DETECTORS.DAT

EPMA Probe

 

Installation > Configuration Files

DETECTORS.DAT

The data file used to define detector parameters. The scaler array size (the number of data values on each line) is defined as the "NumberOfTunableSpecs" in the PROBEWIN.INI file. Note that a comment string enclosed in double quotes MUST be present at the end of each line. Several unused parameter lines are throughout the file for future expansion.

 

The example DETECTORS.DAT file shown here is for a 1 spectrometer instrument.

 

     "1"         "Scaler Labels"

       3         "Number of Slit Sizes"

 "2.0mm"         "Slit Size Strings[1]"

 "0.5mm"         "Slit Size Strings[2]"

 "0.3mm"         "Slit Size Strings[3]"

      ""         "Slit Size Strings[4]"

      ""         "Slit Size Strings[5]"

      ""         "Slit Size Strings[6]"

      ""         "Slit Size Strings[7]"

      ""         "Slit Size Strings[8]"

      ""         "Slit Size Strings[9]"

      ""         "Slit Size Strings[10]"

      ""         "Slit Size Strings[11]"

      ""         "Slit Size Strings[12]"

       0         "Number of Slit Positions"

      ""         "Slit Position Strings[1]"

      ""         "Slit Position Strings[2]"

      ""         "Slit Position Strings[3]"

      ""         "Slit Position Strings[4]"

      ""         "Slit Position Strings[5]"

      ""         "Slit Position Strings[6]"

      ""         "Slit Position Strings[7]"

      ""         "Slit Position Strings[8]"

      ""         "Slit Position Strings[9]"

      ""         "Slit Position Strings[10]"

      ""         "Slit Position Strings[11]"

      ""         "Slit Position Strings[12]"

       4         "Number of Detector Modes"

"SPC- FPC-"      "Detector Mode Strings[1]"

"SPC- FPC+"      "Detector Mode Strings[2]"

"SPC+ FPC-"      "Detector Mode Strings[3]"

"SPC+ FPC+"      "Detector Mode Strings[4]"

      ""         "Detector Mode Strings[5]"

      ""         "Detector Mode Strings[6]"

      ""         "Detector Mode Strings[7]"

      ""         "Detector Mode Strings[8]"

      ""         "Detector Mode Strings[9]"

      ""         "Detector Mode Strings[10]"

      ""         "Detector Mode Strings[11]"

      ""         "Detector Mode Strings[12]"

       0         "Number of Unused"

      ""         "Unused Strings[1]"

      ""         "Unused Strings[2]"

      ""         "Unused Strings[3]"

      ""         "Unused Strings[4]"

      ""         "Unused Strings[5]"

      ""         "Unused Strings[6]"

      ""         "Unused Strings[7]"

      ""         "Unused Strings[8]"

      ""         "Unused Strings[9]"

      ""         "Unused Strings[10]"

      ""         "Unused Strings[11]"

      ""         "Unused Strings[12]"

       2         "Slit Size Exchange Flags [0=none, 1=any position, 2=at position]"

       0         "Slit Position Exchange Flags [0=none, 1=any position, 2=at position]"

       1         "Detector Mode Exchange Flags [0=none, 1=any position, 2=at position]"

       0         "Unused Exchange Flags [0=none, 1=any position, 2=at position]"

   320.0         "Slit Size Exchange Positions"

     0.0         "Slit Position Exchange Positions"

     0.0         "Detector Mode Exchange Positions"

     0.0         "Unused Exchange Positions"

   185.0         "Slit Size Exchange Rowlands"

     0.0         "Slit Position Exchange Rowlands"

     0.0         "Detector Mode Exchange Rowlands"

     0.0         "Unused Exchange Rowlands"

       2         "Default Slit Size Indexes [1 to Number of Slit Sizes]"

       1         "Default Slit Position Indexes [1 to Number of Slit Positions]"

       4         "Default Detector Mode Indexes [1 to Number of Detector Modes]"

       1         "Default Unused Indexes [1 to Number of Unused]"

 

Line 1             (scaler labels)

     "1"         "Scaler Labels"

These scaler labels are used to load several dialog controls to specify the counting channel labels. The scaler labels must be enclosed in double quotes and must be identical to the values in the SCALERS.DAT file.

