Automatic Controller and Data Printer for Use with a Philips Three Position Spectrograph

Abstract

This report describes equipment that converts a Philips Three Position X-Ray Spectrograph to semiautomatic operation for routine sample analysis. Up to ten independent sets of conditions for wavelength (2θ), pulse height analysis baseline, and total count can be selected in advance. The equipment will then automatically determine the “counting time” for a sample for each set of conditions selected At the end of each count the equipment prints out the sample number, code numbers for the goniometer position, baseline setting, the fixed count used, and the time, in tenths of a sec, required to reach the fixed count. Semiautomatic operation permits operation by personnel with minimum training, reduces invalid results due to operator mistakes, and increases sample output per day The results are identical with those obtained by manual operation