Geiger Counter working but not a peep on the serial port
Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2020 1:02 pm
Got a question:
I have had my Geiger counter working for a while, but hadn't checked the serial port. (In terms of working I hear it beep, led flashes at a rate that seems appropriate). Button silences.
As I've been working on projects during the lock down, I got back to the Geiger counter... was thinking of converting it to 5v...and figuring out a way to get it on-line... as well as needing to get a case. Got the case (via Adafruit) ... arrived today and really does make it look nicer!
Before I did any conversions or anything I had seen this site (https://syncchannel.blogspot.com/2016/0 ... tyohm.html). Since I have both of those two parts, and that this would allow me to both have a nice display AND feed data from it to my weewx based weather site, I started on this. Got code and that all working on the Geiger counter.... but no data coming from the serial pins.
So, after getting the case, I changed out the tube (I had some tubes that I had gotten (shorter ones) since I wasn't all that sure how good the previous tube I had was... so moved the mounting end). And since I got the case, changed out the button to be the one with the longer shaft so it can be triggered from above the case. And went back over the soldering (since I had assembled the kit, and had sourced the parts and flashed them, etc.) Touched up anything that looked even the slightest bit potentially off.
Then brought it back upstairs, hoping that had resolved the serial output. Behavior the same before and after the tube change, button change, and solder touchup.
So I took out my TTL-232R-3v3 Serial to USB cable... which I use on a bunch of other development boards... and hooked it up to my Mac. Nada. No output at all. Nothing. (that's a picture of the cable I used)
It's working now with the shorter tube the same as it did with the longer tube..... So nothing fundamental seems off.
I just don't get any serial data.
But the unit seems to be working based on what I expect as normal background radiation.
I actually got a picture of it when it blinked. RIght now, I know i don't have the pin connected to this for the feather (so I don't expect it right this sec to show counts on that.) I had just disconnected the serial cable to take the picture. Power is coming from the Feather (based on the link above). Tested, it's 3.3V so that and the behavior seems to indicate the basic functionality is working.
So, that's as best of a description as I can give of the current state. Don't know what should be the next step.....
Thoughts? Pointers?
I have had my Geiger counter working for a while, but hadn't checked the serial port. (In terms of working I hear it beep, led flashes at a rate that seems appropriate). Button silences.
As I've been working on projects during the lock down, I got back to the Geiger counter... was thinking of converting it to 5v...and figuring out a way to get it on-line... as well as needing to get a case. Got the case (via Adafruit) ... arrived today and really does make it look nicer!
Before I did any conversions or anything I had seen this site (https://syncchannel.blogspot.com/2016/0 ... tyohm.html). Since I have both of those two parts, and that this would allow me to both have a nice display AND feed data from it to my weewx based weather site, I started on this. Got code and that all working on the Geiger counter.... but no data coming from the serial pins.
So, after getting the case, I changed out the tube (I had some tubes that I had gotten (shorter ones) since I wasn't all that sure how good the previous tube I had was... so moved the mounting end). And since I got the case, changed out the button to be the one with the longer shaft so it can be triggered from above the case. And went back over the soldering (since I had assembled the kit, and had sourced the parts and flashed them, etc.) Touched up anything that looked even the slightest bit potentially off.
Then brought it back upstairs, hoping that had resolved the serial output. Behavior the same before and after the tube change, button change, and solder touchup.
So I took out my TTL-232R-3v3 Serial to USB cable... which I use on a bunch of other development boards... and hooked it up to my Mac. Nada. No output at all. Nothing. (that's a picture of the cable I used)
It's working now with the shorter tube the same as it did with the longer tube..... So nothing fundamental seems off.
I just don't get any serial data.
But the unit seems to be working based on what I expect as normal background radiation.
I actually got a picture of it when it blinked. RIght now, I know i don't have the pin connected to this for the feather (so I don't expect it right this sec to show counts on that.) I had just disconnected the serial cable to take the picture. Power is coming from the Feather (based on the link above). Tested, it's 3.3V so that and the behavior seems to indicate the basic functionality is working.
So, that's as best of a description as I can give of the current state. Don't know what should be the next step.....
Thoughts? Pointers?