ortec model 920e hardware manual 777700e - july 2010 · in addition, the following symbols may...

ORTEC

®

Model 920EEtherNIM™ 16-InputMultichannel Buffer

Hardware Manual

Printed in U.S.A. ORTEC® Part No. 777700 0710Manual Revision E

Advanced Measurement Technology, Inc.a/k/a/ ORTEC®, a subsidiary of AMETEK®, Inc.

WARRANTYORTEC* warrants that the items will be delivered free from defects in material or workmanship. ORTEC makes no otherwarranties, express or implied, and specifically NO WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR APARTICULAR PURPOSE.

ORTEC’s exclusive liability is limited to repairing or replacing at ORTEC’s option, items found by ORTEC to be defectivein workmanship or materials within one year from the date of delivery. ORTEC’s liability on any claim of any kind, includingnegligence, loss, or damages arising out of, connected with, or from the performance or breach thereof, or from themanufacture, sale, delivery, resale, repair, or use of any item or services covered by this agreement or purchase order, shall inno case exceed the price allocable to the item or service furnished or any part thereof that gives rise to the claim. In the eventORTEC fails to manufacture or deliver items called for in this agreement or purchase order, ORTEC’s exclusive liability andbuyer’s exclusive remedy shall be release of the buyer from the obligation to pay the purchase price. In no event shall ORTECbe liable for special or consequential damages.

Quality ControlBefore being approved for shipment, each ORTEC instrument must pass a stringent set of quality control tests designed toexpose any flaws in materials or workmanship. Permanent records of these tests are maintained for use in warranty repair andas a source of statistical information for design improvements.

Repair ServiceIf it becomes necessary to return this instrument for repair, it is essential that Customer Services be contacted in advance ofits return so that a Return Authorization Number can be assigned to the unit. Also, ORTEC must be informed, either in writing,by telephone [(865) 482-4411] or by facsimile transmission [(865) 483-2133], of the nature of the fault of the instrument beingreturned and of the model, serial, and revision ("Rev" on rear panel) numbers. Failure to do so may cause unnecessary delaysin getting the unit repaired. The ORTEC standard procedure requires that instruments returned for repair pass the same qualitycontrol tests that are used for new-production instruments. Instruments that are returned should be packed so that they willwithstand normal transit handling and must be shipped PREPAID via Air Parcel Post or United Parcel Service to the designatedORTEC repair center. The address label and the package should include the Return Authorization Number assigned.Instruments being returned that are damaged in transit due to inadequate packing will be repaired at the sender's expense, andit will be the sender's responsibility to make claim with the shipper. Instruments not in warranty should follow the sameprocedure and ORTEC will provide a quotation.

Damage in TransitShipments should be examined immediately upon receipt for evidence of external or concealed damage. The carrier makingdelivery should be notified immediately of any such damage, since the carrier is normally liable for damage in shipment.Packing materials, waybills, and other such documentation should be preserved in order to establish claims. After suchnotification to the carrier, please notify ORTEC of the circumstances so that assistance can be provided in making damageclaims and in providing replacement equipment, if necessary.

Copyright © 2010, Advanced Measurement Technology, Inc. All rights reserved.

*ORTEC® is a registered trademark of Advanced Measurement Technology, Inc. All other trademarks used herein are theproperty of their respective owners.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

WARRANTY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii

Safety Instructions and Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv

Safety Warnings and Cleaning Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v

1. DESCRIPTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11.1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11.2. About This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

2. INSTALLATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32.1. Ethernet Connection (Not Supported by Vista) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42.2. Configuring the 920E with SET920 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

3. TROUBLESHOOTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73.1. Data or Settings Are Lost When Power Is Turned Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

4. SPECIFICATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94.1. Front-Panel Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94.2. Inputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94.3. Data Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94.4. Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94.5. Interface Connectors (Rear Panel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114.6. ADC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114.7. Multiplexer/Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124.8. Controls (Front-Panel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124.9. Electrical and Mechanical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124.10. Battery Backup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134.11. Feature Mask Bits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

APPENDIX A. COMMANDS AND RESPONSES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17A.1. Command Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17A.2. Percent Response Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18A.3. Dollar Response Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21A.4. Command Catalog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

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Safety Instructions and SymbolsThis manual contains up to three levels of safety instructions that must be observed in order toavoid personal injury and/or damage to equipment or other property. These are:

DANGER Indicates a hazard that could result in death or serious bodily harm if the safetyinstruction is not observed.

WARNING Indicates a hazard that could result in bodily harm if the safety instruction is notobserved.

CAUTION Indicates a hazard that could result in property damage if the safety instruction isnot observed.

In addition, the following symbols may appear on the product:

DANGER–High Voltage!

ATTENTION–Refer to Manual

Please read all safety instructions carefully and make sure you understand them fully beforeattempting to use this product.

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DANGER Opening the cover of this instrument is likely to expose dangerous voltages.Disconnect the instrument from all voltage sources before opening it.

WARNING Using this instrument in a manner not specified by the manufacturer may impairthe protection provided by the instrument.

CAUTION To prevent moisture inside of the instrument during external cleaning, use onlyenough liquid to dampen the cloth or applicator.

Safety Warnings and Cleaning Instructions

Cleaning Instructions

To clean the instrument exterior:! Remove loose dust on the outside of the instrument with a lint-free cloth.! Remove remaining dirt with a lint-free cloth dampened in a general-purpose detergent and

water solution. Do not use abrasive cleaners.

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1. DESCRIPTION

1.1. Introduction

The ORTEC Model 920E EtherNIM High-Rate Multichannel Buffer (MCB) is a 16-input, two-wide NIM module designed for data acquisition in nuclear spectroscopy applications. It offersthe following functions:

! Multiplexer/Router High-speed, with 16 inputs.

! Analog-to-Digital Circuit (ADC) 4k-channel, successive-approximation type with fixedconversion time of <15 µs; memory divisible into 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16 segments; memory sizeselectable as 1024, 2048, 4096, or 16384 channels.

! Data Memory The Model 920E employs an 80386 microprocessor with dual DirectMemory Access (DMA) channels in order to maximize system throughput. In data memory,1 bit is reserved for a region-of-interest (ROI) flag, leaving a net nonvolatile data memory of16k channels and 231

!1 (over 2 billion) counts per channel.

The unique “dynamic routing” feature allows any one or any group of inputs to be routed to anymemory segment. This has many applications in areas as diverse as whole-body counting andfuel-pin scanning.

The Model 920E can be controlled with the accompanying MAESTRO®-32 MCA EmulationSoftware or other ORTEC CONNECTIONS-32 compatible software packages. In addition, customcontrol software can be developed with our CONNECTIONS-32 Programmers’ Toolkit (A11-B32).

The Model 920E occupies two slots of a NIM-standard bin and can be connected to the host PCvia the ORTEC Dual-Port Memory Interface or the legacy Ethernet interface. We recommendusing the ORTEC DPM-USB converter interface, which connects the 920E’s Dual-Port Memoryport to the PC’s high-speed USB port. Use an ac-powered USB hub to connect up to eight (8)920Es as you wish (one USB-DPM per 920E) to a single PC.

Note that Microsoft® Windows® Vista™ does not support the 920E Ethernet interface.

1.2. About This Manual

This manual provides the information you will need to install and configure the Model 920Ehardware. For instructions on operating the 920E with ORTEC software applications, refer tothe software user manual.

Model 920E EtherNIM™ 16-Input MCB

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! Chapter 2 tells how to install the software and hardware.! Chapter 3 provides troubleshooting information.! Chapter 4 lists the hardware specifications.! The appendix of firmware commands and responses is intended for users who wish to write

custom software to control the Model 920E.

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2. INSTALLATIONDo not connect the 920E to the PC until MAESTRO-32 has been installed.

1. Install the accompanying version of MAESTRO-32 (and the CONNECTIONS-32 Update Kit,if included) according to its instructions. Depending on the 920E-to-PC interface(s) you willuse, mark the appropriate checkbox on the installation wizard’s Instrument Family page asfollows:

! If using a DPM-USB interface converter to attach the 920E to the PC, mark the DPM-USB checkbox.

! If using only the Ethernet interface (and no ORTEC instruments with other types ofinterfaces are connected to your PC), no selection is required in the installation wizard.

2. Turn off the bin power supply and install the Model 920E in the bin.

3. Cable the spectroscopy system components together.

! DPM-USB interface — Attach the DPM-USB converter’s 37-pin connector to the rearpanel of the 920E.

