Hello, I have an old Geiger counter from the Cold War that I use to survey things that emit small amounts of radiation like granite, background, clay pots, radion in basements (none yet), and other things. Having a Geiger counter so old means that there is a lack of a digital interface. It is all analog. If I wanted to measure the radiation of things that barely produce radiation I must count each count individually and I must count thousands of count for hours to get a low amount of error.
Anyway, science things aside I have used and programmed Arduino before but I have never tried to take input from a device that runs on a completely separate set of rules. The counter does have a candidate for an input for the Arduino, the phone jack however a simple true or false ohmmeter cannot be used because of a lack of digital logic meaning the circuit is always closed. Here is some info on the kind of output.
- The volt range of the counter is between 0.5 - 2 volts on each count.
- There is constant static due to the transformers.
- When there are two or more clicks in close succession the voltage may not drop off of the 0.5 - 2 volts range.
- When there is an occasional click it will always go above 0.5 volts but not much higher.
- Ask questions for more info and I will answer them if I can.
That is all the info I can think of adding so here are my questions.
- Does anything come to mind when reading the general problem?
- Where should I start tutorial wise?
- What should I Google?
- Is there any digital logic, ICs, etc. I should look into?
- What are some tips or tutorials for someone building their first complex circuit?