TI's OPAMPPRO,Lighning detection and an ADC

[Douglas Eagleson]

I am trying to make a lightning detection circuit. And have a nice
detector front and it needs to be matched to an ADC on a Zilog Z8
encore mpu.

The front end is +/-15Volts. And the ADC is a 0-3v affair.

It works so good I am afraid to alter the detector main opamp. I was
wondering if TI's OPAMPPRO computer design program would be useful in
this endeavor.

I am a novice trying to learn the Z8 and its ADC. I tried a 0-5 volt
opamp- LM325 as the interface and lost alot of sensitivity.

Any ideas.. Thanks in advance.

I am investigating the rise time characteristics of the static Em
field for a lightning bolt. IT might have some directionality?
Aleviating the need for orthoganal magnetic coils to detect bolt
direction?

 

[Rich Grise]

I am trying to make a lightning detection circuit. And have a nice
detector front and it needs to be matched to an ADC on a Zilog Z8
encore mpu.

The front end is +/-15Volts. And the ADC is a 0-3v affair.

It works so good I am afraid to alter the detector main opamp. I was
wondering if TI's OPAMPPRO computer design program would be useful in
this endeavor.

I am a novice trying to learn the Z8 and its ADC. I tried a 0-5 volt
opamp- LM325 as the interface and lost alot of sensitivity.

Any ideas.. Thanks in advance.

I am investigating the rise time characteristics of the static Em
field for a lightning bolt. IT might have some directionality?
Aleviating the need for orthoganal magnetic coils to detect bolt
direction?

I saw one of these about a millennium or so ago - they used two hula-hoop
sized loops at 90 degrees to each other, to go to the X and Y axes of a
'scope, and a third, vertical antenna, which went to the Z axis
(intensity) input. The drawback was that the length of the trace was
inversely proportional to the distance/power of the strike.

Have Fun!
Rich

 

[Martin Riddle]

If found this site intriguing...

http://www.techlib.com/electronics/lightning.html

cheers

 

[Douglas Eagleson]

If found this site intriguing...

http://www.techlib.com/electronics/lightning.html

cheers











- Show quoted text -

Thanks!

I got the TI OPAMPPRO to spit out a diagram of the interface circuit.
It matchs 0-15 volt to a 0-3 volt output.

 

[Douglas Eagleson]

I saw one of these about a millennium or so ago - they used two hula-hoop
sized loops at 90 degrees to each other, to go to the X and Y axes of a
'scope, and a third, vertical antenna, which went to the Z axis
(intensity) input. The drawback was that the length of the trace was
inversely proportional to the distance/power of the strike.

Have Fun!
Rich- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Yeah, all the various methods of handling the signal have been tried
likely.

I was going to use only the signal rise time to eliminate the long
tail effect.

Maybe I won't need the coils!