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Summary of Contents for Ametek ORTEC Alpha Duo
- Page 1 , and Alpha Alpha Duo Alpha ® Mega ® Ensemble ® Integrated Alpha Spectrometer Hardware User’s Guide Part No. 932505 102022 Manual Revision G Printed in USA...
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Page 2: Table Of Contents
ALPHA DUO, ALPHA MEGA, & ALPHA ENSEMBLE USER’S GUIDE 932505_0G / 102022 TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents ..................ii Figures ..................... iv Tables ....................... iv Warranty ....................v Safety Instructions and Symbols .............. vi Cleaning Instructions ................vi Introduction ..................1 About this manual ............... - Page 3 932505_0G / 102022 TABLE OF CONTENTS 4.2.1 Chamber Removal ............20 4.2.2 Chamber Installation ............21 Troubleshooting ................22 4.3.1 Can’t fine the Duo or Mega on the Detector Pick List ....22 4.3.2 Data or Settings are Lost when Power is Turned Off ....22 4.3.3 Resolution Problems ............
- Page 4 ALPHA DUO, ALPHA MEGA, & ALPHA ENSEMBLE USER’S GUIDE 932505_0G / 102022 FIGURES Figure 1. Alpha Duo Sample Chamber ............11 Figure 2. Alpha Mega Sample Chamber ............11 Figure 3. Amplifier Tab ................12 Figure 4. Amplifier 2 Tab ................12 Figure 5.
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Page 5: Warranty
NOTICE OF PROPRIETARY PROPERTY – This document and the information contained in it are the proprietary property of AMETEK Inc., ORTEC Business Unit. It may not be copied or used in any manner nor may any of the information in or upon it be used for any purpose without the express written consent of an authorized agent of AMETEK Inc., ORTEC Business... -
Page 6: Safety Instructions And Symbols
ALPHA DUO, ALPHA MEGA, & ALPHA ENSEMBLE USER’S GUIDE 932505_0G / 102022 SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS AND SYMBOLS This manual contains up to three levels of safety instructions that must be observed in order to avoid personal injury and/or damage to equipment or other property. These are: Indicates a hazard that could result in death or serious bodily harm if the safety DANGER instruction is not observed. - Page 7 932505_0G / 102022 GETTING STARTED...
- Page 8 ALPHA DUO, ALPHA MEGA, & ALPHA ENSEMBLE USER’S GUIDE 932505_0G / 102022 THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY BLANK. viii...
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Page 9: Introduction
1. Introduction With the introduction of the ORTEC Alpha Suite™ of integrated alpha spectrometers, ORTEC was ® able to address the needs of any counting laboratory, large or small, whether users are upgrading or just starting out. The ORTEC Alpha Suite consists of the Alpha Aria®, a single-channel NIM; the Alpha Duo®, a compact, dual-channel benchtop system;... -
Page 10: About This Manual
ALPHA DUO, ALPHA MEGA, & ALPHA ENSEMBLE USER’S GUIDE 932505_0G / 102022 and reduces the possibility of vacuum leaks. The pressure in each Duo in the Ensemble is controlled and monitored independently. The vent/hold/pump functions for the Duo and Mega chambers are software controlled. There are two operation modes: (1) selecting the vent, hold, and pump commands as needed from a dialog;... - Page 11 932505_0G / 102022 CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION Chapter 4 discusses maintenance of the Duo, Mega, and Ensemble, including how to add a • new Duo or Mega module to an Ensemble. This chapter also covers detector and chamber decontamination, chamber replacement, and troubleshooting. Chapter 5 contains the system specifications and feature mask bits.
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Page 13: Installation
2. Installation Setting up the Alpha Duo, Alpha Mega, or Alpha Ensemble is straightforward: Install the accompanying C Driver Update Kit on the PC first. • ONNECTIONS • Install the MAESTRO or AlphaVision software. Connect the Alpha Suite hardware to the host PC. •... -
Page 14: Multiple-Duo/-Mega/-Ensemble Systems
ALPHA DUO, ALPHA MEGA, & ALPHA ENSEMBLE USER’S GUIDE 932505_0G / 102022 appropriate driver, go to the next screen and select the “automatically find driver” option, then follow the remaining wizard prompts to complete installation. 5) On the PC, run the MCB Configuration program from the Windows Start menu by selecting MAESTRO, then MCB Configuration. -
Page 15: Connect To The Vacuum Pump
932505_0G / 102022 CHAPTER 2. INSTALLATION CONNECT TO THE VACUUM PUMP The vacuum connector for the Alpha Duo and Alpha Mega is a 0.25 in. Swagelok ® fitting. The Alpha Ensemble has an NW-25 ISO-KF connector. A rotary pump with an oil mist trap should be used. A pump displacement of 6.7 CFM (190 liters/min) is required. - Page 16 ALPHA DUO, ALPHA MEGA, & ALPHA ENSEMBLE USER’S GUIDE 932505_0G / 102022 THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY BLANK.
