection of dangerous places and materials, and the necessary measures.
Each with a meter?
In addition to terrestrial radiation is of cosmic origin, the level of which is influenced by the magnetic field of the Earth, and it varies in time and height.
There is such a phenomenon as a magnetic anomaly and the most famous of them is the Brazilian.
Back to aviation. In addition to “bonus miles”, lovers of flying accumulate a radiation dose, since at the top (closer to the Cosmos) the radiation level is higher than on the surface of the planet. Maybe that's why some people prefer the train to the plane? How much will a passenger get when flying from one city to another? Is that a lot or a little? Compared to an astronaut? The answer can be found by asking for “radiation dose table”.
Initially, the problem of measuring the level of radiation was usually solved by specialists, but after the well-known accidents at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and Fukushima, the depth of the problem opened up to many people, due to the extensive radioactive contamination of the area.
After Chernobyl, there was a surge in fascination with radiation monitoring devices. The industry produced numerous models of household dosimeters, magazines published various schemes, radio amateurs “stick” homemade devices. But it all went away. The situation in the field of radiation knowledge began to resemble the conversation from the beginning of the article. People calmed down, the batteries in the devices “settled”, the surge faded. Production of devices continued, but convenient, and most importantly - "long-playing" devices were a huge rarity.
Progress in electronics has taken another step forward. A group of our developers has designed a device that combines the best achievements in consumption (a long period of work), miniaturization (a small and light device can always be worn even by girls) and computer capabilities (archives, customization for your needs).
To assess progress in long-playability and instrument mass, consider messengers from different computer ages.
1. A significant part of the frame was taken by the model of the early 70s, the DP-5B X-ray meter (pre-MS-DOS period). Here is the information from the club of his fans:
The power kit ensures continuous operation of the device without taking into account the illumination of the scale under normal conditions for at least 40 hours when using fresh elements.
The weight of the device with power elements (with a case and auxiliary property) is not more than 2.8 kg. The weight of the full set in the laying box does not exceed 7.6 kg.2. To the left is the household dosimeter of the early 90s "Bella" (the period of Windows 3.1). Data from Wikipedia:
The time of continuous operation at a natural radiation background is at least 200 hours.
Weight, not more than 0.25 kg.3. In the left part of the frame sheltered the tiny hero of the review, “Geiger keychain” (by the way, his acronym “BG” sounds good), an indicator of radioactivity of the birth of Windows 10. Fragment from the instructions for operation of the device:
The service life of the battery at an exposure dose power of no more than 0.2 μSv / h and normal climatic conditions: at least 500 days.
Mass 15,
In the article, we will not delve much into the α, β, γ-radiation (they themselves delve into us) and the harm they cause to human health and life. The study of numerous units of measurement also goes beyond the scope of the review. For general understanding, you can read the article on the website “Popular Mechanics” “Medicine for Radiophobia: All About Radiation”, or other articles that perform useful educational purposes.
Let's move on to the instrument.
In addition to the environment in the form of the Pentium link, the power and capabilities of microprocessor technology are embedded in the “brains” of the device. Intelligence appeared with a simultaneous decrease in the size and mass of the meter.
Currently, people do not smoke enough and forget the size of the matchbox, so the processor is a good tool for assessing the size of the product: 52×50×12 mm.
In addition to measuring dimensions, infants are weighed. Outstanding number!
And that joy is powered by the widespread lithium power supply CR2032 in computer circles, promising a fabulous lifetime of at least 500 days! What could be cooler these days?
The service life of the food element is affected by:
background level (the higher it is, the more often the discharge of the ionization chamber of the sensor occurs, which causes the subsequent operation of the high-voltage converter);
sound indication of exceeding various thresholds;
the volume of every second sound click of the indication of work;
ambient temperature;
- type (brand) of the element of power.
Let's see, let's hear. What can he do?3D modeling failed to master, so as a visual inspection proposed rotation on the screw.
Note: screwdriver and screw are not included in the package.
