Wish List for PFE Features

[Rom]

Hi colleagues,
Is it possible to work with digitized images of object (choose points for measure for instance) simultaneously with worked spectrometers: during peaking, wave scan or measure processes?

Thank you.
Roman

[John Donovan]

Could you explain how I can decrease time of picture (BSE) collecting. Now I use 5%, 1800*1800. As result collecting time is 1.5 min. I want to decrease collecting time and, of course, quality of picture.

Are you asking about analog signal imaging in Probe for EPMA? What do you mean by 5%?  You have an 8200 JEOL correct?  The valid range of pixel dwell values is 1 to 1000 A/D averages. A value of 1 would be the fastest the imaging hardware can acquire. That will decrease the image quality for sure.

[John Donovan]

Is it possible to work with digitized images of object (choose points for measure for instance) simultaneously with worked spectrometers: during peaking, wave scan or measure processes?

Do you mean this?

https://smf.probesoftware.com/index.php?topic=70.msg263#msg263

or perhaps this?

https://smf.probesoftware.com/index.php?topic=14.0

[Rom]

Is it possible to work with digitized images of object (choose points for measure for instance) simultaneously with worked spectrometers: during peaking, wave scan or measure processes?

Do you mean this?

https://smf.probesoftware.com/index.php?topic=70.msg263#msg263
No, but I don't understand cases for which convenient to deflect the beam, not move the scene - if distance between points of measure very small. What range (in mm) of this possibility?   

or perhaps this?

https://smf.probesoftware.com/index.php?topic=14.0
No

I mean I want to choose my points for subsequent measure on digitized pictures during the wave scan process (spectrometers in work, Automate window is busy).

[John Donovan]

Is it possible to work with digitized images of object (choose points for measure for instance) simultaneously with worked spectrometers: during peaking, wave scan or measure processes?

Do you mean this?

https://smf.probesoftware.com/index.php?topic=70.msg263#msg263
No, but I don't understand cases for which convenient to deflect the beam, not move the scene - if distance between points of measure very small. What range (in mm) of this possibility?   

or perhaps this?

https://smf.probesoftware.com/index.php?topic=14.0
No

I mean I want to choose my points for subsequent measure on digitized pictures during the wave scan process (spectrometers in work, Automate window is busy).

You can't add digitized points to Automate position samples at the same time you are running samples from the Automate! window. But you can if you are acquiring the wavescan sample from the Acquire! window.

You can also run the Stage program to digitize points while Probe for EPMA is running the wavescan. Just use the PictureSnap button from the Digitize! window to load an image in the PictureSnap window, and use the Misc menu and select the Use Right Mouse Click to Digitize Points menu. Assuming the PictureSnap image is already calibrated to your stage of course.

[Rom]

Thank you!

"You can't add digitized points to Automate position samples at the same time you are running samples from the Automate! window. But you can if you are acquiring the wavescan sample from the Acquire! window."

I didn't do it earlier. I should push the button "Start Wavescan" in Acquire! window when stage is in the right position?


"You can also run the Stage program to digitize points while Probe for EPMA is running the wavescan. Just use the PictureSnap button from the Digitize! window to load an image in the PictureSnap window, and use the Misc menu and select the Use Right Mouse Click to Digitize Points menu. Assuming the PictureSnap image is already calibrated to your stage of course."

I guess the Stage program will ask me to choose *.mdb file which PFE program already uses. Isn't it?

[JonF]

How about multi-selecting the secondary standards and sending them to the Evaluate program?
You could then have them plot up as either intensity (cps/nA) or wt% over time (e.g. all elements vs time), or as a selected element calculated wt% vs published wt% (as it currently does for standards).

Turns out, this feature (mostly) already exists! It's under Output > Output Standard and Unknown XY Plots.
It does pretty much what I was after, plotting "DateTime" vs the intensity (BG corrected or not) or the calculated wt%. You can multi-select both the standards/unknowns and the Y axis components.

Only thing I'd ask is whether its possible to have the DateTime formatted as a proper date and time vs the "excel time" value? e.g. 31/10/21 00:00 rather than 44500.

[John Donovan]

Thank you!

"You can't add digitized points to Automate position samples at the same time you are running samples from the Automate! window. But you can if you are acquiring the wavescan sample from the Acquire! window."