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Page 17: Operation
3. Operation As a “quick start” for users already familiar with ORTEC spectroscopy applications, the first two sections of this chapter tell how to use those applications to operate the Alpha Duo and Alpha Mega vacuum chambers. A more detailed discussion of MAESTRO’s hardware and data acquisition controls can be found in Section 3.5. -
Page 18: Venting The Alpha Chamber(S)
ALPHA DUO, ALPHA MEGA, & ALPHA ENSEMBLE USER’S GUIDE 932505_0G / 102022 VENTING THE ALPHA CHAMBER(S) 3.2.1 Manual MAESTRO – Turn off the detector bias/pulser. Go to the Alpha tab of the MCB Properties dialog, • click on the Vacuum state drop list, and select VENT. Use the Actual vacuum readout to monitor chamber pressure. -
Page 19: Resolution Measurement And Calibration
932505_0G / 102022 CHAPTER 3. OPERATION Figure 1. Alpha Duo Sample Chamber Figure 2. Alpha Mega Sample Chamber RESOLUTION MEASUREMENT AND CALIBRATION The measurement of alpha-particle resolution should be performed in a vacuum with a uniform, ultra- thin source located at a source-to-detector distance at least equal to the detector diameter. Using old or inferior sources may cause apparently poor resolution and can lead to detector contamination due to recoil sputtering. -
Page 20: Mcb Properties In Maestro
ALPHA DUO, ALPHA MEGA, & ALPHA ENSEMBLE USER’S GUIDE 932505_0G / 102022 MCB PROPERTIES IN MAESTRO This section discusses the hardware setup dialog seen within MAESTRO, the AlphaVision advanced chamber properties feature, and all other ORTEC C software when users click on ONNECTIONS Acquire/MCB Properties.. -
Page 21: Adc
932505_0G / 102022 CHAPTER 3. OPERATION 3.5.3 This tab (Figure 5) contains the Conversion Gain, Lower Upper-Level Discriminator controls. In addition, the current real time, live time, and input count rate are monitored at the bottom of the dialog. Figure 5. ADC Tab 3.5.4 Stabilizer The Stabilizer tab (Figure 6) shows the current... -
Page 22: High Voltage
ALPHA DUO, ALPHA MEGA, & ALPHA ENSEMBLE USER’S GUIDE 932505_0G / 102022 3.5.5 High Voltage Figure 7 shows the High Voltage tab, which allows users to set the bias voltage from 0V to ±100V, turn the detector bias on or off, and monitor the voltage (Actual) and leakage Current. -
Page 23: Alpha
932505_0G / 102022 CHAPTER 3. OPERATION 3.5.7 Alpha The Alpha tab (Figure 9) contains the controls for the chamber pressure, digital offset, and pulser. 3.5.7.1 Vacuum Monitoring Remember that the Alpha Duo’s twin chambers share a vacuum connection, so both chambers operate at the same pressure. -
Page 24: Presets
ALPHA DUO, ALPHA MEGA, & ALPHA ENSEMBLE USER’S GUIDE 932505_0G / 102022 Figure 10. Alpha Duo or Mega Chamber Hardware Readouts in AlphaVision 3.5.8 Presets Figure 11 shows the Presets tab. The presets can only be set on an MCA that is not acquiring data. Users can use any or all of the presets at one time. - Page 25 932505_0G / 102022 CHAPTER 3. OPERATION Enter the Real Time and Live Time presets in units of seconds and fractions of a second. These values are stored internally with a resolution of 20 milliseconds (ms) since the MCA clock increments by 20 ms.