! Ethernet interface — If connecting via Ethernet, see Section 2.1.

4. Turn on the bin power. The µP Busy LED on the front panel of the Model 920E should lightbrightly for a few seconds and then go out.

5. Connect the powered-on 920E to the system:

! DPM-USB interface — Connect to PC’s USB port or to an ac-powered hub hosted bythe PC. The Windows “found new hardware” wizard will open. Follow the prompts,choosing to (a) not go to the Internet or the Microsoft website to find the driver, and (b)automatically locate the driver. If the wizard cannot locate the driver, direct it toC:\Program Files\Common Files\ORTEC Shared\UMCBI.

! Ethernet interface — Connect to either the PC’s LAN card or to a powered Ethernethub. This connection method does not open a Windows “found new hardware” wizard.

6. Run the MCB Configuration program to build the list of available detectors, according tothe MAESTRO User’s Manual.

DPM-USB users note: The 920E/DPM-USB combination you have just created is treated asa distinct entity by MCB Configuration. If you disconnect this 920E from the system, then


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reconnect via a different DPM-USB converter, you will have to re-run the MCBConfiguration program to reestablish communication between the 920E’s inputs andORTEC CONNECTIONS-32 software applications.

7. Connect the Model 920E inputs that will be used to the outputs of the detector systems thatwill be monitored. A single-input system can use the front-panel INPUT 1 BNC connector.Multiple-input systems require a Model 920-16-OPT1 cable to provide BNC inputs for the16 data channels.

8. You are now ready to start MAESTRO-32 and use its Acquire/MCB Properties... dialogand the 920E’s front-panel controls to set the data acquisition parameters for each input.The count presets, conversion gain, and digital offset are software-controlled. To adjust theMUX DISC potentiometer, remove all sources from the detectors and adjust thepotentiometer above the amplifier noise until the MUX BUSY indicator just goes off.

2.1. Ethernet Connection (Not Supported by Vista)

This option requires a PC running under Windows 2000 Professional SP4 or Windows XPProfessional SP2 or higher, and any Ethernet card that supports 10BASE2.

! Referring to the accompanying ORTEC MCB CONNECTIONS-32 Hardware Property DialogsManual (P/N 931001, supplied either as hardcopy or in the \Manuals folder on theinstallation disk), set the PC’s network protocol to IPX/SPX Compatible.

! Connect the Model 920E to the rear-panel ETHERNET connector using 50 Ω coaxial cable.Be certain that a BNC T-connector and 50 Ω terminator are at each end of the cable.

! Power on the 920E.

! To control multiple 920Es from a single PC via the Ethernet interface, simply chain all920Es together into a single LAN using BNC T-connectors at each 920E. (Don’t forget the50 Ω terminator required at the last 920E in the chain and at the PC.) The MCBConfiguration program handles all the details of identifying each detector, and allows youthe option of modifying each one’s identification string.

2.2. Configuring the 920E with SET920

The number of inputs (1–16) and memory size (number of channels) for each detector input inthe Model 920 can be custom-allocated using the SET920 program, which is supplied on diskwith your hardware. Normally you will only run it when you add a new MCB to the system, andwill not use it again except to change the number of inputs or the total memory size.

2.INSTALLATION

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Fig. 1. The SET920 Configuration Dialog.

1. From the Windows desktop, open My Computer, locate the disk, and run the SET920.exefile.

Figure 1 shows the opening SET920 dialog. Click on the MCB droplist and select the inputto be changed (SET920 displays only the instrument types listed above). The second fieldshows the current memory size and number of inputs.

The New Number of Inputs is the number of detectors to be used by this OCTÊTE.For example, the 920E can have 1, 2, 4, 8 or 16 detectors.

The New Memory Size is the total number of channels available for all of the inputs.The individual number of channels is Memory Size / Number of Inputs. This can be equal to,greater than, or less than the ADC conversion gain for each detector. Once you’re ready toacquire spectra, you will then use MAESTRO-32’s ADC conversion gain and offset controls(under Acquire/ MCB Properties...) to display the portion of the spectrum’s energy rangeyou wish to use; see the MAESTRO-32 User’s Manual.

3. When finished editing all the MCBs, click on OK to exit the program. The changes will bestored in the MCBs at this point, however, you must run the Instrument Configurationprogram again so that CONNECTIONS-32 detects and uses the changes. If you have made anychanges, SET920 will ask if you want to automatically run the MCB Configuration program.Click on Yes, allow the search to proceed, review the resulting list, then click on Close. Seethe MAESTRO-32 User’s Manual for more detailed information on using MCBConfiguration.


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3. TROUBLESHOOTING

3.1. Data or Settings Are Lost When Power Is Turned Off

The memory in the Model 920E has battery backup to maintain data when power is removedfrom the module. It uses a lithium battery with a nominal voltage of 3.6 V (see the specificationsin Section 4.10).

To test the battery voltage, remove the left side panel (as viewed from the front). The voltagecan be measured at the battery cable connector near the top rear of the printed wiring board(PWB). The voltage measured between the outer two pins of the 3-pin connector should be>2 V. If less than 2 V, the battery needs be replaced to maintain battery backup.

To replace the battery, locate the battery behind the top of the front panel. Twist or pry it loosefrom the hook-and-loop strip and unplug the wire connector. Replace with the new battery(placing a strip of paper temporarily between the battery and the hook-and-loop fastener mayhelp in positioning the battery).


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4. SPECIFICATIONS

4.1. Front-Panel Indicators

µP BUSY Red, busy-rate LED; intensity indicates the relative activity of the microprocessor.

MUX BUSY Red, busy-rate LED; intensity indicates the relative activity of themultiplexer/router.

ADC BUSY Red, busy-rate LED flashes once for each pulse digitized by the ADC.

4.2. Inputs

INPUT Front-panel BNC connected to INPUT 1. Accepts positive-unipolar, positive-gated-integrator, or positive-leading-bipolar analog pulses in the dynamic range from 0 to +10 V witha +12 V maximum; semi-Gaussian-shaped or gated-integrator-shaped time constants from 0.50to 30 µs. Zin = 1 kΩ, dc-coupled. No internal delay.

AMPLIFIER INPUTS Accepts positive-unipolar, positive-gated-integrator, or positive-leading-bipolar analog pulses in the dynamic range from 0 to +10 V with a +12 V maximum;semi-Gaussian-shaped or gated-integrator-shaped time constants from 0.50 to 30 µs. Zin = 1 kΩ,dc-coupled. No internal delay. Inputs 1–16 are on rear-panel, 50-pin AMPLIFIER INPUTSconnector; the pin designations are shown in Table 1. Optional cable (920-16-OPT1) converts50-pin D connector to multiple BNCs.

ADC GATE Optional, slow-positive NIM input. Computer-selectable coincidence oranticoincidence. Signal must occur prior to and extend 0.5 µs beyond peak detect. Front-panelBNC connector. Gate control for all active inputs.

4.3. Data Memory

16k channels of nonvolatile data memory; 231!1 (over 2 billion) counts per channel; partitioning

is independently selectable for each segment.

4.4. Presets

Real/Live Time Selectable in multiples of 20 ms.

Region-of-Interest Peak Peak count.


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17 Input 12 50 Input 15

16 Input 12 GND 33 — 49 Input 15 GND

15 Input 10 32 — 48 Input 13


13 — 30 — 46 Input 14


11 Input 9 28 — 44 Input 16


9 Input 11 26 — 42 Input 3


7 Input 6 24 — 40 Input 1




3 Input 5 20 — 36 —



Table 1. Pin Assignments for 50-PinAMPLIFIER INPUTS Connector.

Region-of-Interest Integral Integral count selectable to a maximum value of 232!1 (over 4

billion).

Data Overflow Terminates acquisition when data in any channel exceeds 231!1 (over 2 billion)

counts.

Statistical Allows setting the required statistical accuracy on a key peak (for example, stopcounting when the activity of 60Co is known to be better than 5%).

MDA Stops data collection when the value of the minimum detectable activity (MDA) for auser-specified MDA nuclide reaches the needed value. The MDA preset is implemented in thehardware. The formula for the MDA can be represented as follows:

4. SPECIFICATIONS

1Ron Jenkins, R. W. Gould, and Dale Gedcke, Quantitative X-Ray Spectrometry (New York: Marcel Dekker,Inc.), 1981, pp. 266–267.

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The MDA value is calculated in the MCB given the constants a, b, and c. Counts is the grosscounts in the specified region and Live time is the live time. The constants a, b, and c, and thetotal left-hand factor (expected value) are loaded into the MCB by the user. The calculated value(right hand side) is compared with the expected value and when it is lower, acquisition isstopped.

