HR: 0800h
AN: IN11A-0099    [Abstracts]
TI: Low-Cost Pulse-Counting Networked Magnetometer
AU: * Schofield, I
EM: ian.schofield@athabascau.ca
AF: Athabasca University, 1 University Drive, Athabasca, AB T9S 3A3, Canada
AU: Connors, M
EM: martinc@athabascau.ca
AF: Athabasca University, 1 University Drive, Athabasca, AB T9S 3A3, Canada
AB: Building upon our previous successful low-cost (~500 dollar) triaxial magnetometer design, we are developing a networked magnetometer, based on the Speake and Company FGM-3 magnetic field sensor. A cluster of three sensors, each sensitive to magnetic variations as small as 1 nT, generate pulse streams non- linearly proportional to the strength of the surrounding magnetic field, and can measure a dynamic range of ± 50,000 nT. A one second GPS timing pulse provides accurate time and position data, as well as a stable time base from which to calculate sensor frequency. The Microchip PICDEM.net2 Ethernet development board, based on a PIC 18F97J60 8-bit microcontroller, drives pulse counting and network communication. Magnetic data are transmitted over the Internet or local area network to a data-logging server using the UDP protocol. System configuration and status monitoring is performed using a dynamic HTTP web interface. On-board 10-bit analog/digital converters sample ambient temperature in order to calibrate the magnetic readings, which vary due to temperature change. The use of a network-enabled microcontroller-based platform at a time when availablility of networking in remote locations is expanding, provides an unprecedented capability to monitor magnetic or other environmental data.
DE: 0594 Instruments and techniques
DE: 0794 Instruments and techniques
DE: 0994 Instruments and techniques
DE: 7894 Instruments and techniques
SC: Earth and Space Science Informatics [IN]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting