Stephen Harrison
Created February 29, 2016 © Apache-2.0

Internet Geiger Counter

Internet connected Geiger Counter. Either WiFi with a Photon or Cellular with an Electron.

Beginner1 hour237
Internet Geiger Counter

Things used in this project

Hardware components

Photon
Particle Photon
Either Photon or Electron
×1
Electron
Particle Electron
Either Photon or Electon
×1
Might Ohm Geiger Counter
×1
Breadboard (generic)
Breadboard (generic)
×1
LED (generic)
LED (generic)
×1
Resistor 1k ohm
Resistor 1k ohm
×1

Software apps and online services

Tinamous

Story

Read more

Schematics

Fritzing breadboard layout

Code

Geiger Counter - Electron or Photon.

Arduino
You will need to manually add the PowerShield library in Particles build environment.
// This #include statement was automatically added by the Particle IDE.
#include "PowerShield/PowerShield.h"

int led = D3;
int pulsePin = D2;
int debugPin = D7;

bool hasBattery = true;

// #if PLATFORM_ID==6      // photon
// Photon specific.
PowerShield batteryMonitor;

// #if PLATFORM_ID==10      // electron
// Electron specific
FuelGauge fuel;

// interrupt/timer driven values.
int volatile countPerInterval = 0;
int volatile ledOn = 0;
bool volatile publishRadiation = false;
bool volatile shuffleAverageCountsPerInterval = false;

int loopDelay = 10;

int lastCountPerInterval = 0;

const int maxPointsPerInterval = 60;
int countsPerInterval[maxPointsPerInterval]; // = {0,0,0,0,0,0};

// Current CPM value readable as a variable
// rather than being published
// so it's available for IFTTT
int cpm = 0;

// If raised/high level radiation alert sent
// 0 = normal
// 1 = raised
// 2 = high
int alertSent = 0;

#if PLATFORM_ID==6
// Photon - publish every n seconds
int publishInterval = 10;
#else
// Electorn - publish every n minutes
int publishInterval = 10 * 60;
#endif

Timer publishRadiationTimer(publishInterval * 1000, publishRadiationTick);

// Every second shuffle the buckets and update the average CPM.
Timer updateAveragesTimer(1000, shuffleAverageCountsPerIntervalTick);

// This routine runs only once upon reset
void setup()
{
    // Take control of the RGB LED
    RGB.control(true);
    RGB.brightness(25);
    RGB.color(255, 0, 255);

    // Initialize pins
    pinMode(pulsePin, INPUT_PULLDOWN);
    pinMode(led, OUTPUT);
    pinMode(debugPin, OUTPUT);
    digitalWrite(debugPin, HIGH);
    
    // initialise the averaging array
    for (int i  = 0; i<maxPointsPerInterval; i++) {
        countsPerInterval[i] =0;
    }
    
    // Particle variables to allow reading by IFTTT etc.
    Particle.variable("cpm", cpm);

    // Setup I2C bus (used for battery monitor)
    Wire.begin(); 
    
    // Start the timers...
    publishRadiationTimer.start();
    updateAveragesTimer.start();
    
    if (hasBattery) {
        // Photon.
        batteryMonitor.reset();
        batteryMonitor.quickStart();
        int batteryVersion = batteryMonitor.getVersion();
    }
    
    Particle.publish("Status","Geiger setup complete. V1.3.0. Publish Interval: " + String(publishInterval) + "s");
    
    // Once we are ready to start monitoring the radiation, connect up the 
    // pulse sense pin interrupt.
    RGB.color(0, 255, 0);
    attachInterrupt(pulsePin, pulseReceived, RISING);
    
    digitalWrite(debugPin, LOW);
}

// This routine loops forever
void loop()
{
    // Switch the radiation LED on if a pulse is detected.
    // ledOn value is  decreased until it gets to 0 to allow
    // for a longer LED pulse than the loop cycle.
    if (ledOn > 0) {
        digitalWrite(led, HIGH);
    } else {
        digitalWrite(led, LOW);
        ledOn = 0;
    }
    
    // Update the RGB LED for the current radiaiton level
    updateRadiationIndicator();
  
    // Ever n seconds shuffle the counter per interval array down one
    // to keep a running average and so we can compute the CPM (Counts
    // per Minute))
    if (shuffleAverageCountsPerInterval) {
        doShuffleAverageCountsPerInterval();
        shuffleAverageCountsPerInterval = false;
    }
  
    // This is set high when the processRadiationTimer timer fires.
    if (publishRadiation) {
        publishRadiationValues();
        publishRadiation = false;
    }
 