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Page 27: Maintenance And Service
4. Maintenance and Service DECONTAMINATION The normal background count above 3 MeV for an Alpha chamber should be <24 counts per day for the 300 mm and 450 mm ULTRA detectors. If an increase of background is noted, this may be caused by contamination of the chamber and/or the detector by residual deposits of alpha-emitting materials. -
Page 28: Removing And Replacing Chambers
ALPHA DUO, ALPHA MEGA, & ALPHA ENSEMBLE USER’S GUIDE 932505_0G / 102022 2) Pour deionized water into a clean beaker. 3) Dip a cotton swab into the water and then carefully blot on a clean tissue to remove the excess. swab the aluminum surface of the detector. -
Page 29: Chamber Installation
932505_0G / 102022 CHAPTER 4. MAINTENANCE AND SERVICE Figure 12. Chamber Removed from Alpha Duo 7) Unsolder the center lead of the coaxial signal cable. 8) Unscrew the slotted screw holding the ground wire of the coaxial signal cable about one turn. Do not remove this screw. -
Page 30: Troubleshooting
ALPHA DUO, ALPHA MEGA, & ALPHA ENSEMBLE USER’S GUIDE 932505_0G / 102022 5) Tighten the chamber screws lightly, bottom screw first. When the three screws are in place, tighten them securely, but do not overtighten. 6) Reconnect the Alpha module to vacuum, USB, and power; slide the unit back into its enclosure; and tighten the eight front-panel Phillips screws. -
Page 31: Troubleshooting Vacuum Problems In The Alpha Ensemble
932505_0G / 102022 CHAPTER 4. MAINTENANCE AND SERVICE Pulser OK But No Source Peaks – Wrong amplifier polarity. See Appendix B. • Spectrum Very Noisy – Wrong bias polarity. See Appendix B. • 4.3.4 Troubleshooting Vacuum Problems in the Alpha Ensemble The Alpha Ensemble’s vacuum system consists of a four-port manifold. - Page 32 ALPHA DUO, ALPHA MEGA, & ALPHA ENSEMBLE USER’S GUIDE 932505_0G / 102022 If the vacuum pump is very low on oil it will not pump well. If any of the fittings from the back of the Alpha Ensemble to the vacuum pump have been recently disconnected, they are suspect. When looking for vacuum problems, check things that have been recently changed.
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Page 33: Specifications
5. Specifications Note that these specifications, except where noted, apply to the Alpha Duo and/or Alpha Mega because these are the major components of the Alpha Ensemble. PERFORMANCE Unless otherwise specified, performance is based on use with a BU-017-450-100 ULTRA™ Series detector with a good-quality Am-241 point source. -
Page 34: Detector Current Monitor
ALPHA DUO, ALPHA MEGA, & ALPHA ENSEMBLE USER’S GUIDE 932505_0G / 102022 Frequency Stability ≤ ±50 ppm/°C. Amplitude Drift Typically ≤ ±150 ppm/°C. Long Term Drift Typically ≤ ±0.005% of full scale / 24 hours at constant temperature. On/Off Computer controlled. DETECTOR CURRENT MONITOR Range 0 to 10,000 nA;... -
Page 35: Presets
932505_0G / 102022 CHAPTER 5: SPECIFICATIONS PRESETS Real Time/Live Time Multiples of 20 ms. Region of Interest Peak count/Integral count. Data Overflow Terminates acquisition when any channel exceeds 2 −1. VACUUM CHAMBER Construction Cast brass, with nickel plating for ease of decontamination. High-performance O-ring seal. -
Page 36: Connectors
ALPHA DUO, ALPHA MEGA, & ALPHA ENSEMBLE USER’S GUIDE 932505_0G / 102022 5.11 CONNECTORS Vacuum Connector Duo and Mega - Rear-panel Swagelok connector for 0.25 in. OD tubing • Ensemble – Rear-panel NW-25 ISO-KF connector • High-Speed USB Port Rear-panel standard “B”-type USB connector. 5.12 ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL UKCA/CE Conforms to UKCA/CE standards for radiated and conducted emissions, susceptibility, and low-voltage power directives. -
Page 37: Battery Backup
932505_0G / 102022 CHAPTER 5: SPECIFICATIONS 5.13 BATTERY BACKUP The memory in the Duo and Mega is backed up by battery to maintain settings data when power to the module is off. The battery is located on the upper-rear quadrant of the PWB. Contact ORTEC for the appropriate replacement. - Page 38 ALPHA DUO, ALPHA MEGA, & ALPHA ENSEMBLE USER’S GUIDE 932505_0G / 102022 Meaning MCS-mode positive TTL input available MCS-mode fast-negative NIM input available MCS-mode discriminator input available Software-switchable MCS-mode discriminator edge Software-programmable MCS-mode discriminator level Software-programmable SCA upper and lower thresholds Software-selectable MCS-mode input sources Uncertainty/statistical preset (SET_UNCERT_PRES) Features vary by input (SHOW_FEATURES depends on device/segment;...