4.5. Interface Connectors (Rear Panel)

DUAL PORT MEMORY ORTEC dual-port interface, 37-pin D connector.

RS232C Standard, serial, male RS-232-C, 25-pin; wired as DTE to run at 38.4k baudmaximum, with modem control. (For diagnostics.)

ETHERNET Rear-panel BNC connector, accepts IEEE 802.3 10BASE2 (thin-wire coax).

4.6. ADC

Successive-approximation ADC with sliding-scale linearization, 4096-channel resolution;independently software selectable for each segment as 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024, 208, and 4096channels.

Digital Offset Independent for each segment in increments of 1 channel from 0 to 4096.

Dead Time per Event 15 µs (fixed) conversion time.

Integral Nonlinearity #±0.025% over top 97% of dynamic range.

Differential Nonlinearity typically ±1% over top 97% of dynamic range.

Gain Instability <50 ppm/EC.

Dead-Time Correction Extended live-time correction according to the Gedcke-Hale method.1


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4.7. Multiplexer/Router

Inputs Software selectable, 1–16.

Signal Isolation Typically >72 db rejection of unselected inputs.

Input Threshold Set by front-panel screwdriver potentiometer (MUX DISC). Range is from100 to 500 mV and is common to all inputs.

Gain Nominally unity.

DC Level Instability #20 µV/EC.

Integral Linearity 0.05%.

Gain Instability 50 ppm/EC.

4.8. Controls (Front-Panel)

MUX DISC Screwdriver potentiometer from 100 to 500 mV.

ADC ZERO Screwdriver potentiometer adjusts the ADC zero offset ±250 mV.

ADC LLD Screwdriver potentiometer adjusts the lower-level discriminator from 0 to 50% offull scale.

4.9. Electrical and Mechanical

Dimensions NIM-standard two-wide 6.90 × 22.13 cm (2.70 × 8.714 in.) front panel perDOE/ER-0457T.

Weight Net 2.25 kg (5 lb)Shipping 3.1 kg (7 lb)

Power Requirements +24 V, 165 mA; !24 V, 165 mA; +12 V, 160 mA; !12 V, 110 mA;+6 V, 1.2 A. An ORTEC Model 4001A/4002D NIM Bin/Power Supply is recommended for upto six Model 920E units. The ORTEC Model 495 Power Supply is available for NIM bins thatdo not have 6-V power, and can supply power for five Model 920E units.

4. SPECIFICATIONS

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4.10. Battery Backup

The memory in the Model 920E has battery backup to maintain data when power is removedfrom the module.

Battery High-energy lithium, 3.6 V, ORTEC P/N 739460.

4.11. Feature Mask Bits

The following table describes the feature bits from the SHOW_FEATURES command discussedon page 39. If the feature is supported in the Model 920E, the bit will be set to 1; if the feature isnot supported, the bit will be 0.

Bit Meaning

0 Software-selectable conversion gain

1 Software-selectable coarse gain

2 Software-selectable fine gain

3 Gain stabilizer

4 Zero stabilizer

5 PHA mode functions available

6 MCS mode functions available

7 List mode functions available

8 Sample mode functions available

9 Digital Offset (e.g., 920)

10 Software-selectable Fine Offset (e.g., DART)

11 HV power supply

12 Enhanced HV (SET_HV, SET/SHOW_HV_POL, SHOW_HV_ACT)

13 Software-selectable HV range (ENA_NAI, DIS_NAI)

14 Auto PZ (START_PZ_AUTO)

15 Software-selectable manual PZ (SET/SHOW_PZ)

16 Internal clock (SHOW_DATE/TIME, SHOW_DATE/TIME_START)

17 Sample Changer support (SET/SHOW_OUTPUT, SHOW_INPUT)

18 One-button acquisition (ENA/DIS/SHOW_TRIG_SPEC, MOVE)

19 Nomadic (likely to move between opens)

20 Local app data (SET_DATA_APP, SHOW_DATA_APP)


Bit Meaning

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21 Software-retrievable serial number

22 Power management commands

23 Battery status support

24 Software-selectable AMP polarity (SET/SHOW_GAIN_POLAR)

25 Support for flattop optimization (ENA/DIS_OPTI)

26 Stoppable AutoPZ

27 Network support (i.e., 920E)

28 Multi-drop serial support (e.g., RS-485)

29 Software-selectable DPM address

30 Multiple devices (e.g., 919)

31 Software-selectable ADC gate mode (SET_GATE...)

32 Downloadable firmware

33 Time histogram functions available (e.g., 9308)

34 Software-selectable Lower level disc

35 Software-selectable Upper level disc

36 MCS-mode SCA input available

37 MCS-mode positive TTL input available

38 MCS-mode fast-negative NIM input available

39 MCS-mode discriminator input available

40 Software-switchable discriminator edge

41 Software-programmable discriminator level

42 Software-programmable SCA upper and lower thresholds

43 Software-selectable MCS-mode input sources

44 Statistical preset

45 Features vary by input (SHOW_FEATURES depends on device/segment)

46 Software-selectable HV shutdown mode

47 Software-selectable shaping time constants

48 Explorable shaping time constants (SHOW_CONFIG_SHAP)

49 Advanced shaping time (SET_SHAP_RISE, SET_SHAPE_FLAT, etc.)

50 Software-selectable BLR (ENA/DIS/SHO_BLR_AUTO SET/SHO/VERI_BLR)

51 SHOW_STATUS command supported (returns $M record)

52 Overflow preset (ENA/DIS/SHO_OVER_PRES)

4. SPECIFICATIONS

Bit Meaning

15

53 Software-enabled audio clicker (ENA/DIS_CLICK)

54 Software-readable thermistor (SHOW_THERM)

55 Fine Gain is float number (SET/SHO/VERI/LIST_GAIN_FINE)

56 Software-enabled Pile-up Rejector. (ENA/DIS/SHO_PUR, SET_WIDT_REJ)

57 Alpha-style HV power (SHOW_HV_CURRENT)

58 Software-readable vacuum (SHOW_VACUUM)

59 Acquisition alarms (ENA/DIS_ALARM)

60 Hardware acquisition trigger (ENA/DIS_TRIG)

61 Ordinal shaping times (SET_SHAP 0, SET_SHAP 1, ...)

62 Query gain ranges (LIST/VERI_GAIN_FINE, ..._COAR, ..._CONV)

63 Routable inputs (SET/SHOW_INPUT_ROUTE)

64 External dwell support (ENA/DIS_DWELL_EXT)

65 Selectable SUM or REPLACE MCS modes (ENA/DIS_SUM)

66 External Start support (ENA/DIS/SHO_START_EXT)

67 Explorable MCS (LIST_SOURCE, LIST_LLSCA & LIST_ULSCA)

68 Device support the MDA preset (DSPEC and 92X-II)

69 Software-selectable ADC type (Matchmaker)

70 Has ability to daisy-chain MCBs (DART)

127 Extended feature mask available (SH_FEAT_EXT)


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APPENDIX A. COMMANDS AND RESPONSES

Communication with a Model 920E consists of sending command records to the MCB andreceiving response records from the MCB. Model 920E records, both command and response,consist of a sequence of printable ASCII characters followed by an ASCII carriage return. Thesingle exception to this rule is the “#B” response record for the WRITE command, whichcontains binary integer numbers. All commands eventually respond with a percent responserecord (so named because it begins with an ASCII percent sign “%”) which signifies thecompletion of the command. SHOW and STEP commands respond with a dollar response record(begins with an ASCII dollar sign “$”) followed by a percent response record. The WRITEcommand can respond with multiple pound sign records (begins with an ASCII pound sign “#”)but eventually completes by sending a percent response record. All other commands result in asingle percent response record upon completion.

Command records can be sent to a Model 920E MCB via Ethernet, through the shared memorymailbox (see Appendix ?), or through the serial interface. With mailbox communication allcharacters in the mailbox output buffer, MCB$OUTBUF, up to the first carriage return or theend of the message (defined by MCB$OUTLEN) are considered to be part of a command to theMCB. With serial line communication all characters sent to the MCB up to the first carriagereturn are considered to be part of a command to the MCB.

Response records are returned by the MCB through the same interface that received thecommand. Ethernet commands result in Ethernet responses, serial line commands result in serialline responses, and mailbox commands result in mailbox responses.

