The Art of Electronics
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This paper summarizes the development of an image analyzing and processing systems which is designed to determine particle size and particle size distribution of materials that have been transported atmospherically and hydrologically. The system, consisting of a redesigned microscope, a standard television camera, a Micro Works DS-65 DIGISECTOR video digitizer, and a TRS-80 computer, was constructed. The modified DS-65 was built as a peripheral device which converts the analog signal of the television camera to a digital signal and transfers the data through software control to the TRS-80. A machine language program was written to control the digitization and transfer of data. A BASIC language program, SCAN, automatically determines the particle size and particle size distribution. A new portion of the sample can be analyzed by adjusting two micrometers attached to the stage of the microscope. These micrometer adjusting screws allow accurate movement of the sample within a horizontal plane. The results of consecutive scans are accumulated and the distribution is plotted as a bar graph. Representative particle diameters, limited by microscope resolution, are on the order of 10 microns or greater in magnitude. Samples of particulates were tested and the results will be presented at the ACM Regional Meeting in Knoxville, Tennessee on April 1-3, 1982.