- Page 39 932505_0G / 102022 CHAPTER 5: SPECIFICATIONS Meaning Selectable HV rise-time (SET/SHOW/LIST_HV_RISE) (SBS-60) Explorable ADC GATE settings (LIST_GATE, SET_GATE n) Monitor command support (SHOW_MONI_MAX/LABEL/VALUE) SMART-1 Detector support (SHOW_SMART_DET, SHOW_SNUM_DET, SHOW_HV_RECO) Nuclide report (SET/SHOW_NUCL_COEF, SET/SHOW_ROI_NUCL, …) Interactive display features such as nuclide report Advanced stored spectra (SH_SPEC_COUNT, SET/SHOW_SPEC_ID, MOVE) SET/SHOW_VIEW in MCBs with Dual-Port memory or printer port interfaces, LIST_VIEW in all MCBs Connected to MCB via RS-232 (slow) port...
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Page 41: Appendix A. Firmware Commands And Responses
Appendix A. Firmware Commands and Responses Most software communication with the Alpha Duo or Alpha Mega will be through the C ONNECTIONS software layer. C is used by all ORTEC software and can be accessed for other software ONNECTIONS development with the C Programmer’s Toolkit with Microsoft ActiveX ®... -
Page 42: Dollar Response Records
ALPHA DUO, ALPHA MEGA, & ALPHA ENSEMBLE USER’S GUIDE 932505_0G / 102022 Table 3. Macro Code 129 or 131 Exceptions Invalid verb Invalid noun Invalid modifier Invalid first parameter Invalid second parameter Invalid third parameter Invalid fourth parameter Invalid number of parameters Invalid command Response buffer too small Not applicable while active... -
Page 43: Mcb Commands
932505_0G / 102022 APPENDIX A: FIRMWARE COMMANDS AND RESPONSES A.2.2 MCB Commands This section lists each command with a description of its operation. The descriptions include a list of any error codes that may result. As described in the two preceding sections, the usual response is a macro error code of 0 and a micro error code of 0 (no errors). - Page 44 ALPHA DUO, ALPHA MEGA, & ALPHA ENSEMBLE USER’S GUIDE 932505_0G / 102022 DISABLE_OVERFLOW_PRESET Disables the overflow preset. Channels that receive a count when they contain 2147483647 counts, the maximum number of counts, will roll over to zero counts if the overflow preset is disabled. See also ENABLE_OVERFLOW_PRESET and SHOW_OVERFLOW_PRESET.
- Page 45 932505_0G / 102022 APPENDIX A: FIRMWARE COMMANDS AND RESPONSES LIST_HV Lists the valid bias settings. The Alpha Aria accepts bias values between 0 and +1200 V in 960 steps (1.25 V/step). LIST_VACUUM_MODE Lists the available vacuum modes (e.g., vent, pump, or hold). Response: VACU_MODE VENT PUMP HOLD RESET...
- Page 46 ALPHA DUO, ALPHA MEGA, & ALPHA ENSEMBLE USER’S GUIDE 932505_0G / 102022 SET_GAIN_WIDTH chans Sets the width in channels for the stabilizer gain peak. The gain width must be chosen such that the beginning channel is no lower than channel 0 and the ending channel is no higher than the maximum channel as determined by the conversion gain.
- Page 47 932505_0G / 102022 APPENDIX A: FIRMWARE COMMANDS AND RESPONSES SET_PEAK_PRESET count Sets the ROI peak preset the specified count. During data acquisition when the contents of any channel that has the ROI flag set reaches the peak preset count, the preset is complete, and the acquisition is stopped.
- Page 48 ALPHA DUO, ALPHA MEGA, & ALPHA ENSEMBLE USER’S GUIDE 932505_0G / 102022 SHOW_ACTIVE Reports which segments are currently acquiring data. Always 1 for the Alpha Aria. Responses: $C00000087<CR> No segments are acquiring data. $C00001088<CR> Only segment 1 is acquiring data. SHOW_CONFIGURATION Returns a record that indicates the hardware configuration of the MCB.
- Page 49 932505_0G / 102022 APPENDIX A: FIRMWARE COMMANDS AND RESPONSES SHOW_GAIN_CONVERSION This command returns the conversion gain. Responses: $C00256100<CR> Conversion gain reported as 256 channels. $C00512095<CR> Conversion gain reported as 512 channels. $C01024094<CR> Conversion gain reported as 1024 channels. $C02048101<CR> Conversion gain reported as 2048 channels. $C04096106<CR>...
- Page 50 ALPHA DUO, ALPHA MEGA, & ALPHA ENSEMBLE USER’S GUIDE 932505_0G / 102022 SHOW_HV_ACTUAL Returns the value of HV actually on the detector. SHOW_HV_CURRENT Returns the bias supply current for the default input Alpha Aria as follows: $Crrrrrccc<CR> where rrrrr represents the output current in nanoamps. SHOW_HV_TARGET Under normal operation, the HV will go to this value when the HV is enabled.
