Probe Software Company and Product Information

[Mike Matthews]

These chat bots have got scarily good

[Probeman]

These chat bots have got scarily good

The good news (so far) is that they have no idea what they are talking about!

[Mike Matthews]

So how many of our politicians are actually chatbots and how long has this been going on😱

[John Donovan]

If you would like to receive invitations to our upcoming Probe Software webinars please click on the link below and subscribe:

https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/732614/121251216423388335/share

[John Donovan]

Following up with Julien Allaz's post above we asked Grok (the AI on X.com) the following question:

What are the advantages of electron probe microanalysis?  And Grok responded:

Electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) is a non-destructive technique that offers several advantages for material characterization. It allows for the determination of the chemical composition of small volumes of a solid material, which is particularly useful for materials science, geoscience, and other fields requiring precise chemical analysis. The primary benefits of EPMA include:

1    Non-destructive analysis: EPMA does not destroy or significantly alter the sample, allowing for further analysis or reuse if needed.
2    High spatial resolution: EPMA can analyze small areas of the sample with a resolution down to a few micrometers, providing detailed information about the chemical composition of different regions within the sample.
3    High sensitivity: EPMA can detect elements in concentrations as low as a few tens of parts per million (ppm), making it suitable for trace element analysis.
4    Simultaneous analysis: EPMA can simultaneously analyze multiple elements in a single measurement, providing a comprehensive understanding of the sample's composition.
5    Quantitative analysis: EPMA can provide quantitative data on the concentration of elements in the sample, allowing for accurate comparisons between different samples or standards.
6    Versatility: EPMA can be applied to a wide range of materials, including metals, alloys, ceramics, minerals, and biological samples.

These advantages make EPMA a powerful tool for researchers and scientists in various fields, providing detailed and accurate information about the chemical composition of their samples.

Then we decided to ask a harder question: How can trace element accuracy and sensitivity be improved in EPMA?  And Grok responded:

Trace element accuracy and sensitivity in electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) can be improved through various methods and advancements. Here are some strategies based on the information provided:

1    High-brightness electron sources and spectrometers: The use of high-brightness electron sources and spectrometers with high X-ray collection efficiencies can improve the detection limits and analytical capabilities for trace elements.
2    Matrix iterated quantitative blank correction: This technique can help overcome the disadvantages of high detection limits and poor accuracy in trace element analyses by optimizing analytical conditions and making corrections for peak overlap and secondary standard measurements.
3    Advanced software methods: Software tools, such as those provided by Probe Software's Probe for EPMA, can help improve both the accuracy and precision of trace element EPMA analyses through the use of advanced background calibration and correction methods.
4    Ion beam milling and electron counting mode: Using an ion beam to mill the sample and collecting data in electron counting mode with an energy filter can improve the resolution and precision of the analysis.
5    Advanced detectors: The use of advanced detectors, such as the EDX-7200 from Shimadzu, can provide high sensitivity, high speed, and high precision for accurate elemental analysis.
6    Micro-ED data collection in electron counting mode: Collecting Micro-ED data in electron counting mode without a beam stop and using an energy filter can improve the resolution and precision of the analysis.
7    Elemental analysis kits: Utilizing exclusive screening analysis kits for accurate elemental analysis, such as those offered by Shimadzu, can help improve the accuracy and sensitivity of trace element EPMA.
8    Objective and critical examination of sources: For controversial topics or when examining the accuracy and sensitivity of trace element EPMA, it is important to be objective and present views from different perspectives. Examine sources critically and be politically unbiased.
9    Regular updates and advancements in technology: Staying informed about the latest advancements in EPMA technology, such as improved hardware and software, can help improve the accuracy and sensitivity of trace element analyses.
10   Using well-characterized reference samples: The development and use of matrix reference samples with well-characterized trace elements of interest is important for monitoring and improving the accuracy of trace element analyses in EPMA.

By implementing these strategies and utilizing the latest advancements in EPMA technology, researchers can improve the accuracy and sensitivity of trace element analyses in their work.

Interesting that it not only mentioned our "matrix iterated quantitative blank correction", but also it specifically named the Probe for EPMA software!   

If you are interested in learning how to improve your trace element EPMA accuracy and sensitivity, see this webinar on our YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KM5lU403VY&ab_channel=ProbeSoftwareInc

[John Donovan]

We recently went "live" on our new Probe Software web pages:



Please check it out and let us know what you think!

Note that we are in the process of moving our hosting to a new server so currently there's a re-direct on our old server, so you may notice that the home page loads a bit slow the first time you go there, but things should be pretty fast after that first web page load.

Besides having a lot more content a lot more organized and links to our user forum and YouTube channel, we have also application download buttons and links to specific forum topics for more information.

Also check out the "Lightbox" feature where for images that show a "hand" cursor, you can click and the image will expand for better visibility... and if you click outside the image area, it will return you to the web page again.

And of course if you see anything that doesn't look right (typos, broken links, etc.) please let us know by email.

Thank-you!

[John Donovan]

As previously mentioned we've moved our hosting to a different a server and for the time being we are maintaining our old server, but it will go away at some point.