A.1. Command Records

Model 920E commands consist of a command header, which may be followed by numericparameter values. The header consists of a verb or a verb and noun separated by an underscoreor a verb, noun, and modifier, each separated by underscores. The verbs, nouns, and modifiers inthe command header are mnemonic words such as the verb ENABLE or the noun OVERFLOWthat relate to the function performed by the MCB when it executes the command. The first fourletters of any word will always be enough to uniquely identify the word when composingcommands for an MCB. For example, the command ENABLE_OVERFLOW_PRESET can beabbreviated to ENAB_OVER_PRES.

Numeric parameters are unsigned integer numbers that follow the command header separated byone or more spaces. Specific commands require up to three parameters, separated by commas,which specify numeric quantities related to the operation of the MCB, such as live time orconversion gain. The command SET_WINDOW 0,16384 has two parameters, 0 and 16384,which set the window of interest to start at channel 0 and continue for 16384 channels.


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Some parameters listed in the command dictionary are considered optional and are distinguishedfrom mandatory parameters by being surrounded by brackets in the command prototype line(e.g., SET_WINDOW [start,length]). Commands that have optional parameters may be sent tothe MCB without the optional parameters, in which case the behavior will be changed asexplained in the command description.

An optional checksum may be added to the end of any command sent to an MCB. The checksumis a 1-byte unsigned integer sum of all of the characters in a command, treated as unsignedintegers, up to and including the comma or space(s) that separates the checksum from thecommand. The checksum simply appears as an extra parameter added to the end of the commandparameter list. For commands that do not normally have parameters, the checksum appears as theonly parameter separated from the header by one or more spaces. All optional parameters mustbe included in a command if a checksum is to be provided so that the checksum is not mistakenby the MCB as a parameter. For example, the SET_WINDOW command must include the twooptional parameters, start and length, if the checksum is provided (e.g., SET_WINDOW0,16384,209).

A.2. Percent Response Records

Model 920E MCBs respond to all commands with a percent response record that signifies thecompletion of the command. Percent response records contain two error code numbers and a 1-byte checksum as follows:

%aaabbbccc<CR>

where % represents the ASCII % character, aaa represents the macro error code, bbb representsthe micro error code, ccc represents the checksum and <CR> represents the ASCII carriagereturn character signifying the end of the record. The macro error code represents the generalclass of error with 0 meaning no error, and the micro error code represents the sub-class of errorwith 0 meaning no error. The following table lists all percent responses for a Model 920E:

Unconditional Success:%000000069<CR> No errors detected. Command executed as specified.

START and STOP Warnings:%000005074<CR> Device already started or stopped. The START or

STOP command was ignored.%000006075<CR> Device preset already exceeded. The START

command was ignored.

APPENDIX A. FIRMWARE COMMANDS AND RESPONSES

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Power-Up Alert:Power-up just occurred and the selftest results are:%001000070<CR> All power-up selftest passed.%003000072<CR> Battery backed-up data lost.%005002076<CR> ROM1 failed selftest.%005004078<CR> ROM2 failed selftest.%005006080<CR> ROM1 and ROM2 failed selftest.%005008082<CR> Processor memory failed selftest.%005010075<CR> ROM1 and processor memory failed selftest.%005012077<CR> ROM2 and processor memory failed selftest.%005014079<CR> ROM1, ROM2 and processor memory failed selftest.%007002078<CR> Battery backed-up data lost and ROM1 failed

selftest.%007004080<CR> Battery backed-up data lost and ROM2 failed

selftest.%007006082<CR> Battery backed-up data lost, ROM1 and ROM2

failed selftest.%007008084<CR> Battery backed-up data lost and processor memory

failed selftest.%007010077<CR> Battery backed-up data lost, ROM1 and processor

memory failed selftest.%007012079<CR> Battery backed-up data lost, ROM2 and processor

memory failed selftest.%007014081<CR> Battery backed-up data lost, ROM1, ROM2 and

processor memory failed selftest.

TEST command Results:%004002075<CR> ROM1 failed test.%004004077<CR> ROM2 failed test.%004008081<CR> Processor Memory failed test.%004016080<CR> Spectral Data Memory or Mailbox Memory failed

test.%004032078<CR> RESERVED.%004064083<CR> Serial Line failed test.

Note that the above responses can be combined to indicate a combination of errors such as:%004006079<CR> ROM1 and ROM2 both failed test.%004010074<CR> Processor Memory and ROM1 both failed test.


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Command Syntax Errors:%129001082<CR> Invalid command verb.%129002083<CR> Invalid command noun.%129003084<CR> Invalid command verb and noun.%129004085<CR> Invalid command modifier.%129005086<CR> Invalid command verb and modifier.%129006087<CR> Invalid command noun and modifier.%129007088<CR> Invalid command verb, noun and modifier.%129132087<CR> Invalid command (verb, noun and modifier valid but

not together).

Communication Errors:%130001074<CR> Serial line buffer overrun.%130002075<CR> Serial line parity error.%130003076<CR> Serial line buffer overrun and parity error.%130004077<CR> Serial line framing error.%130005078<CR> Serial line buffer overrun and framing error.%130006079<CR> Serial line parity error and framing error.%130007080<CR> Serial line buffer overrun, parity error and framing

error.%130008081<CR> Serial line break detected.%130128084<CR> Command checksum incorrect (only when optional

checksum provided).%130129085<CR> Command (or WRITE handshake) record too long.%130131078<CR> WRITE command aborted by “HA” handshake.%130132079<CR> WRITE command aborted by timeout.%130133080<CR> WRITE command aborted by invalid handshake.

Execution Errors:%131128085<CR> Invalid first command parameter.%131129086<CR> Invalid second command parameter.%131130078<CR> Invalid third command parameter.%131132080<CR> Invalid number of command parameters.%131134082<CR> Invalid device or segment selected.%131135083<CR> Command not allowed while acquisition in progress.%131136084<CR> Command not allowed in current mode of operation.%131137085<CR> Hardware failure detected while processing

command.


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A.3. Dollar Response Records

SHOW and STEP commands respond with a single dollar response record followed immediatelyby a percent response record. All valid dollar response records for each command are listed inthe command dictionary.

The following table lists the general form of each dollar response record for a Model 920E. Inthis table lower-case letters represent numeric values. The letters “ccc” always represent an 8-bitunsigned checksum of all characters on the record up to but not including the checksumcharacters, and <CR> represents the ASCII carriage return character.

$Axxxccc<CR> xxx is a single 8-bit unsigned number.$Cxxxxxccc<CR> xxxxx is a single 16-bit unsigned number.$Dxxxxxyyyyyccc<CR> xxxxx and yyyyy are 16-bit unsigned numbers.$Exxxxxccc<CR> xxxxx is a single 16-bit alarm mask.$Fssss...<CR> ssss... is a variable length ASCII character sequence

(no checksum is sent with this record).$Gxxxxxxxxxxccc<CR> xxxxxxxxxx is a single 32-bit unsigned number.$IT<CR> True response to a SHOW command (no checksum).$IF<CR> False response to a SHOW command (no checksum).$Jxxxxxyyyyy...ccc<CR> Response to SHOW_CONFIGURATION command.$Mxxxxxxxxxx...ccc<CR> Response to SHOW_STATUS command.$Nxxxyyyzzzccc<CR> xxx, yyy and zzz are 8-bit unsigned numbers.

A.4. Command Catalog

This section lists each Model 920E command with a description of its operation. Thedescriptions include a list of any unusual responses that may result. As described in previoussections, the usual response from a command is a %000000069<CR> response, which representsa macro error code of 0 and a micro error code of 0 (no errors).

All execution error responses, if any, are listed for each command. Though syntax andcommunication error responses may result from any command, in practice, these error responsesrarely occur on systems with reliable communication hardware running debugged software.Refer to Section A.2 for information about error responses.

In the following catalog the commands are listed in alphabetical order, each starting with acommand prototype line. Uppercase letters, numeric digits, blank space and special symbolssuch as the underscore “_” and comma “,” in the prototype line are literal text to be sent to theMCB exactly as it appears. Lowercase letters in the prototype line represent numeric values asdescribed in the accompanying text and should not be sent literally to the MCB but should be


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replaced by an appropriate numeric value. Items in the command prototype that are surroundedby brackets “[...]” are optional items and are not always required.

In this section the term <CR> represents the ASCII carriage return character, decimal value 13,and the character “_” represents the ASCII underscore character, decimal value 95.

