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Distelzombie
Germany
202 Posts |
 Posted - 01/30/2017 : 14:21:22
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Hi
I can't reliably get any data from the device.
First: I can't download "GQ Geiger Counter Data viewer Re. 2.34" using my laptop. I had to use my smartphone and transfer it.
2. The Antivirus software doesn't like this software. (I did deactivate this, though)
3. I can't download saved counts from the device. Just doesn't work
4. Using any of the two PC softwares I can't save counts reliably because it always stops at about 11.000 cpm in both programs while the device overflows with over 65k cpm...
5. The device shows on it's display sudden drops to 0 cpm from time to time. Even at average 1k cpm and less. |
GMC-300E+ V4.20 with sbt-11a alpha tube
My statements are "stuff-a-hobbyist-says" and not in any way professional. |
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| Reply #1
Distelzombie
Germany
202 Posts |
Posted - 02/07/2017 : 11:08:36
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| No Ideas? :( |
GMC-300E+ V4.20 with sbt-11a alpha tube
My statements are "stuff-a-hobbyist-says" and not in any way professional. |
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| Reply #2
ZLM
1261 Posts |
Posted - 02/07/2017 : 19:26:24
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What is your exact problem when you downloading?
The GMC-300 uses baud rate at 57600 by default. But it can be changed from menu. Make sure your unit baud rate is 57600 from menu.
Once your Data Viewer software connected with your GMC-300, you should see something fro software message box like: GMC-300E+ Re4.01 connected! |
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| Reply #3
Distelzombie
Germany
202 Posts |
Posted - 02/08/2017 : 04:57:37
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quote:
Originally posted by ZLM
Once your Data Viewer software connected with your GMC-300, you should see something fro software message box like: GMC-300E+ Re4.01 connected!
Hi ZLM,
yes i see that. I get no specific error message when downloading, just that there has been one.
I just tried it again while randomly changing everything. It only works when i choose GMC-320 in the drop-down menu! Now I can download bin files, just need to know what to do with them.
But the counts over Heartbeat using the program still cap at 180-230cps which gives a maximum overall CPM of 10800-13800. I tried changing the baudrate because datacap maybe, but im not sure if the program saves this for after I click "realtime monitoring", which is indicated by using a baudrate of 921600 and realtime monitoring still works barely.
quote:
5. The device shows on it's display sudden drops to 0 cpm from time to time. Even at average 1k cpm and less.
This is just an display error that only shows in graphic mode and goes away after the "0" travelled half the distance to the left sometimes. |
GMC-300E+ V4.20 with sbt-11a alpha tube
My statements are "stuff-a-hobbyist-says" and not in any way professional. |
Edited by - Distelzombie on 02/12/2017 11:43:52 |
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| Reply #4
Distelzombie
Germany
202 Posts |
Posted - 02/14/2017 : 15:09:52
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I tried some reasoning. By fiddling around with the python scripts from the other user of this forum, I gained some insights about the device and its communication.
But still, I cant figure out why the CPM max out at about 12k.
# In total 2 bytes data are returned from GQ GMC unit
# as a 16 bit unsigned integer.
# The first byte is MSB byte data and second byte is LSB byte data.
# e.g.: 00 1C -> the returned CPM is 28
# e.g.: 0B EA -> the returned CPM is 3050
This means the maximum CPM should be 65535. (I thought it could be the problem...) :( Its also the maximum the display can show. However, we've long ago figured out that it actually registers and differenciates more CPM than this.
The python scripts can only communicate with the device using a baudrate of 115200, but the data viewer software has to use 57600, probably. I dont know why. There seem to be some big communication errors.
This could be part of the problem: "...but im not sure if the program saves this for after I click "realtime monitoring", which is indicated by using a baudrate of 921600 and realtime monitoring still works barely."
The data viewer software has some issues and apparently they are not getting resolved. (Even though it says Jan-06-2017 - how can the communication part still have so much errors?) It really looks like some student programmed this. It LOOKS and FEELS like this. The function of downloading the data from the device barely works too and shows neither Errors nor usable progress information. :( |
GMC-300E+ V4.20 with sbt-11a alpha tube
My statements are "stuff-a-hobbyist-says" and not in any way professional. |
Edited by - Distelzombie on 02/14/2017 15:14:53 |
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| Reply #5
ullix
Germany
1171 Posts |
Posted - 02/15/2017 : 02:11:20
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The Python script works with any technically possible baudrate, including 57600, 115200, 921600 and up to 4 million (h**p://pyserial.readthedocs.io/en/latest/pyserial_api.html)
But as far as I can see you have a GQ GMC-300E plus with firmware GMC-300Re 4.20, the very same one that I have. And mine shows a default baudrate of 57600 and a maximum of 115200. So how comes you can set it to 921600?