Did you notice a lace with a shiny lock on the end? With this, the product can become part of a bundle with keys, which gave it the first part of the name “Brelok”.
The next step is to make sure the keychain is alive. When it gets boring, or the battery sits on the phone, you can always apply a key fob to your ear and hear a clear soothing sound of uniform clicks with a frequency of 60 beats per minute - power is normal.
If the level of radiation background is exceeded, it is not necessary to bring the key fob to the ear. A loud sound can be heard from a distance. And something suggests that the developer of the device is well acquainted with Morse code.
As in a modern aircraft there is no mechanical connection between the steering wheel and controls, and in this indicator of radioactivity there is no direct connection between the penetration of the discharge chamber of the sensor during the flight of an ionizing particle and sound, as it was in ancient devices. The device uses the concept of “alarm levels” for various events displayed by audible signals. All possible situations arising during the operation of the device are taken into account.
For most residents, the default alarm levels are optimal. But the great thing is that all levels are easily customized to specific conditions.
1. Every second clicks of the indicator of the operability of the device were demonstrated above. You can choose from five click volume levels with the ability to turn them off.
2. Five different radiation thresholds are indicated by a pack of as many sound signals as the level has been exceeded. An example of exceeding the third and fourth levels is one tablet that pleases the dosimeter.
3. Exceeding the dose accumulated from the moment of start or reset (with the possibility of daily reset) is impregnated with three short signals • •, "C" (SOS) or the English "S" (SOS) in Morse code, which means "enough, it's time to take off the legs."
4. When the power supply voltage is reduced to the default threshold of 2.8 volts, the device once every half hour reports the need to replace the power supply with a combination of long and three short signals - • •, the letter "B, B" (battery, battery). It will work in this mode for a long time - up to a quarter of the entire period.
In addition to a shoelace for attaching to a bunch of keys, the most attentive people paid attention to the connector in the case of the device. The package includes a beautiful woven cord. And this is not the “lost tail” of Ea’s donkey, but a meter-long USB cable, which implies connecting the device to the computer, where it perfectly enters and exits!
Someone really needs him. If you give this lace for your birthday (along with the counter), then the person will be happy!
Sorry, distracted.
Once connected, the computer detects and installs...
HID-compatible device called Atom PRO. Early versions of the device featured under the name "Atom mini 2", "Atom mini 2", but now it is called "Geiger keychain".
With the help of the Atom Basic program, the device is set up and archives are read.
The program window has a top and bottom panel, as well as three main tabs: “General”, “24 Hour Archive” and “300 Day Archive”.
The bottom panel is used to connect / disable the device and indicate the state.
In its left part there is a “Connect” button with an indicator in the lower right part of “Disconnected”. After the connection, the labels change to “Disable” and “Connected” respectively.
The "General" tab.
Buttons with circular green arrows allow you to get (calculate) a parameter from the device.
The green tick sets (records) a new value in the device.
The red cross resets to the default value, and in the “Time and Date” section synchronizes with computer time.
Slider “Click Volume” allows you to set the volume from 0 (clicks off) to 5 (maximum volume). Since the volume of clicks affects the battery discharge and in addition to the indication of work is not used anywhere, it is advisable to set the minimum audible level. A side application of this setting is to determine the quality of the hearing aid of the owner of the device.
The tab "Archive 24 hours" allows you to see the minute values of the radiation level recorded in the device for the last day.
The tab "Archive 300 days" will show the daily data of the archive for the last 300 days, where every day has information about each hour.
To read the archive and update the graph, when you are on the appropriate tab, you need to click on the button with circular green arrows in the left part of the upper panel of the program.
The buttons “Increase”, “Decrease”, “Initial scale”, “Switch to the chart left, down, up, right” allow you to perform appropriate actions with the schedule.
Archive schedule "24 hours".
Schedule of the archive "300 days".
Recording archives is another valuable property of this device.
The keychain has a built-in clock, thanks to which, when viewing graphs, on the time scale, you can remember your location at the time of increased radiation levels.
