Geophone

Sensors Environmental
1

Hi, I’d like to use geophones to get data from earth & rocks. I don’t have electronics skills. How can I get a signal from a geophone into a computer or into a sound recorder? I don’t mind what kind of data - audio, numeric values…

What can be plugged into the geophone to get a signal out? Looks like it has no cable to mini jack or anything.

any help much appreciated

2

https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11744, the Geophone acts like a very sensitive microphone. The voltage fluctuates when the sensor is “vibrating” with the movements of the earth. You can read those fluctuations with the ADC on the Arduino. However, most systems use an amplifier to help make the changes easier to read. We don’t have a direct amplifier for this product. For that, you’ll have to source separately.

3

Thanks Brandon,

can you point me to the various parts I’d need to be able to get information from geophone to something I can work with on computer?

Sorry for being obtuse but I don’t know anything about this stuff.

Do I have to use an Arduino?

What actual connectors, cables would go from the geophone out?

Can I do something from geophone to computer?

I imagine I can boost the signal once it is in the computer rather than go to an amplifier?

thanks for any advice

4

You might have a look at the links in the [support tips section, there’s some information there that might be helpful. Also check out the [github link, there’s a schematic there as well.

You are going to need some sort of micro controller (arduino board) or DAQ board to connect one of these to a computer and you will also likely need some sort of amplifier to boost the signal up enough for the micro controller to be able to sense the output.](GitHub - olewolf/geophone: Code and Arduino shield for a frequency analyzer for geometric sensors)](https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11744#tips-tab)

5

Thanks I’ll go look at those