Aw-Radw collects radiation data from Aware's line of RMs including the RM-60, RM-70, RM-80 and PMI-30 as well as any other Aware monitor. Aw-Radw monitors up to nine RMs. It generates scrolling radiation reports as well as graphics displays in re-sizable windows. The real-time graphs include all the features found in our Aw-Graph program including regression and interpolation plots with nine degrees of freedom but are displayed in resizable windows.
All data, both graphics and text, can be placed in Window's clipboard and / or written to disk. An exclusive flux bar is included. The program can generate real-time ASCII files which include the radiation data as well as Excel - Lotus 123 - Quattro Pro time codes or any other time code desired while simultaneously storing the data to an Aware Binary file. The ASCII Custom Time Code option allows ASCII file generation with Date-Time codes that match any known third party graphing, plotting, and/or math software package. (For example, this 32 bit console program Ploticus can make a variety of gif plots from ASCII files driven by Aw-Radw for display within a browser).
Each data point within the ASCII file can contain the average radiation level over any time period desired. Several additional ASCII file options are included.
With a click of a menu item Aw-Radw will launch your spreadsheet program with the real-time ASCII data loaded and/or your custom macro file. We include on-disk an example Excel macro that automatically generates an Excel graph with the hit of a hot-key. One can also 'paste' real-time ASCII data, complete with spreadsheet delimiter character, directly into one's spreadsheet program by-way-of Window's clipboard.
With every data point the program can automatically place the ASCII data
into Windows clipboard, whether or not it is saving the data to an
ASCII or binary file.
A clipboard On-Off switch is included as-well-as a maximum clipboard
buffer size option (1K to 64 million bytes). If when adding new ASCII data to
the clipboard, the program determines the maximum buffer size would be
exceeded, it instead scrolls the ASCII data within the clipboard up or
down, one line at a time, before adding the new data to the clipboard. (See 'Aw-Radw Help File' link
below).
Aw-Radw includes a real time running average bar graph which is displayed whether or not the program is saving data to a file. It can be toggled on or off and includes options for running average depth, auto or manual scaling, window size, bar size, fonts and colors as well as scroll bars. If any bar value is above the current alarm level it is drawn with the current alarm colors.
The program uses Wav files for both Geiger 'click' as well as alarm. You
can use your own Wav sound files or use the included Wav files. A
separate volume control is included for both the Geiger 'click' and the
alarm.
Aw-Radw makes use of Windows advanced Direct X - Direct Sound feature for high performance sound generation such that at higher radiation levels the emitted sound takes on a very impressive hissing crackling nature. This feature allows easy detection of changing radiation, even with high flux levels, just by the change in sound emission.
Another menu item directs Aw-Radw to generate GIF files from the displayed real-time plots for use on the Internet or within E-Mail.
Aw-Radw can be set such that with the passage of X number of points the program will trigger another program, link or batch file. Instructions that use this feature are included in the help file. They demonstrate a method that allows automatic generation of a gif file including a plot of the current radiation data, with any pixel size, any title, axis labels and various colors desired and then FTP the gif file to any website using Windows built-in FTP feature. See Aw-Radw Questions for more info. about using Aw-Radw to generate real-time graphs on servers for browsers.
Aw-Radw includes a unique Sigma Alarm System which automatically and continuously sets the high alarm trip point according to the background level and the desired sigma (standard deviations) above background. The system will automatically adjust to any type detector including Geiger tubes, Scintillator - Photo Multiplier tubes and Neutron detectors. One can enter the sigma, the alarm probability and/or the good points versus one false alarm. Aw-Radw calculates these values with each radiation data point. It is very interesting to enter say one false alarm per 200 good points (or any number of good points) at which point the program calculates the proper sigma for such a probability then watch as normal background radiation triggers the alarm accordingly. This allows a very sensitive alarm which tracks background avoiding false alarms.
The background level running average can be set with any time depth desired such that the background average and the calculated alarm trip point will track changing background levels without tripping the alarm. The background running average includes a restriction window that includes the running average points with less than a certain +- sigma but rejects points that are outside the window. This prevents radiation from a source outside normal background levels from entering the background running average. Additional features are included. Aware Electronics Sigma Alarm System is (c) 2007.
The low alarm option can be used to warn of equipment malfunction.
With alarm Aw-Radw can run any program or batch file desired and can include as an argument to the program the path to an alarm generated summary text file which includes all current conditions and identifications. This can be used for example to dial beepers, send the summary text file by E-mails and text messages to cell phones or carry out other tasks with alarm. The program will also bring high a pin in the serial port with alarm condition which can be used to activate a fan, siren, light or any other device. Aw-Radw will also flash it's icon, use alarm colors for the flux bar and sound an alarm wave file with alarm condition.
A new feature of Aw-Radw includes auto correction of count rate due to Detector Dead Time.
