RADlab

RADlab is a lightweight CAD application whose purpose is to provide a virtual environment where you can design and simulate radiation experiments. You can make use of advanced lab instruments, like a multichannel analyzer (MCA) and oscilloscope.

The utility gives you the possibility to set up authentication parameters for multiple users by providing information about the username and password. This multi-user support comes in handy in a classroom, where you can teach students about radiation and radioactive particles. You may create an account for each student, so all of them can save their experiments.

RADlab allows you to choose between predefined experiments or create some of your own from scratch. In case you are a rookie, you should have a look at the preset ones as they include pre-written experiment sheets that show info about the lab instruments needed to carry out the simulations, purpose of the experiment, as well as step-by-step details about how to conduct the experiment.

In case you plan to create your own experiment, you may add various components, such as source, detector, HB power supply, preamplifier, amplifier, and MCA, as well as connect components using signal, login signal, HV final, or preamplifier voltage signal cables.

You can make use of the drag-and-drop support for moving items to the desired position and bring objects to the front or send them to the back.

There’s support for three different detector types, namely gas filled, scintillation, and semiconductor. Plus, you can carry out experiments in three environments, namely water, air or vacuum, and transport gamma-ray, neutron, alpha and beta particles in given environments.

You may access experiment sheets while running a simulation. These sheets contain valuable information that can be used by students in order to learn how to set up and connect the instruments in a simulation (images are also displayed).

RADlab hosts a powerful suite of features that can be used for creating and simulating radiation detection and measurement experiments. On the downside, it hasn’t been updated for a while so you can make use of its capabilities especially if you run it on older operating systems, such as Windows 2K, XP, Vista or 2003.