Random Number Generator
The digital output of our analog Geiger counter lends itself to easy expansion. In this article we will build a true Random Number Generator, see figure 1.
Background radiation consists of three sources; Cosmic radiation from the sun and stars. Terrestrial radiation from low levels of uranium, thorium, and their decay products in the soil, air and water. Internal radiation from radioactive potassium-40, carbon-14, lead-210, and other isotopes found inside our bodies.
Programming for the 16F84-20MHz
The circuit uses a 16F84-20MHz microcontroller. You can purchase a pre-programmed microcontroller or you can download the hex file for programming the chip yourself. Random Number Generator RNG.hex.
The source code for these projects will be available in my upcoming book on Microcontroller projects titled “PIC Microcontroller Projects using the PICBasic Pro Compiler” schedule for release in March 2008.