From Aw-Radw's Help File: Enter the Detector Dead Time in µsecs (microseconds). Allowed range is zero to 2000 µsecs. The detector dead time is the time after the detection of an event during which the detector can't detect another event. This might range from 20 to 150 µsecs. For example given a detector with a dead time of 100 µsecs and a count rate of 1000 CPS, the detector will not be able to detect events during 10,0000 µsecs for each second (1% of the time) i.e. the count rate is really 1000 counts per 0.99 seconds. In such a case, with an entered "Detector Dead Time" of 100 µsecs., the program will add an additional 111 counts and therefore the reported count rate will be 1111 CPS instead of 1000 CPS. With 2000 CPS and dead time of 100 µsecs the program adds 500 counts, at 3000 CPS it adds 1286 counts, at 100 CPS it adds 1 count, etc. The exact addition is calculated each TBU (Time Base Unit.) according to the count, the TBU and the entered dead time. With a entered dead time of zero, no addition to the count rate is calculated.
One can determine a detector's dead time with the use of two strong sources. Compare the count rate with one source to that of the other to that of both and adjust the "Detector Dead Time" such that the count rate of both equals the sum of each alone.
The addition to the count rate occurs before all other calculations such as conversion by the calibration factor to standard units, storing to files, auto alarms, etc.
Aw-Radw can be set such that with every PC re-boot and/or startup of Windows, it will automatically start collection of radiation data to a new unique file, complete with all the user variable defaults and provisional conditions including alarm and trigger conditions. This is handy for use at remote locations where the PC might reboot due to a power failure.
Aw-Radw allows easy setup of radiation monitoring networks. For example a complex can plug a RM unit into any network shared PC, start Aw-Radw at-which-point the data will be available on any other networked PC. A radiation officer can maintain multi Aw-Radw graphs on his office PC plotting the data from the various locations. Aw-Radw can be instructed to store all the real-time data files from the various locations to a central PC if desired.
Aw-Radw includes scaling scroll bars. One can resize, for example, Aw-Radw's Summary Window to a small box size then use the scroll bars to bring into view an item of interest. Now the user has a small box on the Desktop with the item of interest displayed. For example one can use a large font size and bright color to create a small window with large text displaying the current radiation level and/or current radiation level average. (Any average time period desired).
Between sessions Aw-Radw remembers the location and size of the main window as-well-as the child windows such that the next time one runs the program the program's windows will appear with their previous position and size. This is handy in that if you take the time to size and position the windows on your desktop, the next time you run the program they will reappear with the same size and position.
The program includes command-line arguments which allow Aw-Radw auto-startup from a batch file or short-cut link including auto-generation of Aware Binary files and ASCII files.
Aw-Radw includes an advanced 32 bit Windows COM port interface allowing high accuracy with high radiation levels. Levels as high as 100 Rads (10 million times higher than background) can be plotted with Aware's line of high flux monitors. Shielding allows even higher levels.
For mathematicians Aw-Radw includes an advanced random number generator which uses the random nature of the radiation 'hits' to trigger a random interrupt which scans the CPU clock counter. The counter runs at the same speed as the CPU. Aw-Radw uses the least significant byte of the counter to generate the random number at a rate of one byte per 'hit' which allows ~20,000 random bytes per minute when using a smoke detector source. Aw-Radw stores the random numbers to a file and also to the screen with a number of different formats even while the program carries out all its normal duties of radiation data collection. The Diehard suite of random number tests indicates the excellent random nature of the generated numbers. Also included is the ability to record elapsed time between hits i.e. the program will store the number of seconds between events in millionths of a second. In this case the program uses the motherboard clock, not the CPU clock, to determine the time between events.
Aw-Radw is written in Microsoft C. For highest performance Aw-Radw interfaces directly with low-level Windows APIs and drivers and uses the most advanced features found in Windows allowing accurate reliable data generation. The use of any third party 'wrapper' code is avoided, again, for highest performance and efficient program size.
As indicated the program includes all the features of our various previous programs including Aw-Graph, Aw-Fast, Aw-Alarms and Aw-Gif.
Top right of screen shows Aw-Radw's real-time radiation plot. This window can be re-sized to any size desired. The window also has a menu item that generates a Gif file for placement on the Internet or within E-Mail. In addition the window can place a bitmap image of the plot within Window's clipboard or directly into any paint program the user desires (including Microsoft's Paint.exe included with all versions of Windows). The plot shown includes a regression analysis plot.
The bottom right window is Aw-Radw's Summary Window. It includes current values, averages, settings, current radiation file names, PC data and much more. As with all Aw-Radw windows the user can scroll to items of interest, re-size the window, choose any font on the user's PC, any color, and with the hit of a menu item copy all data to Window's clipboard. Many other features not shown here are included.
