Build Instructions for the Geiger Kit v5.

5 PCB
Getting Started
Congratulations! This kit is culmination of the experience gained in making Geiger Kits over the past several years. I hope
you enjoy building it as well as using it. Try to take your time, and enjoy the journey.

Common Build Problems:

These are the most common problems I've noticed a few builders had . . .
Parts orientation wrong - generally RTFM issues, and not referring to the Notes and pictures.
Solder dust / flux on board HV is very easy to short see Cleaning the board below.
Too much solder - This can cause shorts between the lead and the ground plane - Read Soldering below.
Forgotten solder joints - Particularly on headers and sockets after they are tacked in.

General tips:

"Sometimes just a few hours of trial and error debugging can save minutes of reading instructions."
Even if youre experienced, you run the risk of wishing you had considered something beforehand.
Use the Build Sequence and Parts List (below). It describes the part orientation and options as you go.
Use the assembly pictures and schematic (below) to help you.
Missing parts / extra parts You are more likely to get an extra part, but if something is missing, let me know.
Take your time! It takes at least 2-3 hours to build this kit. Solder the right part, the right way, the first time.
Parts are hard to unsolder.

Soldering:
To cut down on noise, the PCB uses a "ground plane". So all of the lighter red on the bottom of the board is copper, and it
is connected to the ground. The reason for mentioning this is so you understand why a neat soldering job is important.
Joints that slop over the pad and on to the ground plane will cause a problem.
When you solder, start with a good iron, with a good tip that's freshly tinned. Solder the joint so that you have a nice round
dot that stays inside the darker red. Do not use too much solder, and add enough heat for a good flow. The holes are
plated through, so dont worry about getting solder up to the top of the board. A 3rd hand with a piece of solder in one of
the alligator clips can be handy when tacking in IC sockets, etc.
Sometimes its best to shorten long leads before you solder them, or re-solder them after they are cut. You will notice
some pads will connect to the back plane. These have 4 little traces from the back plane to the hole, like a "+. These
pads will require more heat. I usually solder that side of the part last.
Do not use any flux paste or pens especially in the HV area! Many will leave a residue that is slightly conductive.
External fluxes can cause wacky problems. Simply use rosin core solder.
I do not recommend using lead free solder for the kit. In my experience, it makes parts even harder to unsolder, and more
heat is needed which may damage the pads. I will not do any board repair if lead free solder was used.
Below is a picture of a terrible soldering job on the kit, and to the right are great examples from the Adafruit Guide to
Excellent Soldering which I recommend having a look at.

Build sequence and startup:

These steps will take you through building and starting up your kit for the first time. Please follow all of these steps.

Step 1 - Building the Kit:

Use the table on the next page as your guide to building the kit. Its approach is to build the board by height starting with
the shortest components. It's easier to work on a board that lays flat and holds the parts in place when you flip it over to
solder. While working, refer to images on the page after the table to double check orientations of parts, etc.

Build Sequence and Parts List for v5.5 Geiger Kits

Ref #

Qty

Value

Description

PCB

v5.4

1.85 x 3.60 (~4.7 x 9.14 cm)

R1

220k

R2
R3
R4, R9,
R11, R13
R6

1
1

1k
330

100k

1M

R7

4.7M

R8, R12
R10, R14
R20
C2
C5
C8
C21, C22

2
2
1
1
1
1
2

1.5k
27k
10k
.001uF
330pF
.022uF
22pF

C6, C7, C10,

C20, C23

.1uF

OSC

16MHz

socket

8 pin

socket
socket
D1, D3, D4,
D5

1
1

14 pin
28 pin

1N4148

D/R

150

Q1,Q3

2N4401

Q2

STX13005

REG
switch
C3, C4

1
1
2

L4931CZ50

R15

vertical 10k

D2

UF4007

C1
C9
header
header
header
header
header
2 pin male
headers
3 pin male
header
speaker
screw term
R5
L1

1
1
5
1
1
1
1

100uF
4.7uF
6 pin fem.
2x2 female
2 pin fem.
3 pin fem.
6 pin 90
with jumper
blocks

