A dose rate meter and a personal pocket dosimeter realization in a single chip

Abstract

A single chip realization of a circuit, which implements both accumulated doses and dose rate meter functions, is described. A PIC 16C84 microcontroller is combined with a H.V. power supply, a GM detector and a shaping circuit to form the proposed single chip personal dosimeter instrument. Battery checking function is also implemented. The accumulated doses are read reliably without adding any PIC RS-232 level translator chips. The reader can be either a stand-alone device with RS-232 port for remote transmission to any PC or a PC with a parallel port. Very low power consumption (<2 mA at 5 V, 4 MHz); wide operating voltage range (2 to 6 V), simplicity and maintainability (single 18-pin DIP chip of PIC 16C84) are assured. These attractive features in conjunction with enhanced functionality and flexibility of programmed devices make it an excellent choice for personal dosimeter instruments.