CLEARThe channels of spectral data in the window of interest (see SET_WINDOW command) forthe currently selected segment are set to zero. The live time and true time counters for thecurrently selected segment are also set to zero. This command is equivalent to thecombination of CLEAR_COUNTERS and CLEAR_DATA commands.

CLEAR_ALLThis command is equivalent to the combination of CLEAR_COUNTERS, CLEAR_DATA,CLEAR_PRESETS and CLEAR_ROI commands.Execution Errors:%131135083<CR> The command was attempted while spectrum acquisition was

in progress. No action was taken.

CLEAR_COUNTERSThe live-time and true-time counters for the currently selected segment are set to zero.

CLEAR_DATAThe channels of spectral data in the window of interest (see SET_WINDOW command) forthe currently selected segment are set to zero. The ROI flags are not changed, nor are thepresets changed.

CLEAR_PRESETSThe live time, true time, ROI integral, ROI peak and overflow presets are all set to zero(disabled) for the currently selected segment.Execution Errors:%131135083<CR> The command was attempted while spectrum acquisition was


CLEAR_ROIThe region-of-interest flags for the channels in the window of interest (see SET_WINDOWcommand) in the currently selected segment are cleared.Execution Errors:%131135083<CR> The command was attempted while spectrum acquisition was



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CLOSE_FILE “filename”Completes download of file to RAM Disk in the MCB. See OPEN_FILE and WRITE_FILE.This command may also be used to terminate a download to the FLASH withoutreprogramming the FLASH.

CLOSE_FILE_FLASH crcCompletes download of FLASH data. crc is the CRC checksum of the data which wasdownloaded. See OPEN_FILE_FLASH and WRITE_FILE_FLASH.Execution Errors:%131132080<CR> Invalid number of command parameters.

COMPUTERPrepares the serial line for communication with a computer. In computer mode, text sent tothe 920E does not echo back to the host, and response records sent to the host by the 920Eare terminated only with a carriage return (no accompanying line feed). This command hasno effect when sent via the mailbox. See also TERMINAL.

DELETE_FILE “filename.ext”Removes the specified file from the RAM Disk. This is not normally used.Execution Errors:%131128085<CR> Filename required.%131137085<CR> Hardware failure.

DISABLE_ALARMEnds the transmission of alarm responses when a device stops counting. Alarm responses aredisabled for the serial line and the mailbox communication paths independently. See alsoENABLE_ALARM and SHOW_ALARM.

DISABLE_OVERFLOW_PRESETDisables the overflow preset for the currently selected segment. Channels that receive acount when they contain 2147483647 counts, the maximum number of counts, will roll overto zero counts if the overflow preset is disabled. See also ENABLE_OVERFLOW_PRESETand SHOW_OVERFLOW_PRESET.

DISABLE_REMOTEDisables the recognition of commands on the alternate communication paths. If thiscommand is sent to the Model 920E via the mailbox communication path, it disablescommand recognition on the serial path. If this command is sent via the serial path, itdisables command recognition on the mailbox communication path. See alsoENABLE_REMOTE and SHOW_REMOTE.


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DISABLE_TRIGGERDisables the data acquisition trigger that was enabled by the ENABLE_TRIGGER command.See TRIGGER, ENABLE_TRIGGER, and SHOW_TRIGGER.

ENABLE_ALARMBegins the transmission of alarm responses, $E records, when an input stops counting. A $Eresponse record will be transmitted only when no host commands are being processed (aftera % response from a previous command and before another ckmmand is sent). Alarmresponses are enabled for the serial line and the mailbox communication pathsindependently. If the command is sent to the MCB via the mailbox, then alarms will be sentto the mailbox. If the command is sent via the serial line, then alarms will be sent via theserial line. Alarms can be enabled for both communication paths at the same time. See alsoDISABLE_ALARM and SHOW_ALARM.

ENABLE_OVERFLOW_PRESETEnables the overflow preset for the currently selected segment. Channels that receive a countwhen they contain 2147483647 counts, the maximum number of counts, will stop theacquisition for that channel’s device if the overflow preset is disabled. The channel thatcaused the preset to complete will contain 214783647 counts. An alarm response record willbe sent to the host if alarms are enabled for the device whose acquisition is stopped (seeENABLE_ALARM command). Overflow presets may be independently set for each of thedevices in a Model 920E. See also DISABLE_OVERFLOW_PRESET andSHOW_OVERFLOW_PRESET commands.

ENABLE_REMOTEEnables the recognition of commands on the alternate communication path. If this commandis sent to the Model 920E via the mailbox, it enables command recognition on the serial line.If this command is sent via the serial line it enables command recognition in the mailbox.

ENABLE_TRIGGERPrepares for the start of data acquisition but does not actually start acquisition. After thesuccessful execution of this command, the MCB is armed for data acquisition. While theMCB is armed, it will report that it is active (SHOW_ACTIVE). The acquisition may bestarted by an edge on the SAMPLE READY connector or by the TRIGGER command.

INITIALIZEResets the Model 920E to initial conditions as though the following commands had beenissued:COMPUTERSET_CONFIGURATION_CHANNELS 16384SET_CONFIGURATION_SEGMENTS 16


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SET_GATE_OFFSET_DEVICE 1SET_SEGMENT 1SET_WIDTH 612SET_WINDOW 0,2048 TEST 1

The following commands are issued for both Mailbox and Serial communication paths:DISABLE_ALARM ENABLE_REMOTE

The following commands are issued for each segment in the MCB:STOP SET_GAIN_CONVERSION 2048 CLEAR_ALLSET_OFFSET 0

In addition, the INITIALIZE command resets all internal hardware and routes all inputs totheir corresponding segment (i.e., input 1 is routed to segment 1, input 2 is routed to segment2, etc.).Execution Errors:The INITIALIZE command simulates a power-down/power-up cycle for the MCB after asimulated loss of battery backed-up memory. Thus the % response record is the responsefrom the TEST 1 command as listed above.%003000072<CR> MCB Power-up occurred/Memory lost/No self-test errors

(Normal Response for INITIALIZE command)%007002078<CR> All of above but self-test failed/ROM1 failed%007004080<CR> All of above but ROM2 failed%007006082<CR> All of the above but ROM1 and ROM2 both failed self-test

OPEN_FILE “filename.ext”A filename is needed to open a file. Begins the download of a file to the RAM Disk byopening filename.ext on the RAM Disk. See WRITE_FILE and CLOSE_FILE.

OPEN_FILE_FLASHBegins the download of a new FLASH (ROM DISK). This command removes all files onthe RAM Disk except autoexec.bat and ini83905.exe to make room for ROMDISK.ABS. Italso stops all acquisitions which are in progress. See WRITE_FILE_FLASH and CLOSE_FILE_FLASH.


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LIST_GAIN_CONVERSIONReturns a string that enumerates each legal conversion gain setting separated by a space.Example Response:GAIN_CONV 512 1024 2048 4096 8192 16384

LIST_GATEReturns a string that lists the legal gate settings. Example Response:GATE OFF COINCIDENT ANTICOINCIDENT

OPEN_FILE “filename.ext”A filename is needed to open a file. Begins the download of a file to the RAM Disk byopening filename.ext on the RAM Disk. See WRITE_FILE and CLOSE_FILE.

OPEN_FILE_FLASHBegins the download of a new FLASH (ROM DISK). This command removes all files on theRAM Disk except autoexec.bat and ini83905.exe to make room for ROMDISK.ABS. It alsostops all acquisitions which are in progress. See WRITE_FILE_FLASH and CLOSE_FILE_FLASH.

PAUSE_INPUT [input-num]Waits for the next transition on the Sample Ready input or the beginning of the nextcommand before responding with a % response record. If input-num is present, it must be 0.This parameter is provided for compatibility with other ORTEC modules.Responses:%000000069<CR> Transition on Sample Ready input occurred%130131041<CR> Command was aborted by beginning of next command

PAUSE_INPUT_HIGH [input-num]Waits for a high level to be detected on the Sample Ready input or for the beginning of thenext command before responding with a % response record. The input level must remainhigh until the MCB responds; otherwise, it may not be detected. If input-num is provided, itmust be zero. This parameter is provided for compatibility with other ORTEC modules.Responses:%000000069<CR> High level was detected on the input%130131041<CR> Command was aborted by beginning of next command

PAUSE_INPUT_LOW [input-num]Waits for a low level to be detected on the Sample Ready input or for the beginning of thenext command before responding with a % response record. The input level must remain low


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until the MCB responds; otherwise, it may not be detected. If input-num is provided, it mustbe zero. This parameter is provided for compatibility with other ORTEC modules.Responses:%000000069<CR> Low level was detected on the input%130131041<CR> Command was aborted by beginning of next command

REBOOTReboots the MCB. This command is not normally used and may terminate communication.MCB returns a 000130.