 

Line 2             (number of  slit sizes)

       3         "Number of Slit Sizes"

 

Lines 3-14     (slit size strings)

 "2.0mm"         "Slit Size Strings[1]"

 "0.5mm"         "Slit Size Strings[2]"

 "0.3mm"         "Slit Size Strings[3]"

      ""         "Slit Size Strings[4]"

      ""         "Slit Size Strings[5]"

      ""         "Slit Size Strings[6]"

      ""         "Slit Size Strings[7]"

      ""         "Slit Size Strings[8]"

      ""         "Slit Size Strings[9]"

      ""         "Slit Size Strings[10]"

      ""         "Slit Size Strings[11]"

      ""         "Slit Size Strings[12]"

Line two indicates the number of valid slit size strings that will follow each scaler label.  Do not enclose the number in quotes. The next 12 lines contain the actual slit size strings that will appear in the dialog for the user to choose from. These must be enclosed in double quotes. The actual value that is set by the program is depends on the detector hardware interface.

 

Line 15                       (number of  slit positions)

0         "Number of Slit Positions"

1        

Lines 16-27   (slit position strings)

      ""         "Slit Position Strings[1]"

      ""         "Slit Position Strings[2]"

      ""         "Slit Position Strings[3]"

      ""         "Slit Position Strings[4]"

      ""         "Slit Position Strings[5]"

      ""         "Slit Position Strings[6]"

      ""         "Slit Position Strings[7]"

      ""         "Slit Position Strings[8]"

      ""         "Slit Position Strings[9]"

      ""         "Slit Position Strings[10]"

      ""         "Slit Position Strings[11]"

      ""         "Slit Position Strings[12]"

Line fifteen indicates the number of valid slit position strings that will follow each scaler label.  Do not enclose the number in quotes. The next 12 lines contain the actual slit position strings that will appear in the dialog for the user to choose from. These must be enclosed in double quotes. The actual value that is set by the program is depends on the hardware interface.

 

Line 28                       (number of  detector modes)

       4         "Number of Detector Modes"

 

Lines 29-40   (detector mode strings)

"SPC- FPC-"      "Detector Mode Strings[1]"

"SPC- FPC+"      "Detector Mode Strings[2]"

"SPC+ FPC-"      "Detector Mode Strings[3]"

"SPC+ FPC+"      "Detector Mode Strings[4]"

      ""         "Detector Mode Strings[5]"

      ""         "Detector Mode Strings[6]"

      ""         "Detector Mode Strings[7]"

      ""         "Detector Mode Strings[8]"

      ""         "Detector Mode Strings[9]"

      ""         "Detector Mode Strings[10]"

      ""         "Detector Mode Strings[11]"

      ""         "Detector Mode Strings[12]"

Line twenty-eight indicates the number of valid detector mode strings that will follow each scaler label. Do not enclose the number in quotes. The next 12 lines contain the actual detector mode strings that will appear in the dialog for the user to choose from. These must be enclosed in double quotes. The actual value that is set by the program is depends on the hardware interface.

 

Note that these DetectorMode strings can also be used for other probe types (e.g., Cameca and JEOL) for specifying the detector gas type to allow the program to better calculate whether an Ar or Xe absorption edge is present between the on peak and off-peak measurement positions.

 

For example, if the Xe filled detectors are specifed using a string containing the sub-string “XPC” then the program will know that that detector is filled with Xe gas and subject to Xe edge effects.

 

' JEOL Detector types:

'  GPC = gas flow proportional detector P-10 atmospheric pressure

'  XPC = sealed detector Xenon proportional counter (no Ar gas)

'  GPCH = gas flow prop detector P-10 atm press, on H-type spectrometer

'  XPCH = sealed Xe detector on H-spectrometer (has different slit device compared to XPC) (no Ar gas)

 

For this purpose the number of “DetectorModes” should be left at zero as shown in the following example:

 

      0        "Number of Detector Modes"

      "GPC"   "XPCH"  "GPC"   "GPC"   "XPC"     "Detector Mode Strings [1]"

      ""      ""      ""      ""      ""        "Detector Mode Strings [2]"

      ""      ""      ""      ""      ""        "Detector Mode Strings [3]"

      ""      ""      ""      ""      ""        "Detector Mode Strings [4]"

      ""      ""      ""      ""      ""        "Detector Mode Strings [5]"

      ""      ""      ""      ""      ""        "Detector Mode Strings [6]"

      ""      ""      ""      ""      ""        "Detector Mode Strings [7]"

      ""      ""      ""      ""      ""        "Detector Mode Strings [8]"

      ""      ""      ""      ""      ""        "Detector Mode Strings [9]"

      ""      ""      ""      ""      ""        "Detector Mode Strings [10]"

      ""      ""      ""      ""      ""        "Detector Mode Strings [11]"

