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11)
Message boards :
Number crunching :
using a GMC-300 for a project detector?
(Message 1997)
Posted 3909 days ago by JP_Austin They are decent detectors. For this application where it's being plugged in all the time I unplugged the battery. It's a 9 volt rechargeable so it has a clip like a standard 9 volt. This way you won't overcharge the battery and possibly damage it with extended overcharge. This was reported as a potential problem in the GMC forums. The only problems I have had lately is when I re-boot the PC. Sometimes the initialization of the serial port does not occur properly. I have got good at finding the processes and killing them and restarting! Worst case I have to start the GMC application and verify I can communicate with the unit prior to starting BOINC. TO be honest I have not had to do that in a while since it starts up OK about half the time. I do run the app under admin rights since I setup the app to only allow the admin to run it. I have a couple other people on this machine and I really didn't want them messing with the app or trying to start it. Let us know how it works out once you get one. |
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12)
Message boards :
Number crunching :
using a GMC-300 for a project detector?
(Message 1983)
Posted 3914 days ago by JP_Austin Any time to update this? I can get the preset code to work but will make rolling it out to others a but more problematic as it does have start-up issues at times. Has anyone got the Beagle-Bone Black working with this unit? |
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13)
Message boards :
Number crunching :
using a GMC-300 for a project detector?
(Message 1956)
Posted 3936 days ago by JP_Austin Ditto have had initialization issues on the PC where the first read from the unit is garbled. If I kill it and restart it a second time it normally starts just fine. For some reason my PC got rebooted today and the app did not start up properly. Been offline for most of the day. Just now got it communicating again. Would a search of the expected string in a limited loop be OK? Perhaps poll the port a time or two looking for the correct response. Once it's OK then move on. If not good after four or five attempts give up. Either that or properly clear out the receive buffer as indicated earlier. |
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14)
Message boards :
Number crunching :
using a GMC-300 for a project detector?
(Message 1943)
Posted 3944 days ago by JP_Austin Good job guys. This will enable a slough of embedded processors to be used. Thinking of using the BeagleBone Black as a standalone processor to free up my machine now running Boinc. |
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15)
Message boards :
Number crunching :
using a GMC-300 for a project detector?
(Message 1926)
Posted 3945 days ago by JP_Austin As I understand it the GMC-300 does not use any flow control. Only standard RS-232 type communications with 8 bits, 1 stop bit, no parity or flow control. Flow control typically is established with a special cable that correctly routes the CTS/RTS pins in a typical serial interface. With the prolific RS-232 to USB chip doing the interface were a bit fixed in how they wired up the unit. Yes i just looked at the GMC app and it shows flow control turned off for interfacing to the unit. |
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16)
Message boards :
Number crunching :
using a GMC-300 for a project detector?
(Message 1924)
Posted 3947 days ago by JP_Austin Only concern is that the GMC-300 is reading slightly higher than many of the other units out in the field. My CPM numbers are not all that different but the BOINC graphs show a elevated level compared to similar CPM counts. Not sure if there is some algorithm used to calculate the uSv/h numbers but it may need to be updated. |
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17)
Message boards :
Number crunching :
using a GMC-300 for a project detector?
(Message 1920)
Posted 3951 days ago by JP_Austin Seems to be a bit better. I rebooted the PC and besides the normal BOINC issues needing to start with admin rights it ran right off. In the past it would read the serial number a bit strange first time up. This time just worked without having to prime the pump with the GMC-300 software first! Radioactive@Home app rev $Rev: 179 $ for GMC-300 starting... COM6 opened for read/write Connected to GMC-300 Re 2.36 (revision int: 566) 2000,1,2013-7-23 4:28:33,f,0.0 minutes,12.0 cpm,0.27 uSv/h |
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18)
Message boards :
Number crunching :
using a GMC-300 for a project detector?
(Message 1912)
Posted 3953 days ago by JP_Austin Yes I have initialization issues at times. If I used the GMC-300 data viewer first then shut that application down and launch the BOINC then things work properly. Once up and running it's solid. Been running for several days without problems. Only the initial sequence that is a bit unstable. |
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19)
Message boards :
Number crunching :
using a GMC-300 for a project detector?
(Message 1892)
Posted 3960 days ago by JP_Austin The GMC-300 uses USB to power the device but actually that just charges the internal Lipo battery. It can run stand-alone for about 12 hours or more to act like a logger. Handy if you want to slip it into your luggage for a long flight. you can log the higher CPM readings while at high elevation. The BeagleBone Black and I assume a Rpi can both use a powered hub if you need more USB ports. My son recently got a BB Black and added a powered hub to it. Not a problem as he was running a keyboard, mouse, USB Audio, and think he still had an extra port. They can plug directly into your router and would make a terrific monitoring node. |
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20)
Message boards :
Number crunching :
using a GMC-300 for a project detector?
(Message 1880)
Posted 3963 days ago by JP_Austin Radioactive@Home app rev $Rev: 585 $ for GMC-300 starting... COM6 opened for read/write Connected to GMC-300 Re 2.36 (revision int: 566) 2000,1,2013-7-11 2:45:18,r,0.0 minutes,18.0 cpm,0.27 uSv/h 184000,79,2013-7-11 2:48:20,n,3.0 minutes,26.0 cpm,0.15 uSv/h 366000,130,2013-7-11 2:51:22,n,3.0 minutes,17.0 cpm,0.10 uSv/h 548000,175,2013-7-11 2:54:24,n,3.0 minutes,15.0 cpm,0.09 uSv/h 730000,235,2013-7-11 2:57:26,n,3.0 minutes,20.0 cpm,0.12 uSv/h 912000,313,2013-7-11 3:0:28,n,3.0 minutes,26.0 cpm,0.15 uSv/h Looks much better so far! I need to play with it a bit more by re-booting machine and cycling power on the GMC-300. It essentially ran right off the start no problem. Is the first reading correct on the calculation of the uSv/h? BTW - The GMC-300 defaults with <HEARTBEAT1> or constantly spitting out data all the time. If you did a version check before the HEARTBEAT0 you likely got lucky reading the proper data back. I would first issue the heaartbeat0 then delay a bit and read the version and then launch into the read CPM code. Overall a big improvement! |