Redpitaya Forum

Well, I have been following Redpitaya since it's inception, and I am pondering it's potential use as a health physics device/ Isotope identifier.
I am currently conducting some investigation about using (open source) Gamma Grapher nano firmware (used for the DSO nano v1 developed by the Gamma spectroscopy yahoo group) for adapted use on this board. I am however unfamiliar with how I'd adapt the program to properly utilize the hardware on it.
Could anyone help me out here?

With 14bit fast ADCs there is a huge potential in the realm of Gamma Spectroscopy with either CZT, NaI/Tl, HPGe...etc

Thinking about the recent disaster in Japan there is much potential in a project like this.

I am so happy to have found this device.

Please help start this project!!

Hi,
I had a look over the GGN code, and it appears that its signal processing core is not very complicated. Basically, it searches the sample stream for distinct peaks, classifies the peaks by their amplitude into bins and counts the recognized peaks per amplitude bin.

It should be relatively easy to adapt edgo's calibration-aware acquire tool with that functionality, as long as you don't need more than 2MS/s - which is twice as much as the max rate of the DSO nano v1.

How did you plan to display the measured energy spectra ? Via web interface like the other RP apps ?

Nope, I wasn't planning on using Redpitaya to stream online, rather this was to be used realtime
in combination with another ARM board (Odroid VU3 or similar) for real-time isotope identification. ( or possible just output to a screen)
The pulses would be coming from a Gamma spectacular with a 2.5" NaI/Tl Scintillation detector at this point.
However, the price point of the Redpitaya board makes this project out of reach for us at the moment. I am also very unsure about how well the code could be modified to work on your board. A big gamble when the price for RPitaya for us here in Canada is well over $500CDN to import. ( we aren't using corporate sponsors here and all funds are personal)
The detector and low noise HV driver alone is going to be ~$1700.

Well, if the price puts it out of reach, there is no arguing that.

But from my point of view there is no doubt that realtime isotope identification in much the same way that GGN does it on a DSO nano will be possible on the Red Pitaya.
And if you put a Wifi dongle into it, you could have realtime control and display on any Wifi enabled smartphone without needing to buy a dedicated second ARM board.

What I would be more concerned about is whether the analog input stage can meet your requirements, seeing as it only has two voltage ranges, 40Vpp and 2Vpp.

This is very close to what I also will use it for. I will have a look at the calibration-aware acquire tool you mentioned!

By the by, my scintillation detector has a shaping amplifier, so I can get the signal within the range of the RP.