      ""      ""      ""      ""      ""        "Detector Mode Strings [12]"

 

Similarly, Cameca instruments can use this string to define which detectors are one atmosphere and which are two atmosphere detectors for documentation purposes as shown in the following example:

 

       0       0       0       0       0        "Number of Detector Modes"

      "FPC-1" "FPC-1" "FPC-2" "FPC-1" "FPC-2"   "Detector Mode Strings [1]"

      ""      ""      ""      ""      ""        "Detector Mode Strings [2]"

      ""      ""      ""      ""      ""        "Detector Mode Strings [3]"

      ""      ""      ""      ""      ""        "Detector Mode Strings [4]"

      ""      ""      ""      ""      ""        "Detector Mode Strings [5]"

      ""      ""      ""      ""      ""        "Detector Mode Strings [6]"

      ""      ""      ""      ""      ""        "Detector Mode Strings [7]"

      ""      ""      ""      ""      ""        "Detector Mode Strings [8]"

      ""      ""      ""      ""      ""        "Detector Mode Strings [9]"

      ""      ""      ""      ""      ""        "Detector Mode Strings [10]"

      ""      ""      ""      ""      ""        "Detector Mode Strings [11]"

      ""      ""      ""      ""      ""        "Detector Mode Strings [12]"

 

Since the Cameca detectors are always Ar filled, on Cameca instruments the program will never calculate a Xe absorption problem and always calculate an Ar edge problem (if it exists).

 

Line 41                       (number of  unused)

0         "Number of unused"

1        

Lines 42-53   (unused strings)

      ""         "Unused String[1]"

      ""         "Unused String[2]"

      ""         "Unused String[3]"

      ""         "Unused String[4]"

      ""         "Unused String[5]"

      ""         "Unused String[6]"

      ""         "Unused String[7]"

      ""         "Unused String[8]"

      ""         "Unused String[9]"

      ""         "Unused String[10]"

      ""         "Unused String[11]"

      ""         "Unused String[12]"

Lines forty-one to fifty-three are unused for the time being and are reserved for future expansion of the detector parameter interface.

 

Line 54                       (slit size exchange flag)

Line 55                       (slit position exchange flag)

Line 56                       (detector mode exchange flag)

Line 57                       (unused exchange flag)

       2         "Slit Size Exchange Flag"

       0         "Slit Position Exchange Flag"

       1         "Detector Mode Exchange Flag"

       0         "Unused Exchange Flag"

Lines fifty four to fifty seven are flags that indicate the type of the detector exchange mechanism. The allowable range of values is 0 to 2.

 

The example lines shown above indicate that the slit size must be exchanged at the specified spectrometer position given below, while the slit position mechanism is not automated, and finally while the detector mode exchange can be automated in any spectrometer position.

 

0        no automated exchange

1        automated exchange in any position

2        automated exchange only at "exchange position

 

Line 58                       (slit size exchange position)

Line 59                       (slit position exchange position)

Line 60                       (detector mode exchange position)

Line 61                       (unused exchange position)

   320.0         "Slit Size Exchange Position"

     0.0         "Slit Position Exchange Position"

     0.0         "Detector Mode Exchange Position"

     0.0         "Unused Exchange Position"

Line 62                       (slit size exchange Rowland circle) (obsolete)

Line 63                       (slit position exchange Rowland circle) (obsolete)

Line 64                       (detector mode exchange Rowland circle) (obsolete)

Line 65                       (unused exchange Rowland circle)

   185.0         "Slit Size Exchange Rowland"

     0.0         "Slit Position Exchange Rowland"

     0.0         "Detector Mode Exchange Rowland"

     0.0         "Unused Exchange Rowland"

Lines fifty eight to sixty five specify the spectrometer Rowland circle for the automated exchange mechanism. This parameter is obsolete..

 

Line 66                       (Default slit size index)

Line 67                       (Default slit position index)

Line 68                       (Default detector mode index)

Line 69                       (Default unused index)

       2         "Default Slit Size Index [1 to Number of Slit Sizes]"

       1         "Default Slit Position Index [1 to Number of Slit Positions]"

       4         "Default Detector Mode Index [1 to Number of Detector Modes]"

       1         "Default Unused Index [1 to Number of Unused]"

Lines sixty six to sixty nine specify the default detector settings for the given spectrometer scaler number. These are index numbers and must correspond with the slit size, slit position and detector mode strings in the previous sections. Values must be between 1 and the maximum number specified in the "number of slit sizes", "number of slit positions" and "number of detector modes" values.