Background polling stage and spectrometer position

[Ben Buse]

Hi John,

This is a speculative question. Is there anyway of stopping the background "RealTimeGetStageMotorPositions" and "RealTimeGetPosition- motor" when PFE is not doing anything. I find if I'm running wavescans or maps through the JEOL software, this background polling of PFE crashes the spectrometers and need electronic reset.

What I have to do is remember to close PFE before running Maps and wavescans in JEOL software,

thanks

Ben

[John Donovan]

Hi Ben,
How weird.  That's the first I've heard of this issue! 

The easiest thing would be to simply click the Pause button in the PFE main window. That will suspend the software from polling the instrument.

It's weird because the JEOL software running in the background doesn't cause any problems when PI or PFE are mapping or running wavescans...  I'd have heard about that for sure! 

I have to wonder if the programmers in Japan are doing something different with a new version.  Is this something that started after you updated the JEOL software at some point in time?   It's hard to understand why just asking for stage or spectrometer positions would cause an issue.

[Ben Buse]

Hi John,

That's great, I wish I'd asked you months ago

Ben

[Ben Buse]

Hi John,

I forget to pause, when running JEOL software maps/wavescans, would it be possible to have an option to disable background polling or would this be very difficult.

The issue seems to be related to the intelligent box - both PFE and Jeol software communicate directly via network. And background polling whilst JEOL software is mapping/wavescan - results in PFE losing connection to intelligent box. This requires a reset of the intelligent box (which controls both stage and spectrometers) which then requires a stage initialization which can be problematic!


Thanks

Ben

[John Donovan]

Hi Ben,
If PFE doesn't poll the instrument, it won't know what is going on.  That would be the case for any software. 

I'm not being snarky here but the best solution would be for you to simply not forget to click the Pause button.  Or just close PFE when you are running long scans in the JEOL software.  In any case, I'm a little curious why are you using the JEOL software to do wavescans? 

I'm also curious if anyone else is seeing this issue when PFE is idling and the JEOL software is running long scans on the 8230/8530.  I haven't heard of this issue from anyone else.  Anyone?

[Ben Buse]

Hi John,

I guess my point would be it doesn't need to know what's going on if its not doing anything...  I've tried to remind myself - but when switching between the two I quickly forget

I use the JEOL software - for drift corrected mapping (and then quant map in PFE), and for wavescans with thousands of points and very short dwell time - e.g. full spectrometer range. Whereas I'd use PFE if I was using the wavescan to select backgrounds

Yes I'm surprised if no-one else has the problem

(The real annoyance is the JEOL stage-initialisation is busted, so I'm out of action)

Ben

[John Donovan]

Hi Ben,
Then don't forget to Pause PFE when using the JEOL software or get your instrument fixed!   

By the way, PFE can do ROM wavescans scans with thousands of points just like the JEOL software.  Just click the Use ROM Scanning option in the Peak/Scan Options dialog.

PFE also does drift corrected x-ray maps. Simply acquire standards in PFE before and after running Probe Image. It's better than the JEOL mapping drift correction because it not only does a beam drift correction, but also does a separate standard intensity drift correction for *each* element.  Just check the boxes and it's all automatic:

http://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=744.msg5573#msg5573

 

[Ben Buse]

Good point! 

By drift correction - I meant image drift correction (i.e. correction for drift in image during acqusition)

Ben