2 ea

.01uF

with jumper

1
2
1
1

AC1205G
2 pin
100 pot
15mH

LED

red

IC1

TLC555

IC2

CD74ACT14

IC3

ATmega328P

IR sensor
fuse clips
alarm piezo

1
2
1

38kHz

piezo w/ osc

RD,RD,YL
(all fixed resistors are 1/8W)

BN,BK, RD
OR,OR,BN
BN,BK,YL
BN,BK,GN
YL,VT,GN
BN,GN, RD
RD,VT,OR
BN,BK,OR
#102 (1nF) ceramic cap
#331 ceramic capacitor
#223 (22nF) ceramic cap
#220 / #22 ceramic cap
#104 ceramic capacitor
crystal
IC socket
IC socket
IC socket
signal diode
BN,GN,BN
(stands up)
NPN BJT transistor
NPN HV transistor
5V / 250mA LDO reg
push button
#103 HV ceramic cap
1 turn pot for LCD

1000V 1A Ultra Fast

diode
16V electrolytic capacitor
50V electrolytic capacitor
I/O pins & LCD
"user power header"
Rx & Tx pins breakout
IR sensor socket
FTDI header
See Jumpers section
Click / Tone select for
speaker
no paper seal 40
5 mm pitch
blue 25 turn HV pot
inductor
3mm
CMOS 555 timer
Hex Inverter w Schmitt
Trigger
AVR microcontroller
similar to TSOP4838
for HV conn. to GM tube
has paper seal on top

Notes

polarized? ->

Orientation: Geiger Board Ver. 5.x is left side of board.

Color bands on resistors may be hard to distinguish (i.e. violet almost
black) If in doubt, it's best to check with a meter before soldering.
Be sure last band is red not orange
R9 closest to piezo.

Y
N
N
N
N
N
N
N

Note: Anode Resistor Value good for most tubes. Some may work
better with other values (i.e. 10M). Check the data sheet for your tube. If
you need more resistance you can also add it right at the tube.
"R8" and "R9" look similar. R8 is above R9 - closest to GM_TUBE term.
Be sure last band is orange not red
On rare occasions the markings may be partially worn off this cap.
(right below the GM_TUBE term)

N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N

Note: the 3 sockets are stacked together. Separate them.

notch on left Suggestion: tack in all 3 sockets, then solder all pins at once.
notch on left
notch down
polarity: For all diodes - bend over the lead on the banded side (cathode).
The body will go in the hole with the white circle. See pictures below.
Located just to the right display header. Best to have bent lead to left. See
pictures below. For LCD backlight. 150 uses minimum current with good
brightness. To add a switch for the backlight, see Appendix IV.
Bend the center lead back dont try to push in all the way to PCB.
Mounting is different than Q1 & Q3. The STX13005 mounts without bending
the center lead back. See pictures below.
Spread leads if necessary. Can substitute Pololu Reg see Appendix II.
"polarity:" follow lead spacing. Snaps in and lays flat. Trim leads
polarity: orange adj screw toward top of board Trim leads.
Set the pot fully CCW then back CW about 1/8 turn so you will see the
display when you first power on.
polarity: Bend over the lead on the banded side (cathode) The anode
goes into larger silkscreen circle, and the cathode goes into the hole on the
right. See pictures below.
polarity: "-" stripe to the right.
polarity: "-" stripe to the left.
Suggestion: tack in all 5 headers, then solder them in all pins at once.
Supplies 2x Vcc and 2x Gnd pins for powering add on devices
Optional - was used for Geiger Shield. Installs near FTDI header.
Installs at bottom edge of 28 pin socket for IC3.
To connect FTDI dongle for serial output or programming.
Suggestion: Put the jumper block on the header before soldering
(easier on fingers ;-).
Put the jumper on the lower 2 pins for CLICK for initial use.
See Jumpers section.
Note: install with pins horizontal in horizontal pads. Polarity is not critical.
Suggestion: if you trim the leads don't use your precision cutters for this.
Note: pot is preset to ~26 for ~450V polarity: adj screw on left
Orientation shouldnt matter but maybe best if installed as pictured
You can mount this directly on the board, or extend the LED in various
ways. polarity: Small flat on side, or shorter lead, goes down.
Bend all pins inward a bit on a flat surface. polarity: Notch on left.
Bend all pins inward a bit on a flat surface. polarity: Notch on left. (Very
important with this chip! Else it will get hot and let out the magic smoke!)
Option - if removed stops click and led - interrupt still sent to uC.
Bend all pins inward a bit on a flat surface. (I may have done this for you.)
polarity: Notch down
Mounts in 3 pin female header. polarity: Bulge faces down See picture.
Reform as needed. Solder stranded wire to these. Tube is polarized
Gift - to be used for the alarm. see Appendix IV for use

Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
N
Y

Y
Y
Y
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
Y
Y
?
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y

Assembly Images: (For clarity these do not follow assembly order.)