When you click on the floppy disk icon in the upper panel, the archive you are viewing will be downloaded to your computer in “csv” format. An example of a table for the 24-hour Archive graph shown above.
Present.Forget about the Atom Basic program. Currently, everything can be done at a higher level with the help of a new program “Atom”, which has a modern graphical interface with setting screens and graphs, counting the accumulated dose for the period and other interesting “bags”.
Installation of the program consists in several clicks on the buttons “Next” and “Install”. Versions 0.9.1, 0.9.3 and 0.9.4 were tested.
After launching the program and connecting the device, we observe the main window of the program.
For most cases, a circular color indicator is enough, where the arrow displays the value, and the color scale is the level of danger. Everything was so clear that I could stop there. But the possibilities of the program are more extensive.
To the right of the color indicator scale is the indicator of the accumulated (from the moment of inclusion or the last reset) dose, setting the threshold for signaling the accumulated dose and the “tick” of the daily reset.
In addition to the arrow pointer, the current value is duplicated on the central digital indicator, under which a small switch is located.
At this point the struggle between the adherents of the various units of measurement is declared to be over. Each chooses the usual μR / h (the window is shown above) or μSv / h (below).
On the main screen, you can also configure five different alarm levels: from 0.4 μZ / h to 500 μZ / h (40 ... 50,000 μR / h), above which the key fob will prescribe the number of times corresponding to the level.
Set a date/time or synchronize it with your computer.
Select the optimal volume of the indicator (every second clicks).
Apply new settings or return to factory settings.
At the top of the program window there are elements:
Program icon (atom and 12 elements around, is it carbon?)
- indicator (choice button) of the program interface language;
- indicator of connection of the device to the USB-connector of the computer;
- indicator of the charge level of the power element;
- Closing button.
When the cursor is found on one of the elements for more than five seconds (the user is thinking and does not know what to do), a window with a pop-up prompt appears.
In addition to performing the main task of warning about the excess of radiation power, the device does not forget the results of its measurements, fixing them in the depths of memory for further viewing in the form of graphs when connecting to a computer.
In the Atom program, an interesting world of charts is located on the second tab, which becomes available when you click on the sidebar with the arrow.
Implemented:
simultaneous display and the ability to work with daily and annual schedules;
automatic reading of data from the device and updating of graphs;
Automatic scaling of the upper limit of the scale;
scaling using a slider or mouse wheel;
Moving along the time axis with a slider;
- displaying the cursor location line with automatic indication of the date and dose rate;
automatic calculation of the accumulated dose when allocating the necessary time fragment on the graph.
A few examples.
Power on the daily schedule and counting the accumulated dose on the annual.
Iron
The second part in the name of the product hints that the device includes a Geiger counter, to be more precise, the Geiger-Müller. In the article you can read about the principle of the sensor.
To see the contents of the device with the loss of warranty for repair allows the operation “Opening”.
The halves of the hull were firmly fastened, and it was originally intended to saw the hull with a small “Bulgarian”, but only a knife was used in the process.
It is better to start the separation of the body from the ledge for the lace. After an exciting process, the inner world of the device opens to the eye.
On the top of the board are the main elements.
Sensor for recording hard beta and gamma radiation SBM-10, which is designed for a maximum limit of 3.6 R / h (36 mSv / h). An interesting solution was used for its mounting - the body is glued to the contact platform with the help of a conductive compound: "stitched" dead - you can not tear it off!
The shiny metal element marked “4155” is a micro-USB connector from Tyco Electronics, which is soldered to the board through the holes to increase the strength of the attachment.
Plastic rectangle next to the sensor - SMD piezoelectric sound emitter PKLCS1212 (12 and 12, its dimensions at a body height of 3 mm),
It emits sound through the outlet in the body.
Also, in addition to the small “binding” on the upper side of the board are: a quartz resonator at a frequency of 12 MHz, a throttle of a high-voltage converter and a “brain” – a microcontroller MSP430F5510PT. In addition to the mind and 32 KB of memory, the microcontroller is characterized by low consumption and a wide supply voltage range of 1.8 to 3.6 volts. To the right of the “brain” are the contact platforms used to program the product.
