Author Topic: Another interesting thing  (Read 4827 times)

Malcolm Roberts

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Another interesting thing
« on: April 14, 2014, 09:56:06 PM »
It's been so quiet recently that I cannot resist this.
1) create a new PfEPMA file
2) Analyse and add new sample
3) load file set and choose a previous analytical file.
4) add/remove standards and go ok.
5) note that the sample now specified is not your unknown but the last standard in your list.
6) add new sample - now, this one is called "wavescan sample" even though it is marked as an unknown.

Now if you use this set up in probe for image and select this unknown as the sample for quantification, it will not allow you to use it, because even though you specified unknown sample, it is logged in the .mdb as wavescan. If, however, you turn round and rename it, all is good.
Why is an unknown being recorded as wavescan? Why does add new sample default to a standard after adding/deleting standards?

Anyone else noticed this?
Cheers,
malc.
« Last Edit: April 14, 2014, 10:22:34 PM by John Donovan »

John Donovan

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Re: Another interesting thing
« Reply #1 on: April 14, 2014, 10:21:51 PM »
It's been so quiet recently that I cannot resist this.
1) create a new PfEPMA file
2) Analyse and add new sample
3) load file set and choose a previous analytical file.
4) add/remove standards and go ok.
5) note that the sample now specified is not your unknown but the last standard in your list.
6) add new sample - now, this one is called "wavescan sample" even though it is marked as an unknown.

Now if you use this set up in probe for image and select this unknown as the sample for quantification, it will not allow you to use it, because even though you specified unknown sample, it is logged in the .mdb as wavescan. If, however, you turn round and rename it, all is good.
Why is an unknown being recorded as wavescan? Why does add new sample default to a standard after adding/deleting standards?

Yes, I'd noticed that too. I think it is easy to fix the wavescan sample issue, so I will migrate that to the top of my "to-do" list, but to answer your second question: the reason the app switches to a standard sample after you add a standard, is because the app is assuming that if you added a standard you might want to run it manually next. Just tryin' to be helpful!   :)
John J. Donovan, Pres. 
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Malcolm Roberts

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Re: Another interesting thing
« Reply #2 on: April 14, 2014, 11:48:37 PM »
Thanks John....... I have busted into the .mdb file to fix this up before PI, but that's not "really" the "right" way to do it eh?

UofO EPMA Lab

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Re: Another interesting thing
« Reply #3 on: April 15, 2014, 10:44:36 AM »
Thanks John....... I have busted into the .mdb file to fix this up before PI, but that's not "really" the "right" way to do it eh?
By "I have busted into the .mdb file to fix this up" I assume you mean you manually edited the MDB file in Access?

Yeah, probably not a good idea in general... :o
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UofO EPMA Lab

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Re: Another interesting thing
« Reply #4 on: April 15, 2014, 10:53:41 AM »
1) create a new PfEPMA file
2) Analyse and add new sample

I think you mean open the Acquire! window and then click the New Sample button?

Quote from: Malcolm Roberts
3) load file set and choose a previous analytical file.
4) add/remove standards and go ok.

Just FYI, there is no need to "Add/Remove Standards" if you are loading a File Setup from a previous run.  The software will automatically add all the standards you need to the current run (and optionally the standard intensities from that run as well).

Quote from: Malcolm Roberts
5) note that the sample now specified is not your unknown but the last standard in your list.

As mentioned previously, this is a feature, not a bug.   :P

Quote from: Malcolm Roberts
6) add new sample - now, this one is called "wavescan sample" even though it is marked as an unknown.

Yes, I see this and will fix it ASAP.

Quote from: Malcolm Roberts
Now if you use this set up in probe for image and select this unknown as the sample for quantification, it will not allow you to use it, because even though you specified unknown sample, it is logged in the .mdb as wavescan. If, however, you turn round and rename it, all is good. Why is an unknown being recorded as wavescan?

Again FYI, you can use any standard or unknown in your MDB file as the basis for x-ray map quantification in CalcImage so this should not present a problem. Yes, the app incorrectly *names* the new sample "wavescan sample", but as you say, it is actually an unknown, so just change the name and all is good.
UofO MicroAnalytical Facility

John Donovan

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Re: Another interesting thing
« Reply #5 on: April 15, 2014, 06:08:44 PM »
Now if you use this set up in probe for image and select this unknown as the sample for quantification, it will not allow you to use it, because even though you specified unknown sample, it is logged in the .mdb as wavescan. If, however, you turn round and rename it, all is good.
Why is an unknown being recorded as wavescan?

OK, so by saying Probe Image will not allow you to "use it", you mean the Read ELM buttons don't give you want you would expect?

If, so, this really doesn't have anything to do with the sample name, or even sample type. It has to do with what were the last elements that were "set" in PFE.

The easiest way to set the spectrometer settings (on and off-peak positions, elements, x-rays, etc.) is using this feature:

http://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=42.msg581#msg581
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Malcolm Roberts

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Re: Another interesting thing
« Reply #6 on: April 15, 2014, 07:04:10 PM »
Hi John...
Wrong stage of the operation.....My fault.... I should have said "CalcImage" and not PI......
Cheers,
malc.
« Last Edit: April 15, 2014, 07:28:59 PM by John Donovan »

John Donovan

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Re: Another interesting thing
« Reply #7 on: April 15, 2014, 10:42:53 PM »
OK, the default sample name (when there are no samples) issue is fixed, so an update should prevent the problem you are seeing in CalcImage.
John J. Donovan, Pres. 
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"Not Absolutely Certain, Yet Reliable"