Small components added note diode positions. (large screen image here)

Board built up a little further (large screen image here )

completed board (large screen image here )

PCB layout . . .

Step 2 Inspect and Clean the board:

It doesnt take much of a conductor for 500V to get around on. So a clean board is important. At a minimum, brush the
bottom of the main board with an old toothbrush to remove any solder dust when youre finished soldering.
If you want to remove excess flux, one of the simplest ways is to use alcohol the kind from the hardware store - and a
toothbrush. Be sure to blow off the water that is created or at least let it dry well before powering up the board. However,
there are better solvents like commercial flux removers. Just be careful not to use something that removes more than the
flux! Some water soluble flux pens like the Kester #2331-ZX can leave a conductive film. If you used a flux pen like that,
be sure to clean the areas where it was used with alcohol.

Step 3 - Configure the jumpers:

Make sure that the UC-PWR and INT_JMP jumpers are installed and that the CLICK/TONE jumper is in the lower click
position. There are also solder jumpers on the bottom of the board which are not normally used.
Please refer to Appendix I - Jumpers for more information on jumpers.

Step 4 Add the LCD:

If an LCD display was included with your kit, solder the two 6 pin male headers
(included) starting from each end of the pads on the LCD. This leaves four pads in
the center free. If you use your own LCD, you want to cut the center 4 pins. This
makes it easier to run the wires to your GM tube and prevents possible shorts. You
can extend the wires to the LCD when you put it in a case see Appendix V
LCDs and Wiring. You may want to bend one of the tabs on the back of the LCD so
it clears the speaker.
By the way, if you connect an LED between I/O pin 13 and ground, (see Appendix IV) it will flash a few times at power-up
or when the Reset button is pressed. You can use this to test your ATmega section if you dont have an LCD yet.

Step 5 - Power up the board:

Decide on how you will power your Geiger Kit. Refer to Appendix II Powering the Geiger to help you decide. Observe
polarity. It should click once. You will need to adjust the contrast pot for the LCD (usually almost fully counter clockwise)
before you can read the display.

Step 6 Connect your GM tube:

Now you can add your tube. If you dont have one yet, you can test the HV and the click circuit by quickly shorting the
tube wires across a resistance like 100k. (I just use my finger, but cant suggest that you do that.)
If you hear clicks congratulations! Now you might look at Appendix III HV Test and Adjust. However, the HV should
already be adjusted to ~450V which will work with most tubes.

Step 7 Understanding the features:

See the Geiger Kit - GK-B5 page for a link to the User Guide for your software release. It provides information on how to
setup and use various features of the kit. Some of them are optional meaning that to add them you must supply some of
your own components such as switches, etc. Also see Appendix IV Wiring the External Controls for a wiring diagram
of the switches, buttons, and indicators that you may want to add.
Enjoy the kit!

Appendix I - Jumpers:
There are 3 jumpers on the top of v2.2 board and 3 solder jumpers on the bottom. Normally all three jumpers on the top of the board have a
jumper block installed and the solder jumpers are not modified.

CLICK/TONE (normally jumpered to CLICK)

This is a 3 way jumper for the speaker. With the jumper on the "click" side of the two pins you hear the classic Geiger click sound. When the
jumper is on the "tone" side, it is set for Tone Mode where activity is indicated by the pitch of the sound. If you put the kit in a case, you can
wire these 3 pins to an ON-OFF-ON switch. The speaker will be off when the switch is in the center position. The LED will continue to flash with
the speaker off.