The straight line shape of the semi-log plot demonstrates the excellent linearity of Aw-Radw and the two RM-60s. Note the above plots start at hour 22.15 of the test. At hour zero both RM-60s were subjected to approx. 800,000 microR/hr. with no sign of saturation. i.e. the software reported the maximum value for a sixty second time base.
The efficient program size allows the Aw-Radw package to fit on and run from one standard floppy with room left for over a year's worth of minute by minute radiation data.
To order the Aw-Radw software package see Aware Electronics Corp. Price List
The Aw-Radw software package also includes our dos programs Aw-Graph.exe ($74) and Aw-Fast.exe ($45), free of charge. Both can be used to display the radiation data gathered by Aw-Radw in various ways independent of Aw-Radw's Windows displays. The included Aw-Fast.exe can also be used on any dos machine to gather the radiation data. Aw-Fast info
Please phone - write or E-Mail for more information
E-mail aware@aw-el.com
Phone:(800)729-5397 or Phone/Fax: (302)655-3800
If your PC lacks a serial port you have several options. You can add a
serial port PCI card to your PC. For example, this company makes very high quality serial ports:
Quatech PCI Serial Port
There are many other companies that make PCI serial port cards for less money Newegg Serial Port Search and they should be fine as well in that these are real serial ports.
For laptop PCs without a PCI slot you have several options including the following two:
Here is a quote from Quatech about their PC card serial ports:
Quatech PC Cards provide "true" serial ports. Thus unlike the many cheap USB to serial converters on the market that attempt to replicate ports, our cards work seamlessly with any hardware or software that requires a serial interface--we guarantee it!
Aware Electronics High Performance USB-MSP Micro-Controller based interface:
The USP-MSP is a new device from Aware Electronics which plugs into a USB port by-way-of the included cable. It's MOD jack accepts the cord from the radiation monitor or PMI-30. It includes extremely high performance and will accept maximum count rates of 12 million CPS (counts per second) and total counts per unit time above 4 billion counts. (Normal USB to serial port adapters are limited to ~500 CPS). Once per time unit it sends over the USB port to Aw-Radw the tallied counts. Its crystal controlled clock controls timing information. It also allows the real-time Geiger "Click" without any loss of performance.
To Order: "USB-MSP" $99
Aware Electronics USB Serial Port Adapter:
Although not a real serial
port, Aware Electronics USB Serial Port adapter allows good performance with any
of our past or present RMs and PMI-30s in conjunction with a PC's USB
port. (Normal USB to serial port adapters and this adapter are limited to ~500 CPS i.e ~3000 times background using the RM-60). Note a USB to serial port adapter should not be used if you are
interested in generating random numbers, but rather, one should use a
real serial port. Package includes USB to serial port adapter and Aware
Electronics Divide by Two adapter plus USB to serial port driver CD.
Works with Windows 98, ME, NT, 2000-08, XP and Vista in conjuction with our new
Aw-Radw 32 bit Windows software package (see above).
The USB to Serial Port adapter emulates a serial port (COM port) and can be used with any Windows program and device that needs a serial port.
The Aware Electronics Divide by Two adapter replaces the normal MOD jack to RS-232 serial port adapter included with each RM and PMI-30 sold. It can be used with any USB to serial port adapter. The reason it is needed when using a USB to serial port adapter is that many of the USB to serial port adapters use a chip that, unlike a standard serial port, generates two interrupts per pulse and therefore without the Divide by Two Adapter the software will tally counts at twice the real rate.
Price for the Aware Electronics Divide by Two adapter for use with any USB to serial port adapter that needs it is $49.
Price for the complete Aware USB(2.0) to serial port adapter including the Divide by Two adapter is $64.95 (45 day $ back). To order, E-Mail or send us an order on a piece of paper or tell us by phone you want to order:
"Aware Divide by Two Adapter (Specify 9 pin or 25 pin).... $49"
or
"Aware USB(2.0) to Serial Port Adapter (Includes the Aware Divide by Two Adapter).... $64.95"
Show below is an RM-60 with standard telephone cable plugged into the
Aware Divide by Two Adapter (green colored adapter) which is plugged
into the USB to serial port adapter. Unlike an all USB cable, a unique
feature of Aware's line of RMs includes the ability to extend the
telephone cable to several hundred feet using standard
telephone extension cable, even if using a USB to serial port adapter.
An all USB cable can be extended only a few feet.
June 18th 2001 Added time slice release code in Aw-srad's and Aw-graph's time delay - get key strike routines which greatly aids in the smooth operation under multitasking OSs such as WIN 95-98-ME and WIN NT-2000.
June 18th 2001 Noticed all Aware Electronics programs (including Aw-srad.exe and
Aw-graph.exe) were not detecting the presence of WIN NT or WIN 2000. This
has been fixed and all programs work very much better under these two
OSs.
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