RESETResets the 920E to the state just after power is applied. This command responds with a %response that indicates power-up just occurred. Automatic pole-zero adjustment is requiredonly after a true power-up.

RESET_REMOTEResets any UART error conditions when sent to the 920E via the mailbox. Resets mailboxcommunications when sent to the 920E via the serial communications path.

SET_CONFIGURATION_CHANNELSSets the total number of channels used in the currently selected device (always device 1 forModel 920E MCBs). The total number of channels in a device divided by the total number ofsegments in that device is the number of channels in each segment (all segments in a devicehave the same number of channels).Legal Commands:SET_CONFIG_CHANNELS 1024<CR> Total number of channels is set to 1024.SET_CONFIG_CHANNELS 2048<CR> Total number of channels is set to 2048.SET_CONFIG_CHANNELS 4096<CR> Total number of channels is set to 4096.SET_CONFIG_CHANNELS 8192<CR> Total number of channels is set to 8192.SET_CONFIG_CHANNELS 16384<CR> Total number of channels is set to 16384.Execution Errors:%131135083<CR> One or more segments were active. The command was

ignored.%131128085<CR> An invalid number of channels was given. The command

was ignored.

SET_CONFIGURATION_SEGMENTS [num_segs]Sets the total number of segments in the currently selected device. If the optional number ofsegments is not provided, the default value, 16, is used. The total number of channels in adevice divided by the total number of segments in that device is the number of channels ineach segment (all segments in a device have the same number of channels). All input are


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reset to their original segments after a SET_CONFIG_SEGMENTS command (i.e., input 1 isrouted to segment 1, input 2 is routed to segment 2, etc.). If fewer segments are configuredthan there are inputs the extra inputs are left unused but may be routed to any existingsegment (see SET_INPUT_ROUTE command).Legal Commands:SET_CONFIG_SEGMENTS 1<CR> Total number of segments is set to 1.SET_CONFIG_SEGMENTS 2<CR> Total number of segments is set to 2.SET_CONFIG_SEGMENTS 4<CR> Total number of segments is set to 4.SET_CONFIG_SEGMENTS 8<CR> Total number of segments is set to 8.SET_CONFIG_SEGMENTS 16<CR> Total number of segments is set to 16.SET_CONFIG_SEGMENTS<CR> Total number of segments is set to the default

(16 for 920E).Execution Errors:%131135083<CR> One or more segments were active. The command was

ignored.%131128085<CR> An invalid number of channels was given. The command

was ignored.

SET_CONFIGURATION_UART “bbbbbpds”A syntax error. See also SHOW_CONFIGURATION_UART. Sets the baud rate, parity,number of data bits and the number of stop bits for serial port communication. The parameteris an ASCII string which specifies the settings where bbbbb is the baud rate with leadingzeros if necessary, p is replaced with O, E, or N to indicate odd, even, or no parity, d isreplaced with the number of data bits (5–8), and s is replaced with the number of stop bits(1–2). For example SET_CONFIG_UART “09600N81” sets the baud rate to 9600, disablesparity checking, sets the number of bits to 8 and the number of stop bits to 1.

SET_DATA countSets all channels of spectral data in the window of interest (see SET_WINDOW command)for the currently selected segment to the specified count. ROI flags are not affected.

SET_DATA_APP “entry”,”data”Stores information such as sample descriptions and energy calibrations in the MCB internalmemory that can be used by other programs. Entry (32 characters maximum) specifies thetype of information to store with data (128 characters maximum).

SET_DATE day,month,yearSets the date stored in the battery backed-up system clock to the specified values. Day can beany value from 1 to 31. Month can be any value from 1 to 12. Year can be any value from 0


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to 99. The current date and time are stored for a device when an acquisition is started. Seealso SHOW_DATE, SET_TIME and SHOW_TIME.

SET_DATE_START day,month,yearSets the start date for the currently selected segment to the specified values. Normally thestart date and time are set automatically whenever a device is started with the STARTcommand. See also SHOW_DATE_START, SET_TIME_START, andSHOW_TIME_START.

SET_DEBUG levelSets the debug level to level, which must be between 0 and 255. Setting level to a non-zerovalue causes debugging information to be transmitted to the serial port. See alsoSHOW_DEBUG.

SET_DEVICE deviceIncluded for compatibility with other MCBs. Only device number 1 is valid for aModel 920E. Execution Errors:%131128085<CR> An invalid device number was given.

SET_GAIN_CONVERSION chansSets the conversion gain for all inputs routed to the currently selected segment. Theconversion gain defines the ADC resolution that will be used for pulses processed by theaffected input(s). A conversion gain of 4096 would utilize the full 12-bit resolution of the920E ADC.

Legal Commands:SET_GAIN_CONVERSION 4096<CR> Conversion gain set to 4096 channels (full ADC

resolution).SET_GAIN_CONVERSION 2048<CR> Conversion gain set to 2048 channels.SET_GAIN_CONVERSION 1024<CR> Conversion gain set to 1024 channels.SET_GAIN_CONVERSION 512<CR> Conversion gain set to 512 channels.SET_GAIN_CONVERSION 256<CR> Conversion gain set to 256 channels.SET_GAIN_CONVERSION 128<CR> Conversion gain set to 128 channels.SET_GAIN_CONVERSION 64<CR> Conversion gain set to 64 channels.Execution Errors%000004073<CR> No inputs are routed to the currently selected segment thus

no conversion gain could be set.%131128085<CR> The specified conversion gain was invalid.


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SET_GATE_ANTICOINCIDENTCauses the 920E MCB to expect the ADC gate input signal in anticoincident mode. SeeSection 4.2 for more information on the ADC GATE input. See also SET_GATE_OFF,SET_GATE_COINCIDENT, and SHOW_GATE.

SET_GATE_COINCIDENTCauses the 920E MCB to expect the ADC gate input signal in coincident mode. SeeSection 4.2 for more information on the ADC GATE input. See also SET_GATE_OFF,SET_GATE_ANTICOINCIDENT, and SHOW_GATE.

SET_GATE_OFFCauses the 920E MCB to ignore the state of the ADC gate input signal. See Section 4.2 formore information on the ADC GATE input. See also SET_GATE_COINCIDENT,SET_GATE_ANTICOINCIDENT and SHOW_GATE.

SET_INPUT_ROUTE [input]Routes the specified input away from its current memory segment and to the currentlyselected segment. This sends all of the input’s counts to the new segment (an input’s countsgo to only one segment at a time). If multiple inputs are routed to the same segment, theseinputs are started or stopped simultaneously by START or STOP commands. Counts arerouted to a segment after digital offset and conversion gain adjustments are applied (digitaloffset and conversion gain are set for an input, not for a segment). If the input number is notprovided, the default input is routed to the currently selected segment. The default input isthe input that was routed to the segment when the Model 920E was last initialized (i.e.,segment 1’s default is input 1, segment 2’s is input 2, etc.).Execution Errors:%131128085<CR> The specified input number was greater than 16.%000004073<CR> Zero was specified for the input number, the default input,

but no default input exists for the currently selected segment.

SET_INTEGRAL_PRESET countSets the ROI integral preset for the currently selected segment to the specified count. Duringdata acquisition when the sum of the counts contained in the channels of a segment that havethe ROI flag set reaches the integral preset count, the preset is complete and the acquisitionis stopped. The actual number of counts in the ROI integral may exceed the preset value byup to 512 counts due to the pipelined architecture of the Model 920E. Setting an integralpreset to 0 counts disables the preset. The integral preset can be set to from 0 (disabled) to4294967295 counts. See also CLEAR_PRESETS and SHOW_INTEGRAL_PRESET.Execution Errors:%131135083<CR> The command was attempted while spectrum acquisition was



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SET_LIVE ticksSets the live-time counter for the currently selected segment to the specified number of ticks.The number represents live time in units of 20 ms (50 ticks per second). Normally this valueis set by the Model 920E during data acquisition. See also CLEAR_COUNTERS andSHOW_LIVE.Execution Errors:%131135083<CR> The command was attempted while spectrum

acquisition was in progress. No action was taken.