INT_JMP (normally jumpered)

This jumper connects the ATmega328 ("uC") to the Geiger circuit.. This is the only connection between the two. Each event creates a negative
going pulse that is sent to the "Interrupt 0" (pin 2) of the uC via this jumper. So when this jumper is removed, the microcontroller will stop
counting. This jumper might come in handy if you wanted to run the events into a different microcontroller our use the kit as a development
board.

UC_PWR (normally jumpered)

When this jumper is removed you can run the Geiger from one source, and the microprocessor from another. (Keeping the grounds common.)
You would power the Geiger circuit from the screw terminals, and power the ATmega328 from either the user "+" header, or the FTDI
connector. (It's not a good idea to leave the jumper in and do this. In fact, it's a bad idea. However, Ive done this occasionally with no damage).
A nice way to take advantage of this jumper is by controlling the HV from your sketch. Simply remove the jumper and run a wir e from an output
pin you are controlling in software, to the positive screw terminal. Then power the board from the 4 pin power header. Putting a HIGH on the
output pin will turn on the HV and a LOW will turn it off. I used this idea in the Wireless Monitoring project to turn on HV only when needed.
Note that when the microprocessor is powered off, and the MUTE_JMP is installed (see below) the sound from the speaker is diminished. If you
want to conserve battery power by shutting off the microprocessor, you can sacrifice the IR mute ability and not jumper the MUTE_JMP.

MUTE_JMP (solder jumper on bottom normally open)

This jumper allows the MUTE button on the IR Remote to mute the click sound coming from the speaker. (The MUTE button will always mute
the tone sound.) This might be useful if you keep your remote handy, but when put in a case you can wire a switch to the CLICK/TONE jumper
and use the center position off to mute the speaker. A disadvantage of having this jumper shorted is that the UC_PWR will no longer provide a
loud click when opened. (see above)

RL_JMP (solder jumper on bottom normally open)

Shorting, this jumper bypasses (shorts out) R7 which is the anode (load) resistor for the GM tube. Normally this jumper is not shorted. It is
only used if you will be adding the anode resistor directly at the GM tube. With this jumper in, the anode resistor is bypassed, and the HV from
the kit can give you a bit of a bite! Be sure to use an anode resistor either on the board (not shorted) or at the tube. Running a GM tube without
an anode resistor may cause the tube to avalanche and shorten its life.

Appendix II - Powering the Geiger

Onboard Voltage Regulation:
The onboard voltage regulator allows for a 20V input and is capable of a maximum of load of 300 mA. It has very low dropout of 0.4V.

Power Consumption:
The current drawn by the kit depends on several factors such as the HV setting, display type, and CPM. The current measurements below were
taken on this version of the PCB.

HV = 450V (as shipped), background CPM ~33mA (at 12,000 CPM ~39mA)
At max HV (940V) ~48mA

with backlight off ~32mA

with display removed (i.e. a balloon flight) ~24mA
with microprocessor off (UC_PWR jumper open) ~11mA

Powering with AA Batteries:

This is a common way to power the kit. The batteries can be configured so that they will supply about 5V. I prefer to run with 4 NiMH since they
can provide ~2000mAH of power at close to 5V. A 9V battery is generally not suggested since they only supply ~600mAH. This would only
supply about 16 hours of use. However they can be used during testing.
When running under about 4.5V, the voltage should be stepped up see the LiPO section below. If the kit is powered with Vcc below about
4.2V the HV circuit will work, the display will work (but will need more backlight), and the click sound will be quieter.

Powering with LiPO Batteries:

LiPO batteries typically supply 3.7V so a step-up or booster module must be used to bring this voltage up to 5V. For the ultimate in flexibility
you might consider step up / step down voltage regulator. When used between your batteries and the kit, it allows for battery voltage above and
below the 5V needed. I suggest the Pololu #2119. It takes an input of between 2.7- 11.8V and can output at least 500mA at 5V with a typical
efficiency of 90%.This part can replace the voltage regulator on the kit.
The picture on the left shows the Pololu step up / step down voltage regulator mounted on the bottom of the board.
It is soldered to the same pads as the voltage regular supplied with the kit. To keep a low profile, the 90 header
supplied has another 90 bend on the long pins soldered to the part. If you want to do this make sure it is orientated
as shown, and that it is well insulated (good electrical tape, or heat shrink). You can secure it with double sided
tape as shown.
Another option is mount the Pololu regulator on the top of the board standing vertically. However this increases the
height of the board and it's also a tight squeeze.
Be sure it is orientated correctly. It does not have reverse voltage protection.

