Latanza - Lamrecor

Corso di Formazione
Tecnico di Ricerca in Delivery Service Modeling and Optimization
PON LAMReCor
MC8 Inglese Specialistico
MICROPROCESSOR SYSTEM WITH USB INTERFACE FOR
SCINTILLATION TUBES
Professor:
Prof. Salvatore Averna
Trainee:
Giovanni La Tanza
Introduction
The aim of the work:
Using μcontroller for the realization of a radiation
measuring instrument with USB connectivity
OUTLINE:
• Detectors of radioactive particles
1.
2.
Ion Chamber
Scintillation Tube
• Processing data using microcontroller
1. Identification of measuring ranges
2. Pulse Count
3. USB Communication
Giovanni La Tanza – Progetto DeSMO PON LAMReCor
MC8 Inglese Specialistico
Introduction
The Italian situation:
• Referendum 8-9 November 1987
• Referendum 12-13 June 2011
Background radioactivity
Giovanni La Tanza – Progetto DeSMO PON LAMReCor
MC8 Inglese Specialistico
Introduction
Measurement Instruments:
Ion Chamber
Scintillation Tube (Geiger-Müller Counter)
Proportional Chamber
Scintillation Counter
Semiconductor Detector
Čerenkov Counter
Bubble Chamber
Electromagnetic and Hadronic Calorimeters
Giovanni La Tanza – Progetto DeSMO PON LAMReCor
MC8 Inglese Specialistico
Materials and Methods – Ion Chamber
Ion
Chamber
- Electrical potential difference between the
electrodes of the chamber
- Passage of radioactive particles in the chamber
- Creation of electron-ion pairs
- Amplification by Darlington transistors T1
- Variation of current in the circuit
Giovanni La Tanza – Progetto DeSMO PON LAMReCor
MC8 Inglese Specialistico
Materials and Methods – Ion Chamber
Problems:
- Is not possible recognize the type of
radiation
- Current loss
Solutions:
- Electrical connections decrease
- Appropriate choice of the Darlington
transistor
Giovanni La Tanza – Progetto DeSMO PON LAMReCor
MC8 Inglese Specialistico
Materials and Methods – Ion Chamber
Giovanni La Tanza – Progetto DeSMO PON LAMReCor
MC8 Inglese Specialistico
Materials and Methods – Scintillation Tube
Scintillation Tube
High Voltage
generator
Scintillation
Tube
Amplification
SEN-09298 by Sparkfun Electronics
Giovanni La Tanza – Progetto DeSMO PON LAMReCor
Microcontroller
MC8 Inglese Specialistico
Materials and Methods – Scintillation Tube
Circuit Diagram
commercial device
Scintillation tube
High Voltage
generator
Microcontroller
Amplificator
Giovanni La Tanza – Progetto DeSMO PON LAMReCor
Copyright Sparkfun Electronics
MC8 Inglese Specialistico
Materials and Methods – Scintillation Tube
Functioning:
- Generation of high voltage (hundreds of volts)
- Passage of radioactive particle
- Generation of avalanche discharge in the
scintillation tube
- Counting the pulse output from the scintillation tube
Problem:
- Asynchronous nature of the pulses
Giovanni La Tanza – Progetto DeSMO PON LAMReCor
MC8 Inglese Specialistico
Results
Microcontroller PIC18F2550
of Microchip Technology
External Interrupt
USB Interface
Giovanni La Tanza – Progetto DeSMO PON LAMReCor
MC8 Inglese Specialistico
Results
SOFTWARE
Initialization
Asynchronous
Event
Management
I/O
Management
In the absence of radioactive particles:
• Identification of measuring ranges
• USB communication
In the presence of radioactive particles:
• Pulse Count
Giovanni La Tanza – Progetto DeSMO PON LAMReCor
MC8 Inglese Specialistico
Results – Identification of measuring ranges
Identification of measuring ranges
Timer0 overflow and setting up:
- Prescaler (frequency divider)
- Starting point of the counter
Giovanni La Tanza – Progetto DeSMO PON LAMReCor
MC8 Inglese Specialistico
Results – Pulse Count
Pulse Count
External interrupt
on INT0 pin
Interrupt: asynchronous signal that
interrupts the normal execution of a program
to notify the event and to execute specific
operations
Giovanni La Tanza – Progetto DeSMO PON LAMReCor
MC8 Inglese Specialistico
Results – USB Communication
USB Communication
Serial port emulation
Microchip Technology’s library
Use of the status bit for the data volume
reduction
Giovanni La Tanza – Progetto DeSMO PON LAMReCor
MC8 Inglese Specialistico
Discussion
Final considerations:
- Computer data processing
- Wide margins of customizing in the
functioning of microcontroller
Possible improvement:
- Graphic interface
Giovanni La Tanza – Progetto DeSMO PON LAMReCor
MC8 Inglese Specialistico
Thanks for your
attention!
- FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations)
- INFN (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare)
- ISPRA (Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca
Ambientale)
- Greenpeace
- Associazione Italiana Nucleare
- Giorgio Bendiscioli, “Fenomeni radioattivi: dal nucleo alle stelle”,
Springer (2008)
- Sylvie Braibant, Giorgio Giacomelli, Maurizio Spurio, “Particelle e
interazioni fondamentali”, Spinger (2009)
- Techlib.com: http://techlib.com/
- Radiolocman.com: http://www.radiolocman.com/
- Specifiche Universal Serial BUS
- Datasheet PIC18F2550, Microchip Technology
- Mauro Laurenti, “C18 Step By Step”
Corso di Formazione
Tecnico di Ricerca in Delivery Service Modeling and Optimization
PON LAMReCor
MC8 Inglese Specialistico
MICROPROCESSOR SYSTEM WITH USB INTERFACE FOR
SCINTILLATION TUBES
Professor:
Prof. Salvatore Averna
Trainee:
Giovanni La Tanza