Specifications

Hardware features:

MCA resolution:	256, 512, 1K/8K.Spectrum memory: 128K bytes single port SRAM.
Spectrum memory :	128K bytes single port SRAM.
Max counts / channel:	31 bit (2 Giga counts).
Pulse processing time :	7 µs including ADC conversion time of 5 µs.
Pile up rejection:	Active high TTL input from spectroscopy amplifier
DNL:	+ 1%
INL :	+ 0.05% F.S. . MCA Input: Single channel, 0 to +10 volts. Power requirement: 5V, ~500 mA through USB cable directly (No external power supply required).

Software features:

Important software features include * spectrum display in two windows * marker selection (two) for ROI Detection & bracketing the peaks of interest, multiple ROI selection, delection of ROIs etc.,

• File Handling: Involves storing, loading of complete spectrum.
• Print: Print of Total graph, selective graph, peak report.
• Acquistion: With pause option.
• Erase: Erasing spectrum from memory Spectrum Analysis: Find peak, Shape calibration, Energy calibration, Approx Calib, Efficiency Calibration, Activity Calculation, etc.,
• Spectrum smothing: 3,5,7,9 &11 point smothing functions have been provided.
• ROI Option: Insert, Delect, Hide Etc.,
• Scale: X-axis can be choosen as Channel number (or) Energy axis (in Kev) & Y – axis has range from 256 to 64M in binary steps with auto scaling option. Y-scale can be linear or log.
• LLD, ULD & base line are soft selectable. In built Isotope library for istope selection & matching.

PHA Mode features :

• Exp Time : The time for acquisition in seconds (for PHA and MCS both)
• Timer Mode : Live / clock mode (for PHA only) (Default : Live).
• Conversion Gain : This is used to set conversion gain of the MCA. (for PHA only) (Default : 1K)
• LLD (volts) : This is used to set lower discrimination level of the MCA (Set range : 0.1 to 10 volts)
• ULD (volts) : This is used to ser upper level discrimination level of the MCA (set range : 0.1 to 10 volts)
• Baseline (volts) : This is used to set baseline of the MCA (range : 2 to 2 volts).

MCS Mode features :

• Dwell Time : MCA supports dwell time of 10ms to 999 seconds.
• Pass Length : Displays the no. of channels for one sweep. (1024 channels fixed).
• Max Pass Count : Displays the maximum number of MCS cycles supported by MCS. This number is fixed and should be taken as an information.
• AQC Mode : Add / Overwrite (Default : Add)
• Add : Sums the previous counts and present counts on channel to channel basis.
• Overwrite : Replaces the previous counts with fresh counts on channel to channel basis.
• Sync pulse : Internal / External
• External : Sync pulse is applied through external hardware (only this option is supported for actual use).
• Internal : Not supported (only for debugging).
• Channel Advance : Internal / External (Default : Internal)
• Internal : The channel advance is realized by internal hardware dwell timer (only this option is supported for actual use).
• External : Not supported.
• Acq stop mode : By Acq time only Acquisition stops when the preset acquisition time (exp time) is completed.

Advantages:

The USB-MCA is designed with state of art technologies to meet the stringent requirements of nuclear instrumentation and hence ofers many distinct advantages including the following:

Multi-Channel Analyzer (MCA)

• performance in terms of resolution, DNL, etc.
• Universal connectivity to a wide range of PCs and notebook computers.
• Unlike ISA/PCI cards, it stands outside a PC.
• Simple to install, operate and handle.
• Low power operration, operates with USB bus power only.

Applications:

The USB-MCA is useful for high resolution pulse height anylysis (up to 8K channels) and high count rate systems (with a typicl dead time of 7 msec maximum). The hardware with associated software installed in a pc makes state of art Multi-Channel Analyzer system

It is useful for high resolution X-ray and gamma ray spectrometry work in following areas: Isotope research Nuclear reactors Accelerators Universities Other R&D