Powering with the FTDI and the uC PWR Jumper:

Most FTDI cables can also supply 5V power to what they are connected to. So when they are connected to the Geiger board, you should
disconnect the battery. The FTDI cable will then power the whole board just fine.

Appendix III - HV Test & Adjust

There is a Japanese summary of these instructions here.
This section will show you how to measure, and adjust the HV section of the circuit. If you are happy with the way your kit is working,
you could skip this. You can do a quick test of the HV and click circuit by quickly shorting the tube wires preferably across a high
resistance. (I use my finger, but cant suggest that you do that.) If you hear clicks, or the speaker screams, your HV is probably OK.

Measuring the HV:

It's a bit tricky to measure the high voltage. The GM tube needs a lot of voltage but only a tiny amount of current. So the HV circuit only
needs to provide a very tiny current, and that's what it does. This is good because the battery will last longer - and it wont kill you!
However, it makes measuring the high voltage a bit more complicated.
When measuring voltage, a typical DVM will put a load on the circuit it's measuring of about 10M. This load is far too much for the tiny
amount of current available, and the DVM will read much lower than the actual voltage. A meter with a 10M input impedance may
read 214V when the voltage is closer to 420V. You need at least a gig-ohm (1000M) of input impedance to get accurate values of the
HV for Geiger circuits.
One way to increase the input impedance of your DVM is to put large resistors in series with the probe and multiply the reading you get.
Adding 9 10M resistors in series adds 90M. If you want a full gig-ohm of input impedance, it's best to just buy a single 1G resistor
(example). Once you have the resistors added in series with the meter, you have to multiply the reading by some factor. The formula
for this is:

(Rprobe + Rmeter / Rmeter) X Vreading = Vactual voltage

So for example, if you built a 90M probe for a typical 10M meter, youd have 90 + 10 / 10 = 10 so youd multiply your reading by
10. If you used a 1 G resistor (1000M) with the same meter it would be 1000 + 10 / 10 = 101 so youd multiply your reading by 101.
Whats the difference between using a 90M vs. a 1000M probe? Here is what I saw:
222V with no probe (10M meter), 358V with a 90M probe, and 460V with a 1000M probe.

Adjusting the HV:

The blue pot (R5) controls the high voltage. (see Circuit Description on web site). It was preset to about 26 which should give you
about 450V. This is about right for most tubes. Turning R5 clockwise will increase the voltage (by decreasing the resistance). However
after a certain point, the circuit will crash, and the HV will fall off almost completely. In general, the kit can produce HV from 50->1100V.
The high voltage is best measured from the cathode (band side) of D2 and ground. Connect your meter to a ground on the board,
and if using the 90M ohm probe described above, put it in series with the positive probe of your meter. Touch the other end on D2. Its
OK to measure without the 90M ohm probe you will just get low readings and maybe a whine from the speaker. If you get something
like 200V without the probe - congratulations! The HV circuit is working.
You can get an approximation of the HV by measuring the resistance of R5. (An easy way to connect to R5 is one probe to ground and
the other to the base of Q1 or emitter of Q2.) The chart below shows the HV at various resistances of R5. Voltage was measured with a
1 G probe. Note however, that since small changes in resistance make large changes in voltage and the specs on the individual parts
may vary it is only a guideline.

~HV

at R5

~HV

at R5

~HV

at R5

84V
100V
200V
300V
325V
350V
375V

100
91.8
49.9
34.7
32.4
30.4
28.5

400V
425V
450V
475V
500V
525V
550V

27.1
25.7
24.5
23.4
22.4
21.6
20.7

575V
600V
625V
650V
675V
700V
750V

20.0
19.2
18.6
18.1
17.4
16.9
16.0

~HV
800V
900V
950V
unstable
HV crash

at R5
15.1
13.7
12.0
<12.0
6.0

Setting the HV:

While the Geiger should work fine with R5 set to its default, it may be better for the tube if you dont apply more voltage than you need.
Each type of GM tube has its own operating voltage range. If you know it you can just set the HV to middle of this range by one of the
methods above.
However sometimes the operating range is not specified, or it may have changed with age, or you simply want to set the HV
dynamically and not by a measured HV. This section describes a method that doesnt depend on being able to measure the actual
HV.
The idea is to adjust the HV so that it is in about in the middle of the tubes operating range this is the plateau as shown below.
Within this plateau the tube will have about the same sensitivity regardless of the voltage. Put another way, once the tube is in its
operating range, the HV you run at is not critical, and has very little effect on accuracy.