I didn't do it earlier. I should push the button "Start Wavescan" in Acquire! window when stage is in the right position?

Yes.

"You can also run the Stage program to digitize points while Probe for EPMA is running the wavescan. Just use the PictureSnap button from the Digitize! window to load an image in the PictureSnap window, and use the Misc menu and select the Use Right Mouse Click to Digitize Points menu. Assuming the PictureSnap image is already calibrated to your stage of course."

I guess the Stage program will ask me to choose *.mdb file which PFE program already uses. Isn't it?

There is no probe database in Stage, just the position database (the same one that Probe for EPMA uses).

[John Donovan]

How about multi-selecting the secondary standards and sending them to the Evaluate program?
You could then have them plot up as either intensity (cps/nA) or wt% over time (e.g. all elements vs time), or as a selected element calculated wt% vs published wt% (as it currently does for standards).

Turns out, this feature (mostly) already exists! It's under Output > Output Standard and Unknown XY Plots.
It does pretty much what I was after, plotting "DateTime" vs the intensity (BG corrected or not) or the calculated wt%. You can multi-select both the standards/unknowns and the Y axis components.

Only thing I'd ask is whether its possible to have the DateTime formatted as a proper date and time vs the "excel time" value? e.g. 31/10/21 00:00 rather than 44500.

It's possible, just complicated. Because everyone uses a different date time format convention...

[Rom]

"You can also run the Stage program to digitize points while Probe for EPMA is running the wavescan. Just use the PictureSnap button from the Digitize! window to load an image in the PictureSnap window, and use the Misc menu and select the Use Right Mouse Click to Digitize Points menu. Assuming the PictureSnap image is already calibrated to your stage of course."

I guess the Stage program will ask me to choose *.mdb file which PFE program already uses. Isn't it?

There is no probe database in Stage, just the position database (the same one that Probe for EPMA uses).

This is a good solution, thank you. But it is necessary to start Stage program before start to run PFE measurements. It is important because in other way if PFE measurements already running, there are possible some glitches at the moment of Stage program starts.

[Rom]

Could you explain how I can decrease time of picture (BSE) collecting. Now I use 5%, 1800*1800. As result collecting time is 1.5 min. I want to decrease collecting time and, of course, quality of picture.

"Are you asking about analog signal imaging in Probe for EPMA? What do you mean by 5%?  You have an 8200 JEOL correct?  The valid range of pixel dwell values is 1 to 1000 A/D averages. A value of 1 would be the fastest the imaging hardware can acquire. That will decrease the image quality for sure."

Yes, I asking about analog signal imaging in Probe for EPMA.
5% is 5 in valid range of pixel dwell values - you are right.

Yesterday I checked picture collecting time (image size 1024x1024, mag 300).
If I choose "1", collecting time is 1min 5 sec, as result - black square;
"2" - 1min 12 sec, as result - picture;
"5" - 1min 16 sec;
"7" - 1min 20 sec;
"10" - 1min 28 sec.
At the same time, if I collect the same picture (size close to) in JEOL software, collecting time is approximately 30 sec.

How I can decrease picture collecting time in PFE. Of course, I can take a picture by JEOL and open it in PFE, but it is a strange lame way.

[John Donovan]

This is a JEOL 8200? 

The A/D value of "1" should work. Ask your service engineer.

This is using the JEOL mapping call which has some overhead. The JEOL video imaging system is faster but we do not have access to it on the 8200. We can access the JEOL video system on the newer (8230/8530/iSP100/iHP200F) JEOL instruments.  We can also access the Bruker and Thermo video scan systems if you have a modern EDS system.

[Rom]

Yes, we use JEOL 8200 and we haven't a modern EDS System.
Thank you for explanation. I will glad if you find a tricky solution for this small task.
With regards.

[Probeman]

One "trick" would be to acquire 512 x 512 images. They will only take 1/4 the time or ~20 sec!   

[Anette von der Handt]

Could we add "Acquisition options" to the Basic EPMA menu (under "Adjust counting times")? I hate to ask for this because I and others might have already created tutorials with screenshots but I am missing "Acquisition options" almost every time and Basic EPMA is otherwise so incredibly useful.

Thanks!