Economical high-voltage circuits love cleanliness and low humidity. For this purpose, the board of the device is covered with varnish, and the lower, high-voltage part, also with a sealant, with which the board is glued to half the case. It is glued very tightly, so I did not break the fee - the guarantee is already lost, and I do not want to lose my working capacity.
We can speculate that the main part of the dark side of the board is the “3 in 400 volts” voltage converter necessary for the functioning of the Geiger counter.
The voltage converter for powering the gas discharge meter is widely known in narrow circles PN3-400-0.1M. Technical information and video demonstration.
When working in low background radiation, the device consumes an average current of 13. .15 μA. During squeezing, consumption increases to 0.5 mA.
Based on the data on the capacity of the power source (210...240 mAh) and the current consumed, it is possible to estimate the continuous operation time of the device.
I think of battery devices 20 years ago, where 0.5 mA was a huge achievement.
Significant progress has been made in minimizing consumption. And this happened simultaneously with the increase in the intellectual capabilities of the device.
Disadvantages of the device.
The structural surface of the body looks very impressive. But if you will be photographing the device for writing a review, it is better to do it before the start of operation, since the embossed lunar surface (can it still be a device from another planet?) attracts various specks. For most owners, this problem does not matter.
Dust, or rather the possibility of its penetration into the socket of the connector in the pockets of some owners of the device (I am among them) is also a minor nuisance. On the other hand, do not put a plug in the connector!
A similar connector is present in most modern phones. Keep your pockets clean!
As long as we are united, we are invincible!
Now the actual purpose of writing the article and why Habr/GT?
Many harmful factors a person feels: temperature, noise, humidity, brightness, bad air, etc. If desired and with sufficient willpower, he can independently reduce their negative impact on his life.
With radioactive radiation, this will not work – a person does not have the appropriate sense organs, and when the biological effect of radiation begins, the consequences have already occurred or will manifest in the future. Therefore, hot springs must be detected as quickly as possible to eliminate them and reduce the zone of radioactive contamination.
And then the Geiger keychain comes on the stage, which gives a person a “sixth sense” – a sense of radiation. With it, there is calmness and confidence that the next parameter, inaccessible to human organs, was under control.
As a rule, in official reports, the radioactive background is always “normal”. I want to believe that this is true, but it is better to know everything firsthand.
And the first mouth, these are the owners of sensors living in all regions. In addition to accidents, which are quite rare, there are many other sources that occur spontaneously, or near which we live and do not know about their existence.
To dispel the manifestations of radiophobia, which is a natural human reaction to the unknown, reliable data, information and education of residents are needed. And then the toner won't be radioactive in some people's minds.
Special services are working on measuring radioactivity, but without mass coverage of large areas will not be solved.
In addition to those who need it for work, instruments for measuring the level of radioactive radiation are used mainly by people visiting already known places with elevated backgrounds. And although various dosimeters have a large number of people, these devices lie on shelves with discharged batteries.
The Geiger key fob is a permanent wear device. Such products can be primary indicators of the detection of new dangerous places and objects for further study by other devices and specially trained people according to the information obtained from other devices.
And here opens a huge field of activity for programmers to process data from primary sensors.
It is necessary to create a service (resource) where the owners of the Geiger key fob and other similar devices will be able to send the results of their measurements indicating the location of the indicator or the route of its movement. Based on the obtained and processed data, it is possible to analyze the situation with a convenient display on the map.
This resource should include:
map/globus with data from all sensors
- description of actions and measures in case of danger;
direction of winds, precipitation and other meteorological phenomena affecting the spread of radioactive elements;
- information for the education of residents, including: terms, units of measurement, norms, types, levels and doses of radiation, harm caused, methods of treatment, the accumulated dose is withdrawn or accumulated, at what time, what exactly accumulates in the body, etc., so that there is no confusion in the minds and speculation disappears. Something suggests that it is time to do this not only on April 26.
