"Imaging" with JEOL-82x0 and JEOL-EDS

[Julien]

Dear JEOL and PfE users,

This post concerns the ability to obtain a fast image through the JEOL-EDS system on JEOL-82x0 microprobe. Some of you may know, there was so far no way to get a fast image. Either we had to get an image with a dwell time of minimum 100 ms, or we had to go through the JEOL-EDS interface to get the "fast" imaging capability... Yet this later feature had a problem: a big long waiting time until we receive the image in Probe for EPMA using the "Imaging" option... What we knew so far was that (a) the system was taking first a snapshot BSE or SE image, and (b) was starting a super-slow scanning, and (c) ultimately returning the snapshot image after a few minutes of waiting time (up to 3+ minutes for a 1024 x 928 image size). So far, no idea why...

I finally discovered WHY... The thing is that the command sent by Probe for EPMA is not just a request for a BSE or SE image, it is also activating an EDS map!!! And that is THAT EDS map that takes forever (minimum 1-2 min).

So, here is a solution to work around this problem (manually...):

1) In JEOL PC_SEM, activate the Fine scan (Fine1 or Fine2).
2) In JEOL PC_SEM, enter the "Analysis" mode (button on the right side of the PC_SEM window).
3) In PfE, click on "Imaging", set the imaging conditions, and start the image acquisition.
4) In JEOL PC_SEM, wait until the image is frozen. In the EDS interface, you will see the EDS map starting. At this point, press the "STOP" button and ask to stop "Immediately".
5) The image will be transferred shortly after stopping the map acquisition.

Best,

Julien

[JonF]

Ah, that's a great find! Thanks for sharing.

I had to increase my scan delay to make sure that I could grab an entire image, but I guess that depends on what scan speed you have set for Fine 1 and Fine 2. But a 2048 x 1536 image at speed "7" on my 8530F  within 5 seconds is a vast, vast improvement!

[John Donovan]

Dear JEOL and PfE users,

This post concerns the ability to obtain a fast image through the JEOL-EDS system on JEOL-82x0 microprobe. Soe of you may know, there was so far no way to get a fast image. Either we had to get an image with a dwell time of minimum 100 ms, or we had to go through the JEOL-EDS interface to get the "fast" imaging capability... Yet this later feature had a problem: a big long waiting time until we receive the image in Probe for EPMA using the "Imaging" option... What we knew so far was that (a) the system was taking first a snapshot BSE or SE image, and (b) was starting a super-slow scanning, and (c) ultimately returning the snapshot image after a few minutes of waiting time (up to 3+ minutes for a 1024 x 928 image size). So far, no idea why...

I finally discovered WHY... The thing is that the command sent by Probe for EPMA is not just a request for a BSE or SE image, it is also activating an EDS map!!! And that is THAT EDS map that takes forever (minimum 1-2 min).

So, here is a solution to work around this problem (manually...):

1) In JEOL PC_SEM, activate the Fine scan (Fine1 or Fine2).
2) In JEOL PC_SEM, enter the "Analysis" mode (button on the right side of the PC_SEM window).
3) In PfE, click on "Imaging", set the imaging conditions, and start the image acquisition.
4) In JEOL PC_SEM, wait until the image is frozen. In the EDS interface, you will see the EDS map starting. At this point, press the "STOP" button and ask to stop "Immediately".
5) The image will be transferred shortly after stopping the map acquisition.

Best,

Julien

Hi Julien,
That is great detective work!

Unfortunately we have no control over how JEOL implements their EDS interface, so it is very helpful that you worked this out.  Maybe someone should make a video tutoiral about this for our YouTube channel!

By the way, this is related to this post here, where we had to add a delay to ensure that we captured a complete video frame:

https://smf.probesoftware.com/index.php?topic=40.msg10743#msg10743