Arduino scintillation counter Radiation

here is a shot of the work so far

You need access to an oscilloscope to troubleshoot this circuit. Look for pulses coming out of the photomultiplier and go from there.

Ok I can get one by any chance do you know where I would attach the oscilloscope to in the circuit. What am I looking for in the oscilloscope I'm sorry I'm new to this. Thank you for the help

Ask the person from whom you borrow the oscilloscope to help. These instruments are not designed so that a beginner can figure out how to use them, without instruction.

That can be done thank you. I have another question if anyone can take a look at the electrical diagram I think I keep shorting the DC DC step up. I will upload a photo here too.

The electrical diagram is fine. However you might be misinterpreting it. What makes you think it is shorting out?
Have you measured the voltage output of the converter with a multimeter? That will tell you.

Here is the electrical diagram from the instructable. I think the SiPM is in backwards too. I'm not great at reading this.

image.jpg

I think the SiPM is in backwards too.

If you think you put it in backwards, try the other way. It won't work in the incorrect orientation. In an Instructable, you get what you pay for. This one is an example.

Yes I think the SiPM is backwards. Does anyone know how to tweak it once I have the oscilloscope?

Does anyone know how to tweak it once I have the oscilloscope?

Tweek it for what?

Just what am I looking for once I can test this with a oscilloscope? Should I vary the power going to the SiPM or chance resistors?

Turn it around first. It may work after that.

Its turned around but im still reading all 0's from the serial monitor :~

Just what am I looking for once I can test this with a oscilloscope?

Pulses into the amplifier and pulses out of it.

Ahhhh ok so I'm looking fore these pulses that the Arduino can read. If I'm not getting the proper pulse do I need to replace the OP amp?

Capture.JPG

If I'm not getting the proper pulse do I need to replace the OP amp?

No if you are not getting proper pulses then you have to find out why.

Only one reason is a faulty op-amp and that is not so likely. A more likely reason is that it is wired up wrong or no pulses are coming out of the photo multiplier.
This could be that your crystal is not scintillating, there is poor optical coupling between your crystal and photo multiplier or your photo multiplier is not working.
There are more things to go wrong than the sum of the components in your project.

Boy have I gotten myself in deep :astonished: I have a Polyvinyltoluene Scintillation plastic. I wonder if that works with the SiPM. I have optical coupling grease but I was unsure if I should use it on the SiPM?

I have a Polyvinyltoluene Scintillation plastic. I wonder if that works with the SiPM.

It should do both work with blueish light.
However how is your scintillator made. The one in the Tiger instrument has total internal reflection on all surfaces but one. It could be that your plastic is not coupled to the detector.
http://physics.wustl.edu/supertiger/tiger/science/instrument/scintillator/

I have optical coupling grease

That should help.

I will try to put some teflon tape as the instructable suggested around the crystal. And I will also try to cut it to a smaller size so it fits right on the front of the SiPM. Thank you Grumpy_Mike for helping me out with all this you must be a nuclear physicist!!

you must be a nuclear physicist!!

Not quite. I was a Physicist but more on the instrumentation side. :slight_smile: