Author Topic: Import Cameca ASCII x-ray maps  (Read 1685 times)

John Donovan

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Import Cameca ASCII x-ray maps
« on: January 09, 2019, 11:02:50 AM »
As many if you know, if you want to acquire x-ray maps using PeakSight instead of Probe Image, for subsequent quantification in CalcImage you will need to export the x-ray maps from PeakSight as ASCII .TXT files.

This is done by using the ConvertToProbImag.exe application from Probe Image | File menu (JEOL x-ray maps can be converted to PrbImg files by the ConvertToPrbImg app without an additional export to ASCII step).

However, John Fournelle and Aurelien Moy discovered that if one does not declare element and x-ray symbols for the acquisition, as seen here on these lines shown here:

Analysis Parameters : 
Sp   Elements   Xtal   Position   Bias   Gain   Dtime   Blin   Wind   Mode   
Sp1   38483(0)   LTAP   38483   1300   2600   3   560       Inte
Sp2   27663(0)   TAP   27663   1300   2400   3   560       Inte
Sp3   38388(0)   LPET   38388   1800   170   3   560       Inte
Sp4   50562(0)   PC0   50562   1530   400   3   430   4500   Diff
Sp5   48015(0)   LLIF   48015   1950   178   3   560       Inte

The ConvertToPrbImg.exe app will fail with errors. There is also a problem with the tab delimiting for some reason. They also ran in Integral mode which means they have the PHA window values missing.  The correct format should include the element symbol and x-ray symbol as shown here:

Analysis Parameters :     
 Sp   Elements   Xtal   Position   Bias   Gain   Dtime   Blin   Wind   Mode   
 Sp1   Zr La      PET   69723      1400   1120   3   539   4000   Diff   
 Sp2   Pu Ma      QTZ   55079      1900   1200   3   552   4000   Diff   
 Sp3   Am Ma      QTZ   53747      1900   1000   3   540   4000   Diff   
 Sp4   Si Ka      TAP   27139      1400   1350   3   580   4000   Diff   

These are from a Cameca ASCII export done by Philipp Poeml.

The real problem is that Cameca refuses to release the file format of their binary ImpDat x-ray map format, and instead insist that we use the ASCII export format, but this format is problematic for many reasons...
« Last Edit: January 09, 2019, 11:09:14 AM by John Donovan »
John J. Donovan, Pres. 
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John Donovan

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Re: Import Cameca ASCII x-ray maps
« Reply #1 on: February 05, 2023, 11:52:15 AM »
As many if you know, if you want to acquire x-ray maps using PeakSight instead of Probe Image, for subsequent quantification in CalcImage you will need to export the x-ray maps from PeakSight as ASCII .TXT files.

This is done by using the ConvertToProbImag.exe application from Probe Image | File menu (JEOL x-ray maps can be converted to PrbImg files by the ConvertToPrbImg app without an additional export to ASCII step).

They also ran in Integral mode which means they have the PHA window values missing.

Analysis Parameters :     
 Sp   Elements   Xtal   Position   Bias   Gain   Dtime   Blin   Wind   Mode   
 Sp1   Zr La      PET   69723      1400   1120   3   539   4000   Diff   
 Sp2   Pu Ma      QTZ   55079      1900   1200   3   552   4000   Diff   
 Sp3   Am Ma      QTZ   53747      1900   1000   3   540   4000   Diff   
 Sp4   Si Ka      TAP   27139      1400   1350   3   580   4000   Diff   

These are from a Cameca ASCII export done by Philipp Poeml.

To clarify this post, the ConvertToPrbImg.exe in the latest Probe Image (v. 1.3.15) handles the conversion of Cameca txt files into PrbImg files whether the X-ray map acquisition was in "Inte" or "Diff" PHA modes. The only difference is that in "Inte" mode, the value for the Window level will be blank.
John J. Donovan, Pres. 
(541) 343-3400

"Not Absolutely Certain, Yet Reliable"