So we highly recommend that everyone update their Probe Software applications as soon as possible because the versions you may have, has links to our old server... which is going to disappear at some point.

Specifically one should update their CalcZAF or Probe for EPMA applications using the Help | Update... menus. If you have only CalcZAF just use the Help | Update CalcZAF menu in the CalcZAF application.  If you have Probe for EPMA, use the Help | Update Probe for EPMA menu to update (it will also update CalcZAF).

Once you have updated, you may notice that the new Probe for EPMA HTTP server is quite a bit faster than the old server.

If you don't update your Probe Software applications soon enough, you may (at some point) not be able to connect to the old server and will have to update manually through our web site:

https://www.probesoftware.com/resources/

[John Donovan]

A few days ago we sent this mailing out, describing our fully quantitative time dependent intensity (TDI) correction for beam sensitive samples:

Do you analyze any beam sensitive materials with EPMA?

Then you need our products!

Probe for EPMA (for quantitative points) and ProbeImage/CalcImage (for quantitative x-ray maps) allow one to accurately determine chemical composition *before* ion migration and/or volatilization effects. We call these Time Dependent Intensity (TDI) corrections, because regardless of the exact mechanism, one can characterize these effects and correct for them quantitatively with the Probe Software application suite.

Attached below (you need to log in to see attachments) is the full PowerPoint of the smaller version we sent out as an animated GIF.

[John Donovan]

A couple of days ago we sent our an email noting that Probe Software turned 20 years old:



On May 5, 2025 Probe Software turned 20 years old!

Here's a bit of our story...
   
Of course, for us, it started when John Donovan first became intrigued with EPMA using the ARL SEMQ electron microprobe at UC Berkeley in the 1980s where he was employed as a laboratory technician.

But after a graduate student imploded the vacuum chamber on the instrument, due to a vacuum logic "glitch", John took the instrument completely apart and rebuilt it. He has been hooked ever since. Finding the existing software for acquisition and reprocessing of EPMA data to be lacking, he started working on improving the software himself.

His first software was written in DOS (ported from the existing DEC PDP-11), but then, as it became apparent that Microsoft Windows was going to be the new "go to" platform in the 1990s, John painstakingly rewrote all the command line FORTRAN code at home, at night, after work, while his family slept. Sleep was something he only dreamed about in those days!

In the early years, Probe for Windows and later, Micro Image (as they were known then), were resold by a third-party company. But in 2005, it was requested by a potential customer that John and Barbara start their own company, as this customer preferred to work directly with them, to purchase our software for his new EPMA instrument.

As it turned out, another colleague had been thinking about starting his own company to resell our software and had even gone so far as to register a company name. When he heard of our plans to start our own company, he kindly gave us the company name, Probe Software.

It was then that Probe for Windows became Probe for EPMA, and Micro Image became Probe Image, and Probe Software was officially born.

John and our talented team of developers have been working ever since to improve the Probe for EPMA and Probe Image software, and we continue to make improvements to the products at least once or even twice (or more) a week!

We are grateful! Grateful to our early patron for encouraging us to start the business, grateful for the gift of the company name, we are grateful to all of our expert consultants who work to help us make this the best company it can be, and we are grateful to all of our most excellent beta testers and faithful customers who have supported us and encouraged us and helped us make this the best damn EPMA software available today! Thank you!

We look forward to continuing to improve the state of the art in EPMA acquisition and analysis applications and providing our EPMA software products and support services to you all for many years to come!

All Our Best,
John and Barbara Donovan

[John Donovan]

We just wanted to remind our customers that if you have Probe for EPMA (or even just our free CalcZAF/Standard) software, you can update your software for free any time.

If you are using a relatively recent version of Probe for EPMA (or CalcZAF) you can update either one from the Help menu.  If that doesn't work, just go to our web site resources page and download then latest updates by clicking on one of the Download buttons:

https://www.probesoftware.com/resources/

Please note that to update Probe for EPMA or Probe Image for your JEOL instrument, you should first check your JEOL driver version, as we continue to make improvements in the software. To check your JEOL driver version, go to the C:\Windows\SysWOW64 folder and check the amb_jeol8x00.dll file version by right clicking the file, and then select the Properties menu and then click the Details tab as seen here:



If your JEOL driver version is 2.1.1 then you are OK to update your Probe Software applications.  If you have an older version of the JEOL driver please contact us at Probe Software, and we can send you an updated driver.

If you have a Cameca instrument you'll want to, again, go to the C:\Windows\SysWOW64 folder and check the psi_sx100.dll file version by right clicking the file, and then select the Properties menu and then click the Details tab as seen here:



If your Cameca driver is version 2.0.3 then you are OK to update Probe for EPMA and Probe Image applications.

You can check the latest features in Probe for EPMA on our EPMA user forum here:

https://smf.probesoftware.com/index.php?topic=40.0

And don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions at all.

[John Donovan]

We recently added some customer testimonials to the Probe for EPMA product page. One can get to it easily from our home page as seen here:



https://www.probesoftware.com/

Once there you can also click the link at the bottom of the testimonials to see more customer testimonials on our EPMA user forum: