I thought it might be a good idea to explain the Automate! window in a bit more detail.
"Use Last Unknown Sample" is the default mode for the Automate! window. In this mode the software automatically creates unknown and standard samples based on the last unknown sample. So if your last unknown sample is Si, Se, Fe and Cu then all samples will be acquired using these elements at the conditions of the last unknown sample as seen here:
![](https://probesoftware.com/smf/oldpics/i57.tinypic.com/t4wvly.jpg)
If using the "Use Quick Standards" option the software will automatically skip the acquisition of elements that are not utilized for quantification, unless no elements are utilized for quantification in which case all elements will be acquired as seen here:
![](https://probesoftware.com/smf/oldpics/i57.tinypic.com/ju936q.jpg)
Additional "quick standard" options are found in the Acquisition Options dialog from the Acquire! window as described here:
http://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=8.msg1095#msg1095Also note that the Replicate feature is available in this mode. This option will automatically re-acquire N replicate points on every point digitized for replicate statistics (non beam sensitive samples only!).
The next Automation Basis is "Use Digitized Conditions" which allows the user to over ride the last unknown conditions with analytical conditions specified by the user as seen here:
![](https://probesoftware.com/smf/oldpics/i61.tinypic.com/1ruf4g.jpg)
This is very useful where the same element setup need to be acquired but using different beam conditions for different positions.
The next Automation Basis is the Use Digitized Samples Setups: where the user can save previously specified sample setups (using the Add To Setup" button in the Analyze! window) where each sample is slightly or completely different. These samples setups are assigned as seen here:
![](https://probesoftware.com/smf/oldpics/i58.tinypic.com/59vh95.jpg)
Note that this mode can be used for automated thin film characterization (or the Use Digitized Multiple Setups option described below).
The "Use Digitized File Setups" will base the automated sample acquisition on selected samples from one or more previous probe runs. This allows the user to have different global settings (e.g., TDI assignments) on different elements for different samples as seen here:
![](https://probesoftware.com/smf/oldpics/i62.tinypic.com/hx5445.jpg)
The last Automation Basis is the "Use Digitized Multiple Setups" option as seen here:
![](https://probesoftware.com/smf/oldpics/i60.tinypic.com/2ujgmc3.jpg)
This option can also be utilized for thin film samples by specifying three sample setups, each with a different keV. For thin film samples I create three different sample setups (sample setups are simply samples with no data) all with the same elements but with different beam energies. For example, when analyzing typical thin films 50 to 100 nm thick I usually run at 10, 15 and 20 keV.
Thinner films might require 5, 10 and 15 beam energies and thick films 15, 20 and 25 beam energies depending on the physics details.