Mini MCA-166 User's Manual - GBS Elektronik GmbH

_______________________________________________________________________
General use of the software
-To navigate use the arrow keys.
-To enter a menu or to confirm something use the “Enter”-key
-To toggle between settings use the space key (big key in the lowermost line).
-To exit a menu use the “ESC” -key.
Step 4: Loading settings
Navigate with the arrow keys to setup menu, press “Enter”, go to “read setup file”, press
“Enter”. Choose by using the arrow keys the setup file for the detector, press “Enter”,
“Enter”, “ESC”, ”ESC”.
All parameters can also be set manually, they are: Detector high voltage: see detector, in
most cases 2000 or 3000V negative or positive (check polarity!) / Presets-Choice: None /
MCA setup-channels: 4096 / -Threshold: 2 / -LLD: 0 / -ULD 3967 / -ADC Input: Amplifier /
Amplifier setup-Coarse gain: try at first something between 5 and 50 / -fine gain: 1 / -
Shaping time(µs): 1 or 2 / -Input polarity: look detector manual or just try / Stabilization
setup-Stabilization: off.
Step 5: Switching on high voltage
Chose “Detector high voltage setup” in the setup menu; behind high voltage should
appear the correct voltage and polarity for the detector (check this!). Press “ESC” and
“Enter” to switch on high voltage. In the lowermost line on the screen should appear the
actual voltage now.
Step 6: Starting measurement
Now choose Data acquisition - Measurement, press “Enter”. The acquisition screen
should appear. “F4” starts a measurement, “F5” stops it. During the measurement the
growing spectrum can be seen, also some additional parameters (e.g. elapsed time,
cursor position, actual count rate) are shown.
The arrow keys move the cursor and change vertical scale on this screen. When a
sufficient accurate spectrum is acquired, (maybe 300 s at 100 cps), stop by “F5”.
Step 7: Saving spectrum
Leave measurement screen with “ESC”, choose “File - Save”, press “Enter”. Now a file
menu should appear. Choose a filename like xxxxxxxx.spe and enter it in the line “File”.
Press “Enter” two times. Another box appears where you can enter a remark to the
spectrum. Exit this box with “ESC”. Press another time “ESC” to go back to the menus.
Step 8: Switching off
Choose “File - eXit”. Press “Enter”. Confirm “Turn off HV” - “yes” by pressing “Enter”.
Confirm “Don’t forget to turn off MMCA” by pressing “Enter”. Switch off MCA 166 and
Palmtop HP200LX. Now you can disconnect the cables.
44