Probe Software YouTube Channel

[John Donovan]

We are pleased to announce an additional resource for users of our Probe Software EPMA applications: the new Probe Software YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@ProbeSoftware

This channel is for hosting short (~10 min) tutorial videos produced by some of our installation and training consultants, currently by Mike Matthews and Scott Boroughs:

https://probesoftware.com/Support.html

These videos are intended to supplement our on-site and/or remote training, but can also be used for training new users of your instrument. The videos include tutorials on our EPMA software configuration, acquisition, automation and quantitative analysis.  An extra benefit to hosting these videos on YouTube is that we get automatic closed captioning and this can be auto-translated "on the fly" as seen here:



To turn this on, click the Settings icon below the video, click SubTitles, then turn on captioning, then click the Auto-translate option and select your local language.

We've only got 11 videos currently up on the channel, but plan on expanding these over time. Feel free to request specific topics or methods that you would like to have video tutorials on. And please feel free to add questions or comments in the YouTube video comments. We've also added a link to the Probe Software YouTube channel from the Probe for EPMA Help menu as shown here:



And (of course), please subscribe to the Probe Software YouTube channel by clicking the Subscribe button so you will be notified when new video tutorials are released and feel free to upvote any videos you find to be useful and/or informative.

[John Donovan]

Some of you may have noticed that many of these tutorial videos are performed in Probe for EPMA "demo" or "simulation" mode. In fact the latest video we uploaded to YouTube yesterday, I thought was a very good demonstration of how to automate standard acquisition and check secondary standards for accuracy- all without an actual instrument!

You know, when I first implemented this "demo" or "simulation" mode in Probe for EPMA I did it just for software testing purposes when developing it at home. Because, for some reason that escapes me now, I don't have an EPMA instrument in the basement!    🙂

But over time, partly because my lab manager Julie Chouinard kept asking for more realistic simulations, since she uses the software in simulation mode to teach EPMA in her microanalysis class at the university, I kept improving this simulation mode. Basically she has every student install the software on their laptops for learning theory and practice of EPMA in her class (remember, every site that purchases Probe for EPMA for their EPMA instrument, can install the software on all student/user computers):

https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?board=28.0

Nowadays one can get quite realistic looking data for WDS and EDS spectra (based on Penepma calculations) and even wavescans look pretty darn real, especially if one uses the "polygonization" option:

https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=40.msg10357#msg10357

https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=837.msg10100#msg10100

Who needs an actual instrument!    😂

[John Donovan]

Links in our YouTube video descriptions are now *live*:



These links provide additional information from published papers to topics in our EPMA User Forum.

And if you can think of additional links that should be included in any of our video descriptions, please reply here. 

Also please feel free to suggest additional topics for video tutorials for our Probe Software YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@ProbeSoftware

And please subscribe to the channel and upvote any videos you found helpful...

[John Donovan]

We just added three new video tutorials on our YouTube channel by Scott Boroughs and Mike Matthews:

https://www.youtube.com/@ProbeSoftware

The topic include quantification of X-Ray maps and thin film analysis.  Please check them out and subscribe to the channel and upvote any videos you found useful for yourself or your students and/or co-workers.

[John Donovan]

We just uploaded a new video from Mike Matthews on using multiple sample setups and/or combined condition samples:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMvIl9R73BA&ab_channel=ProbeSoftwareInc

What video tutorial topics would you like to see?

[John Donovan]

We are at 12 subscribers in our YouTube channel with a good number of views already:

https://www.youtube.com/@ProbeSoftware

Here is an incomplete list of some more ideas for video tutorials:

•     Commonly used functions available in Acquisitions Options
•     Using PFE for instrument specification testing (e.g. beam stability, stage reproducibility, etc like in my post on the forums)
•     Exporting data to Excel (short)
•     Using specified concentrations
•     Evaluating wavescans (check KLM lines and absorption edges, Model Backgrounds)
•     Imaging and export (short)
•     Calculation options in Analyze! (short)
•     Calibrating dead times and the picoammeter using the constant k-ratio method
•     Checking k-ratio agreement between spectrometers using simultaneous k-ratios
•     Applying different background models to off-peak elements using fitting methods in the Plot! window
•     Using TDI correction methods for points (and a separate video for quant maps)
•     Using empirical APF factors for light elements
•     Using the blank correction method in PFE
•     Interpreting detection limits and analytical sensitivity calculations
•     Plotting standard and unknown concentrations (Output menu)
•     Creating presentation quality output for quant maps using CalcImage and Surfer
•     Using PictureSnapApp for sample navigation including sample location to other instruments (SEMs, ICP-MS, SIMs, etc.)
•     Using the image annotation and Image Locator features in PictureSnapApp
•     Using the PENEPMA and PENFLUOR calculations in the Standard application
•     Calibrating beam and stage scans
•     Setting up PFE on an off-line computer for data reprocessing or on a laptop or other computers in simulation mode for teaching
•     Using the File | Export Configuration menu (and transferring the standard.mdb file from the on-line computer)

Is there a topic that you would like to see a video tutorial on next? 

Please subscribe to our Probe Software YouTube channel if you haven't already, and please also feel free to suggest additional topics for more tutorial videos.

[John Donovan]

We just uploaded a new video tutorial from Mike Matthews:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZc1Ey3V0ms&ab_channel=ProbeSoftwareInc