LENA - Now featuring dose measurement

The DOSE feature discussed in the previous post is now done. Taking into account the GM tube characteristics, a realistic measure of radiation dose in uSv/hour is now being calculated, based on the single event rate. From the information obtained on the internet regarding the SI-39G tube, the value of 0.00049 uSv per pulse was taken into account for the calculation of the dose.

Additionally, another mode usually found in most Geiger counters and dosimeters is the CPM (Counts Per Minute) mode. It provides a relative measure (that is of course GM tube dependent) of the radiation exposure, based on the ammount of particles detected by the tube. In this case these can be either Beta particles with more penetrating energy, and Gamma photons. Alpha particles cannot be detected by this particular tube (the SI-39G).

LENA - The Geiger Counter that was finally made portable!

With the Geiger Muller tube module having been posted in a previous post, namely here, another important development was missing. While fully functional at that time as a sensor device which could readily be interfaced with via I2C, or having the pulses be directly picked up via a dedicated TTL signal, by itself the device could not be carried on the field and be expected to operate without additional hardware.

Me and my employer in the Elektor magazine!

In late september (the 29th to be more exact) PDMFC's online store Microsensus was officially launched. This event gathered a lot of people from the portuguese microelectronics community. And is needless to say it was a success. It was an opportunity to expose our work to many relevant people, from universities to SME's and large companies. The event also captured the media attention, in particular the portuguese version of the Elektor magazine. I had the chance to talk about the products and what motivated PDMFC to enroll in the hardware business.

As it was published, it felt good to see my face and the rest of the team printed in the pages of a magazine that for me and many people in the electronics world is legendary for its articles and its role at stimulating young minds towards creativity through the use of technological artifacts.