SET_LIVE_PRESET ticksSets the live-time preset for the currently selected segment to the specified number of ticks.During data acquisition when the live-time counter reaches the preset number of ticks, thepreset is complete and the acquisition is stopped. Setting a live-time preset to 0 ticks disablesthe preset. See also CLEAR_PRESETS and SHOW_LIVE_PRESET.Execution Errors:%131135083<CR> The command was attempted while spectrum


SET_MDA_COEF a,b,cSets the coefficients in the MDA preset calculation to the specified values; a, b, and c arefloating-point values. The MDA preset stops the calculation when the following condition ismet:

The MDA preset calculation is performed once per minute.

SET_MDA_PRESET presetSets the MDA preset to the specified value. The preset is the product of the desired MDA,the efficiency, and the yield.

SET_MODEThe mode is set to PHA, the only mode for the Model 920E. This command is included forcompatibility with other MCBs.

SET_MODE_PHA [num]Included for compatibility with earlier model MCBs, this command sets the total number ofsegments in the currently selected segment exactly like the SET_CONFIG_SEGMENTScommand except that the optional segment number is a number from 0 to 4 as describedbelow. See SET_CONFIG_SEGMENTS for more information.


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Legal Commands:SET_MODE_PHA 0<CR> Total number of segments is set to 1.SET_MODE_PHA 1<CR> Total number of segments is set to 2.SET_MODE_PHA 2<CR> Total number of segments is set to 4.SET_MODE_PHA 3<CR> Total number of segments is set to 8.SET_MODE_PHA 4<CR> Total number of segments is set to 16.SET_MODE_PHA<CR> Total number of segments set to the default value, 16.Execution Errors:%131135083<CR> One or more segments were active. The command was

ignored.%131128085<CR> An invalid number of channels was given. The


SET_NETWORK_ADDRESS [company,]addrEstablishes the Ethernet address used by the 83905 Ethernet chip. The company portion ofthe address is usually not included causing the ID (41020) to be used. The addr portionshould not be the same on any two MCBs connected to the network. This address is assignedat the factory and should normally never be changed. See alsoSHOW_NETWORK_ADDRESS.Execution Errors:%131128085<CR> The number must be between 0 and 16777215.

SET_OFFSET chansSets the digital offset to the specified number of channels for all inputs routed to thecurrently selected segment. The digital offset represents the number of channels that thespectrum is shifted to the left, lower energy, side of the segment. Note that if the digitaloffset is set to a value greater than the conversion gain for a specific input no counts can beprocessed for that input since the entire spectrum is shifted out of the segment. See alsoSHOW_OFFSET.Legal Commands:SET_OFFSET 0 Digital offset set to 0 channels (no offset).SET_OFFSET 1 Digital offset set to 1 channel.SET_OFFSET 2 Digital offset set to 2 channels.... ...SET_OFFSET 16383 Digital offset set to 16383 (maximum offset).Execution Errors:%000004073<CR> No inputs are routed to the currently selected segment

thus no offset could be set.%131128085<CR> The specified offset was invalid (greater than 16384).%131135083<CR> The command was attempted while spectrum



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SET_NETWORK_ID idEstablishes a new network identifier which is to be used by the MCB for ethernetcommunication. The setting only takes effect after a REBOOT. Id should be no more than 15characters. See also SHOW_NETWORK_ID.

SET_PEAK_PRESET countSets the ROI peak preset for the currently selected segment to the specified count. Duringdata acquisition when the contents of any channel of a segment that has the ROI flag setreaches the peak preset count, the preset is complete and the acquisition is stopped. Theactual number of counts in the ROI peak may exceed the preset value by a small number ofcounts due to the pipelined architecture of the Model 920E. Setting a peak preset to 0 countsdisables the preset. The peak preset can be set to from 0 (disabled) to 2147483647 counts.See also CLEAR_PRESETS and SHOW_PEAK_PRESET.Execution Errors:%131135083<CR> The command was attempted while spectrum acquisition was


SET_RADIX_BINARYThis command is provided for compatibility with other ORTEC MCBs. It specifies thatbinary records are to be used by the WRITE command for sending spectral data to the hostcomputer via the serial line. This is the only radix supported by the Model 920E MCBs.

SET_ROI start_chan,number_of_chansSets the ROI flags for the specified channels in the currently selected segment. Thiscommand can be used multiple times to set ROI flags without affecting previously set flags.ROI flags specify channels within a segment that are considered for ROI integral and ROIpeak presets.

SET_ROI_MDA start,chansSets the region to be used for the MDA preset calculation.

SET_ROI_UNCERTAINTY start, chansSets the region to be used for the uncertainty preset calculation. See alsoSHOW_ROI_UNCERTAINTY.

SET_SEGMENT numberProvided for compatibility with Model 918-type MCBs. This command has no effect forModel 920E MCBs. The segment number can be any value from 1 through 16.Execution Errors:%131128085<CR> The specified segment number was either zero or a value

greater than 16.


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SET_TIME hour,min,secSets the time stored in the battery backed-up system clock to the specified values. Hour canbe any value from 0 to 23. Min and sec can be any value from 0 through 59. The current dateand time are stored for a segment when an acquisition is started. See also SHOW_TIME,SET_DATE, SHOW_DATE, SET_TIME_START, and SHOW_TIME_START.Execution Errors:%131137085<CR> The time could not be set due to a hardware malfunction.

Hardware service may be required.

SET_TIME_START hour,min,secSets the start time for the currently selected segment to the specified values. Normally thestart date and time are set automatically whenever a segment is started with the STARTcommand. See also SHOW_TIME_START, SET_DATE_START, SHOW_DATE_START,SET_DATE and SET_TIME.

SET_TRUE ticksSets the true-time counter for the currently selected segment to the specified number of ticks.The number represents true time in units of 20 ms (50 ticks per second). Normally this valueis set by the Model 920E during data acquisition. See also CLEAR_COUNTERS andSHOW_TRUE.Execution Errors:%131135083<CR> The command was attempted while spectrum acquisition was


SET_TRUE_PRESET ticksSets the true-time preset for the currently selected segment to the specified number of ticks.During data acquisition when the true-time counter reaches the preset number of ticks, thepreset is complete and the acquisition is stopped. Setting a true-time preset to 0 ticks disablesthe preset. See also CLEAR_PRESETS and SHOW_TRUE_PRESET.Execution Errors:%131135083<CR> The command was attempted while spectrum acquisition was


SET_UNCERTAINTY_PRESET percentSets the uncertainty preset to the specified value in percent. percent is a floating point valuefrom 0 to 99.9999. See also SHOW_UNCERTAINTY_PRESET.Execution Errors%131128085<CR> The value is incorrect.%131132080<CR> A value must be included.


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SET_WIDTH bytesSets the maximum number of bytes that can be sent to the host computer by the WRITEcommand.Legal Commands:SET_WIDTH 0<CR> Width set to default (512).SET_WIDTH 12<CR> Width set to minimum value of 12 bytes.

... ...SET_WIDTH 512<CR> Width set to maximum value of 512 bytes.

SET_WINDOW [start, length]Sets the window of interest for the currently selected segment to the specified start channeland number of channels. The channels of spectral data in the window of interest are affectedby commands such as CLEAR, SET_DATA, and WRITE. If neither start or length isprovided, the window is set to the maximum size allowed by the conversion gain specifiedfor the currently selected segment. The window of interest is always set to the maximum sizeafter a SET_DEVICE command or a SET_SEGMENT command.Execution Errors:%131128085<CR> The start channel was too high for the currently selected

segment’s conversion gain.%131129086<CR> The length specified one or more channels that were too high

for the currently selected segment’s conversion gain.%131132080<CR> The start channel was specified without a length. If one

value is given the other must be also given.

SHOW_ACTIVEReturns a 1 if the ADC is active, acquiring spectral data, or 0 if it is not active.Responses:$C00000087<CR> The ADC is not active.$C00001088<CR> The ADC is active.

SHOW_ACTIVE_DEVICESIncluded for compatibility with other MCBs. Returns a bit mask of the currently activedevices as follows:Responses:$C00000087<CR> 920E ADC is not active.$C00001088<CR> 920E ADC is active.

SHOW_ACTIVE_INPUTSReports which detector inputs are in the process of acquiring data. The 16-bit answer isreturned as a $C response record which represents a binary mask of bits each representing


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one of the 16 possible inputs that can be active. A 1 bit in the mask indicates that thecorresponding input is counting.Responses:$C00000087<CR> No inputs are acquiring data.$C00001088<CR> Only input 1 is acquiring data.$C00002089<CR> Only input 2 is acquiring data.$C00003090<CR> Inputs 1 and 2 are acquiring data.$C00004091<CR> Only input 3 is acquiring data.$C00005092<CR> Inputs 1 and 3 are acquiring data.... ...$C65534110<CR> Inputs 2 through 16 are acquiring data.$C65535111<CR> All inputs (1–16) are acquiring data.