I tried setting my script to 921600, and sure enough it fails with communication error.
Also, the difference between 57600 and 115200 is convenient but not worth fighting for. Reading all 64k of memory, with all other program overhead, takes:
57600: 23 sec
115200: 18 sec
I actually introduce some delays, as the device sometimes seems to be choking on a byte. When I take out the delays and do logging only with the getCPM function, at 115200 I get 375 CPM-Readings/sec! This seems to be some 100 times more than reasonable, as the CPM changed only every 400th reading. Looks to me like the serial-electronic can handle the high rate, but the Geiger-part is way behind at under some 5 readings/sec?
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| Reply #6
Distelzombie
Germany
202 Posts |
Posted - 02/15/2017 : 10:28:28
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quote:
And mine shows a default baudrate of 57600 and a maximum of 115200. So how comes you can set it to 921600?
I dont know how you got it to show the baudrate. Im using this Software "GQ Geiger Counter Data viewer Re. 2.34". (The other Software is older and i dont have a key for it) In this Software i can change the baudrate, bytesize and other stuff - basically all i can see in the Python script too. It gives me all the options, under "serial port", from a baudrate of 110 to 921600! But im not sure, as I stated earlier, if this settings are really changing anything.
quote:
375 CPM-Readings/sec! This seems to be some 100 times more than reasonable, as the CPM changed only every 400th reading. Looks to me like the serial-electronic can handle the high rate, but the Geiger-part is way behind at under some 5 readings/sec?
You dont mean actual CPM but the number of times per minute that you can read the CPM from the device?
If i start a reading with the software together with the device, it changes way more often than 5 times per minute. In fact its practically the same display of CPM like on the device all the time - that is 60 times per minute - until the CPM on the device get too high for the software
So, reading the CPM is not the problem in low radiation environments.
Something else:
quote:
The data viewer software has some issues and apparently they are not getting resolved. (Even though it says Jan-06-2017 - how can the communication part still have so much errors?) It really looks like some student programmed this. It LOOKS and FEELS like this. The function of downloading the data from the device barely works too and shows neither Errors nor usable progress information. :(
COM port -1 open failed. ... Another error in coding. |
GMC-300E+ V4.20 with sbt-11a alpha tube
My statements are "stuff-a-hobbyist-says" and not in any way professional. |
Edited by - Distelzombie on 02/15/2017 11:26:06 |
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| Reply #7
ullix
Germany
1171 Posts |
Posted - 02/16/2017 : 02:39:42
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Obviously, I don't run Windows software, Linux only, so can't see what your data viewer does.
But when you can change the baudrate of the viewer, and still get communication with the device, then this is really strange. Is that what you said?
The baudrate first must be viewed and set at the Geiger counter device, the hardware. On the device go to Menu->Others-Comport Baud Rate to see what its setting is. Then use this setting, and no other, for the data viewer software on the computer.
If you used something else, don't be surprised that the software does not work correctly.
Read carefully: I had 375 CPM-Readings per SECOND from the device to the computer, this is >20000 readings per MINUTE. Your 60 times per minute is 1 per second, so my 5 means that I said it can change even faster than this.
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| Reply #8
Distelzombie
Germany
202 Posts |
Posted - 02/16/2017 : 08:04:54
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quote:
Obviously, I don't run Windows software, Linux only, so can't see what your data viewer does.
But when you can change the baudrate of the viewer, and still get communication with the device, then this is really strange. Is that what you said?
oh, I thought the Linux software, if there is one, would be the same basically. Yes, that is what happens.
quote:
The baudrate first must be viewed and set at the Geiger counter device, the hardware. On the device go to Menu->Others-Comport Baud Rate to see what its setting is. Then use this setting, and no other, for the data viewer software on the computer.
I didn't know that there is such an option in the device. I'll look at it later. However, I found such an option in the windows device manager - driver viewer thing.
quote:
Read carefully: I had 375 CPM-Readings per SECOND from the device to the computer, this is >20000 readings per MINUTE. Your 60 times per minute is 1 per second, so my 5 means that I said it can change even faster than this.
Oh, ups. :) But in your python program you've had a 5,1s delay set. I thought this was the thing you mean. |
GMC-300E+ V4.20 with sbt-11a alpha tube
My statements are "stuff-a-hobbyist-says" and not in any way professional. |
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Huge problems getting any data over USB (300+ 4.2v