So how do you do this? First lets look at the data sheet for two of the most common tubes. The readings in red are what I actually
measured with my 1000M probe and multiplying by 101. With a 90M probe your readings will be different but the technique will be
the same.

Tube
SBM-20 spec
my readings for SBM-20

LND 712 spec

my readings for LND 712

Initial Voltage
(just get counts)
260-320
340
325 (max)
440

Operating Range
350-475
365-510
450-650
475-675

Recommended
Voltage
400
430 calc.
500
575 calc.

To get the values for your meter do the following:

Using some kind of active source, lower the HV (CCW) until you get no response. (R5 is a 25 turn pot). Now slowly increase the HV
(CW) until you just start to get clicks. Record the initial voltage. Now slowly increase the HV again until you are getting a good response
from the source that doesnt seem to change as you go higher. Record the low end of operating range. By now you will have an idea
how far your readings are from the data sheet.
Notice the operating range for the tube. Its 125V wide for the SBM-20 (475-350) and 200V wide for the LND 712. If your readings sort
of followed the spec. you can assume about the same range and figure your high end of operating range. Now take the center of your
operating range as your recommended voltage and set your pot to that. Finally, take two aspirins, and quit messing with it. Its not that
critical, GM tubes have a wide range of operating voltage.

Appendix IV - Wiring the External Controls:

The diagram below shows how to connect the switches, buttons, etc. that are supported by the current board and
software. Note that the controls you choose add are up to you.

For the backlight switch there are several options:

You can simply cut the lead on the top of the D/R resistor and bring both ends to your switch. This leaves the D/R resistor
in the circuit.
You can also remove the D/R resistor and replace it right at the switch. Instead of a resistor, you can also use a diode as
shown in the wiring diagram.

Appendix V LCDs and Wiring:

Selecting an LCD:
An LCD display can be purchased with the kit as an option but you may want a certain color or size - i.e. 2x8, mini, etc.
When selecting an LCD the main requirement is that it uses the extremely common HD44780 (or compatible) chipset. It should also be a 5V
display (again, most are). Most have a backlight. If they do, some require a current limiting resistor for it. See the specs for your particular LCD.
A consideration might be the ability to still read the display with the backlight turned off. (A switch to turn off the backlight can save about
14mA.) For this, you want a "transflective" display that shows the characters in black against the background - usually green. These might not
look as "cool" as other LCDs, but they can be read with the backlight switched off. Here is an example of this type of display.
There are many places to get an LCD such as Sparkfun, Adafruit, etc. There are also many listed on eBay.

Other LCD Types:

If you want a tiny LCD and you don't have a problem working with a fine pitch component, this MDFLY: Mini 16x2 1602 Character LCD Display
might be an option. You can solder to the ribbon cable, or there is a tiny connector for it here, or a breakout board here.
Something a little bigger but still smaller than a standard display is this New Haven mini display. It can also be read without the backlight.
Unfortunately, the pins are on the bottom of the display so it hangs over the top of the board on the GK-B5 kit.
Finally, with a software change you can use a DOGM character display . These are small, very bright, and offer a lot of options. On the other
hand they generally require more power when the backlight is on, and are somewhat expensive. If you are interested in this display, see this
project.

Moving the LCD off the board:

On the GK-B5 kit, the LCD simply plugs right in and the contrast pot and the backlight resistor are already on the board.
The simplest way to extend the LCD to your case is to wire 1:1 from the display headers on the board to the LCD. You can use 90 male
headers to plug into the display headers and on the LCD side, either use female headers or solder directly to the LCD.
For some (rare) situations you can also connect the LCD directly to the appropriate I/O pins. In that case you will need to supply the contrast
pot and the backlight resistor. The following diagram shows those connections.

Appendix VI Schematic

You can download this schematic here