    // Delay by about 10ms.
    delay(loopDelay);
    ledOn--;
}

// If high level or radiation (well slightly higher than normal) 
// make the RGB LED red.
// for intermediate set to yellow, 
// Otherwise for low radiation level set the LED to green.
void updateRadiationIndicator() {
    
    if (cpm > 500) {
        if (alertSent != 2) {
            Particle.publish("Status", "Warning high radiation level detected!");
            alertSent = 2;
        }
        RGB.color(255, 0, 0);
    } else if (cpm > 50) {
        if (alertSent != 1) {
            Particle.publish("Status", "Raised radiation level detected.");
            alertSent = 1;
        }
        RGB.color(128, 128, 0);
    } else {
        if (alertSent != 0) {
            Particle.publish("Status", "Radiation alarm cleared.");
            alertSent = 0;
        }
        RGB.color(0, 255, 0);
    }
}

// Timer called every 10 seconds
void publishRadiationValues () {
    
    digitalWrite(debugPin, HIGH);
    
    String senml = "{'n':'cpm','v':'" + String(cpm) + "'}";
    
    senml += ",{'n':'cpi','v':'" + String(lastCountPerInterval) + "'}";
    senml += ",{'n':'interval','v':'" + String(publishInterval) + "'}";
    
    senml += getPhotonStats();
    senml += getElectronStats();
    
    Particle.publish("senml", "{e:[" + senml + "]}");
    
    // Delay to allow the debug pin flash
    // to be seen.
    delay(250);
    digitalWrite(debugPin, LOW);
}

// Get SenML stats about the Electron
// i.e. the battery level, signal stength
String getElectronStats() {
    
    String senml = "";
    
    #if Wiring_Cellular
        CellularSignal signalStrength = Cellular.RSSI();
        senml += ",{'n':'rssi','v':'" + String(signalStrength.rssi) + "'}";
        senml += ",{'n':'qual','v':'" + String(signalStrength.qual) + "'}";
    #endif
    
    #if PLATFORM_ID==10 
        // % of charge (0-100)
        float soc = fuel.getSoC();
        float vcell = fuel.getVCell();
        senml += ",{'n':'vcell','v':'" + String(vcell) + "'}";
        senml += ",{'n':'soc','v':'" + String(soc) + "'}";
    #endif
    
    return senml;
}

// Get SenML stats about the photon 
// i.e. the battery level.
String getPhotonStats() {
    
    String senml = "";
    
    // If photon, use the power shield to get the battery state.
    // it might not be repsent.
    #if PLATFORM_ID==6
    
    float cellVoltage = batteryMonitor.getVCell();
    float stateOfCharge = batteryMonitor.getSoC();
    
    senml += ",{'n':'vcell','v':'" + String(cellVoltage) + "'}";
    senml += ",{'n':'soc','v':'" + String(stateOfCharge) + "'}";
    
    #endif
    
    // Devices other than photon use WiFi so 
    // in case we are one one of them (e.g. P1)
    #if Wiring_WiFi
        // WiFi signal strength
        int rssi = WiFi.RSSI();
        senml += ",{'n':'rssi','v':'" + String(rssi) + "'}";
    #endif 
    
    return senml;
}

// Once per second shuffle the counts per interval down one
// to give us a 1 minute 60 point average of all the counts.
void doShuffleAverageCountsPerInterval() {

    // Compute the current cpm value whilst we are at it.)
    // NB: this works because the counterPerInterval array
    // is 60 1 second intervals long.
    int currentCpm = 0;
    
    // Shuffle average array down to make way for the new point
    for (int i=0; i<maxPointsPerInterval-1; i++) {
        countsPerInterval[i] = countsPerInterval[i+1];
        currentCpm+=countsPerInterval[i];
    }
    
    // Store the latest reading in the last array position.
    // and reset the value for a new count per interval.
    countsPerInterval[maxPointsPerInterval-1] = countPerInterval;
    lastCountPerInterval = countPerInterval;
    currentCpm+=countPerInterval;
    countPerInterval = 0;
    
    // store the current cpm value 
    // in a variable that 
    cpm = currentCpm;
}

// Compute the total (sum) of all the counts per second.
// NB: for the first minute the cpm total will be low
// due to 0 average points.
int computeTotalCounts() {
    int totalCounts = 0;
    for (int i=0; i < maxPointsPerInterval; i++) {
        totalCounts+=countsPerInterval[i];
    }
    return totalCounts;
}

// Radiation pulse received.
// ISR.
void pulseReceived() {
    countPerInterval++;
    // How many loops the LED should be on for.
    ledOn = 2;
}

void publishRadiationTick() {
    publishRadiation = true;
}

void shuffleAverageCountsPerIntervalTick() {
    shuffleAverageCountsPerInterval = true;
}

Credits

Stephen Harrison

Stephen Harrison

18 projects • 51 followers
Founder of Tinamous.com, software developer, hardware tinkerer, dyslexic. @TinamousSteve
Thanks to MightOhm.

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