- Page 51 932505_0G / 102022 APPENDIX A: FIRMWARE COMMANDS AND RESPONSES SHOW_LIVE_PRESET Reports the current live time preset for the currently selected in units of 20 ms (50 ticks per second). See also CLEAR_PRESETS and SET_LIVE_PRESET. Responses: $G0000000000075<CR> Live time preset reported as disabled. $G0000000001076<CR>...
- Page 52 ALPHA DUO, ALPHA MEGA, & ALPHA ENSEMBLE USER’S GUIDE 932505_0G / 102022 SHOW_PEAK This command returns the contents of the ROI channel with the largest number of counts. An ROI channel is a channel that has the ROI flag set. The maximum possible value is 2147483647, which is the maximum number of counts that can be stored in a 31-bit channel.
- Page 53 932505_0G / 102022 APPENDIX A: FIRMWARE COMMANDS AND RESPONSES SHOW_ROI Used in conjunction with the SHOW_NEXT command, SHOW_ROI reports the first continuous group of channels that have the ROI flag set. The response is of the form: $Dsssssnnnnnccc<CR> where sssss represents an integer number that is the number of the first channel of the “first” group of channels that all have their ROI bit set, and nnnnn represents an integer number that is the number of channels in the group.
- Page 54 ALPHA DUO, ALPHA MEGA, & ALPHA ENSEMBLE USER’S GUIDE 932505_0G / 102022 SHOW_TRUE_PRESET Reports the current true time preset in units of 20 ms (50 ticks per second). See also CLEAR_PRESETS and SET_TRUE_PRESET. Responses: $G0000000000075<CR> True time preset reported as disabled. $G0000000001076<CR>...
- Page 55 932505_0G / 102022 APPENDIX A: FIRMWARE COMMANDS AND RESPONSES START [seg-mask] Starts data acquisition. The optional segment mask is provided for compatibility with other MCBs and may be any value from 0 to 65535 but is ignored by the Alpha Dup. STOP [seg-mask] Stops the acquisition of spectral data.
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Page 57: Appendix B. Changing To An Opposite Polarity Detector
Appendix B. Changing to an Opposite Polarity Detector Switching to an opposite-polarity detector requires changing three slide switches per chamber on the printed wiring board (PWB) and recalibrating the pulser. After making these hardware changes, MAESTRO or AlphaVision should be used to recalibrate the detector. Procedure: 1) Disconnect the instrument from ac mains power. -
Page 58: Figure 14. Alpha Duo Partially Removed From Benchtop Enclosure
ALPHA DUO, ALPHA MEGA, & ALPHA ENSEMBLE USER’S GUIDE 932505_0G / 102022 Figure 14. Alpha Duo Partially Removed from Benchtop Enclosure 5) To remove the chamber(s), use a Phillips screwdriver to remove the four (4) screws that hold the faceplate to the chassis, then pull the faceplate/chamber assembly gently forward. Note that, on the Duo, the four wires for the front-panel LEDs may be short enough that they must be disconnected from the PWB before users can pull the faceplate/chamber assembly out of the enclosure. -
Page 59: Figure 15. Removing An Alpha Module From The Alpha Ensemble Enclosure
932505_0G / 102022 APPENDIX B: CHANGING TO AN OPPOSITE POLARITY DETECTOR Figure 15. Removing an Alpha Module from the Alpha Ensemble Enclosure Duo The three switches for the left chamber are SW 101, SW 102, and SW 100. The right- •... -
Page 60: Figure 16. Inside The Alpha Duo
ALPHA DUO, ALPHA MEGA, & ALPHA ENSEMBLE USER’S GUIDE 932505_0G / 102022 Figure 16. Inside the Alpha Duo Figure 17. Alpha Mega Faceplate and Chamber Pulled Out of Enclosure... -
Page 61: Recalibration
932505_0G / 102022 APPENDIX B: CHANGING TO AN OPPOSITE POLARITY DETECTOR 6) Figure 18 highlights the three switches that control the polarity for the left chamber. Move the three sliders toward the back of the housing to switch them to negative polarity, or toward the front panel for positive polarity. - Page 62 ALPHA DUO, ALPHA MEGA, & ALPHA ENSEMBLE USER’S GUIDE 932505_0G / 102022 3) Start MAESTRO, select the appropriate Alpha Duo chamber from the detector pick list, then click on Acquire/MCB Properties to open the Properties dialog. (Refer as needed to the MCB Properties instructions in Section 3.5).
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