Then, in what case, the person will have information on the basis of which he can decide whether to fight the phenomenon (and how) or leave the area. Health is the most expensive.
As a result of the implementation of this project, with the mass participation of participants, we will have a map of radioactivity in real time covering huge areas to detect new and old sources of radiation.
An excellent example of information processing was shown by the developers of this unique device, which can become the main long-playing information sensor on the proposed resource. In fact, only one parameter is measured - the number of pulses of the sensor. And how much useful information is obtained as a result of processing and displaying information!
The Atom program lacks one important button – “Share!”
Its addition will allow you to combine all sensors into a single network. And then everything secret, unknown and frightening will become public and not so terrible.
Mass operation of the device will allow in the shortest possible time to identify most dangerous places with an increased level of background radiation.
The developers wish to make it possible to connect the product to the phone (it is always nearby) using a USB cord. Then you can use the phone screen to display the currently measured value when looking for hot particles in a pre-detected area with elevated radiation levels. The task is quite rare, so the feasibility of this proposal is questionable. In this case, you can use other devices that have an indicator, or use a laptop.
If the dangers of radio emissions from microwaves and cell phones are still debated, in the case of radioactivity, everything is simpler: anything above the background is bad. In fact, probably bad and natural background, just nothing can be done for sane money.
From here:
The outstanding Swedish radiobiologist Sivert in 1950 came to the conclusion that there is no threshold for the effect of radiation on living organisms. A threshold level is one below which no damage is detected in each irradiated organism [the so-called deterministic effect]. When irradiated in smaller doses, the effect will be stochastic (random), i.e. certain changes will necessarily occur among the group of irradiated people, but who exactly is unknown in advance. After reading these words, for some reason, a disease that has the same name with an arthropod animal with claws is remembered.
An attempt to reduce background radiation was made in an experiment codenamed “Foil Cap.”
At 5:00 a.m., a disconnected freezer stood in the room. From that moment, an experiment began to test the protective properties of various materials.
7:40 – The fridge keychain moved into a thick-walled stainless steel pan.
10:00 – the pan with the contents is placed in an iron safe.
12:00 – the keychain left the pan, but remained in the safe.
13:09 - The device is removed from the safe.
Further, it was planned to check the protective properties of lead screens used in X-ray offices - it was supposed to assess the degree of attenuation of background radiation when the meter is located in the center of the "pie" of two protective plates. But... plates just don’t rent, even for the sake of experimentation.
Helped men from the shop, who always have a piece of leaf lead thickness of 1.8 mm.
The small size did not allow to make a full-fledged “cake”, but now you can find out information about background radiation – where does it come from, from above or below?
13:07 – measure the radiation from the Cosmos (the fob is located on a sheet of lead).
14:10 – The radiation comes from the planet (lead from above).
15:10 - Space radiation turned on (lead removed).
15:55 – End of the experiment.
The result of the experiment is presented on the graph.
Since the level of background radiation changes, for the purity of the experiment, it is necessary to conduct an experiment for a long time, as well as use two identical devices, one of which is placed in a protective shell, and the second remains free. But there was only one device available. It was assumed that the radiation level would decrease so much that the change would be noticeable on the chart. But that didn't happen. Moreover, the maximum value was recorded during the period when the device was in a pot placed in a safe.
At the moment, it can be concluded that the objects used in the experiment, if they reduce background radiation, then only slightly. We need to continue the experiment.
In order for the device to acquire a directed action, it is desirable to use a more effective shielding, for example, a high lead cylinder, with a diameter of ten ... twenty centimeters, drill a deep hole in it, where to place the meter.
Documentation for Geiger's keychain.
1. Device exchange protocol. If the developers are interested, a library under Qt will appear.
2. Photos from the article and others not included in this review.
3. Purchase, as well as a program for connecting to a computer, description, specifications, instructions for operation. published
P.S. And remember, just by changing our consumption, we change the world together! © Join us on Facebook , VKontakte, Odnoklassniki
Source: geektimes.ru/company/dadget/blog/259372/