SHOW_ACTIVE_SEGMENTSReports which segments are in the process of acquiring data. A segment is active if the inputrouted to it is active (See SHOW_ACTIVE_INPUTS). The 16-bit answer is transmitted as a$C response record, which represents a binary mask of bits each representing one of the 16possible segments that may be active. A 1 bit in the mask indicates that the correspondingsegment is counting. If multiple inputs are routed to the same segment, the segment isconsidered active if any one of its inputs is active.Responses:$C00000087<CR> No segments are acquiring data.$C00001088<CR> Only segment 1 is acquiring data.$C00002089<CR> Only segment 2 is acquiring data.$C00003090<CR> Segments 1 and 2 are acquiring data.$C00004091<CR> Only segment 3 is acquiring data.$C00005092<CR> Segments 1 and 3 are acquiring data.... ...$C65534110<CR> Segments 2 through 16 are acquiring data.$C65535111<CR> All segments (1–16) are acquiring data.

SHOW_ADC_CONVERSIONDebugging command that returns the most recent conversion from the ADC. Returns 0 if noconversion is available. See also SET_ADC_CONVERSION command.Responses:$C00000087<CR> No conversion available.$C00405096<CR> 405 was the most recent conversion.

SHOW_ALARMReturns a record that indicated whether the alarm responses are enabled or disabled for acommunication path. If SHOW_ALARM is received on the serial line, the response


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represents whether alarms are enabled for the serial line. If SHOW_ALARM is received bythe mailbox, the response represents whether alarms are enabled for the mailbox.Responses:$IT<CR> Alarms are enabled for the specified communication path$IF<CR> Alarms are disabled for the specified communication path

SHOW_CONFIGURATIONReturns a record that indicates the hardware configuration of the MCB. The record containsinformation about the number of segments in an MCB device, and the current conversiongain for each segment. The record is organized as follows:

$J1638400001aaaaa00000[65 zeros here for total of 75 zeros]00000ccc

where aaaaa represents the conversion gain for segment 1, and ccc represents the recordchecksum. See Section A.2 for more information about response records and checksums.

SHOW_CONFIGURATION_MASKReturns two masks, the first of which can be “anded” with data from the MCB to clear theROI bit from the data. When the second mask value is “anded” with data from the MCB, thedata bits are removed and only the ROI bit remains.Response:CONF_MASK 02147483647 02147483648

SHOW_CONFIGURATION_UARTReports the baud rate, parity option, number of data bits, and number of stop bits for theserial interface.Responses:$F09600N81 9600 baud, No parity, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit.$F19200E82 19200 baud, Even parity, 8 data bits, 2 stop bits.$F02400O71 2400 baud, Odd parity, 7 data bits, 1 stop bits.

SHOW_DATA_APPLICATION “entry”If entry matches entry from a previous SET_DATA_APPLICATION command, the datafrom the SET_DATA_APPLICATION command is returned in a $F record.Execution Errors:%131138085 Entry could not be matched.

SHOW_DATEReturns the day, month and year of the current date as maintained in the 920E batterybacked-up real time clock in the form dddmmmyy. The day is returned as a 3-digit integernumber from 001 to 031. The month is returned as a 3-digit integer number from 001 to 012.


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The year is returned as a 3-digit integer number from 000 to 099. See also SET_DATE_START.Responses:$N001001088052<CR> Date reported as Jan 1, 1988.

... ...$N031012009959<CR> Date reported as Dec 31, 1999.$N001001000036<CR> Date reported as Jan 1, 2000.

... ...$N031012008756<CR> Date reported as Dec 31, 2087.

SHOW_DATE_STARTReturns the day, month and year of the acquisition start date for the currently selectedsegment in the form dddmmmyyy. The day is returned as a 3-digit integer number from 001to 031. The month is returned as a 3-digit integer number from 001 to 012. And the year isreturned as a 3-digit integer number from 000 to 099. See also SET_DATE_START.Responses:$N001001088052<CR> Start date reported as Jan 1, 1988.

... ...$N031012009959<CR> Start date reported as Dec 31, 1999.$N001001000036<CR> Start date reported as Jan 1, 2000.

... ...$N031012008756<CR> Start date reported as Dec 31, 2087.

SHOW_DATE_TRIGGERResponds with the date that the last valid trigger occurred either via the TRIGGER commandor the Sample Ready input. If no valid trigger has occurred since power-up or ifENABLE_TRIGGER is sent followed by DISABLE_TRIGGER without a valid trigger, thecommand returns all zeros.Example Responses:$N000000000ccc No valid triggers have occurred.$N011002097ccc Trigger occurred February 11, 1997.

SHOW_DEBUGShows the debug level. See also SET_DEBUG.Responses:$A003248 Returns the debug state as $Axxxccc where xxx is the debug

level and ccc is the checksum.

SHOW_DEVICEIncluded for compatibility with other MCBs. Always returns one for the number of thecurrently selected device.


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Responses:$A001246<CR> Device number 1 is currently selected device.

SHOW_DIRECTORY [”filename.ext”]Responds with the first item in the RAM disk or ROM disk directory that matches thespecified file name. Wildcards are permissible, and if a drive letter is included, A: should beused for the ROM disk and C: should be used for the RAM disk. If no drive letter isincluded, C: is used. If no filename is included, C:*.* is used. SHOW_DIRECTORY_NEXTreturns the next entry in the directory list.Responses:MCBLOCAL.INI 97 01-10-1997 04:24

SHOW_DIRECTORY_ALL [”filename.ext”]Responds with the directory entries on the RAM disk or ROM disk directory that match thespecified filename. Wildcards are permissible, and if a drive letter is included, A: should beused for the ROM disk and C: should be used for the RAM disk. If no drive letter isincluded, C: is used. If no filename is included, C:*.* is used. This command returns multipleresponse records until all matching directory entries have been returned.Responses:MCBLOCAL.INI 97 01-10-1997 04:24

SHOW_DIRECTORY_NEXTResponds with the next matching directory entry which matches the filename specified in aSHOW_DIRECTORY command. If there are no more matching entries, a %131137 responseis returned.Execution Errors:%131137085<CR> No more matching entries.

SHOW_FEATURESResponds with four 32-bit masks that indicate which features are present in the MCB. SeeAppendix 4.11 for a complete description of each bit in the mask.Example Response:FEATURES 02285062207 02014941185 00000000000 00000000000

SHOW_GAIN_CONVERSIONThis command returns the conversion gain for the currently selected segment.Responses:$C00512095<CR> Conversion gain reported as 512 channels.$C01024094<CR> Conversion gain reported as 1024 channels.$C02048101<CR> Conversion gain reported as 2048 channels.$C04096106<CR> Conversion gain reported as 4096 channels.


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$C081920E07<CR> Conversion gain reported as 8192 channels.$C16384109<CR> Conversion gain reported as 16384 channels.

SHOW_GATEReports the current mode of operation of the ADC gate input. See Section 4.2 for moreinformation on the ADC GATE input. See also SET_GATE_OFF,SET_GATE_COINCIDENT, and SET_GATE_ANTICOINCIDENT.Responses:$FOFF<CR> Reports the ADC gate is off or ignored.$FCOI<CR> Reports the ADC gate is in coincident mode.$FANT<CR> Reports the ADC gate is in anticoincident mode.

SHOW_INPUT [0]Reports the state of the Sample Ready input. See also PAUSE_INPUT,PAUSE_INPUT_HIGH, and PAUSE_INPUT_LOW.Responses:$C00000087<CR> Sample Ready input is low.$C00001088<CR> Sample Ready input is high.

SHOW_INPUT_ROUTEReports which inputs are routed to the currently selected segment. The 16-bit answer isreturned as a $C response record, which represents a binary mask of bits each representingone of the 16 possible inputs that can be rerouted to a segment. A 1 bit in the mask indicatesthat the corresponding input is routed to the currently selected segment. See alsoSET_INPUT_ROUTE.Responses:$C00000087<CR> No inputs routed to the currently selected segment.$C00001088<CR> Input 1 is routed to the currently selected segment.$C00002089<CR> Input 2 is routed to the currently selected segment.$C00003090<CR> Inputs 1 and 2 are routed to the currently selected segment.$C00004091<CR> Input 3 is routed to the currently selected segment.$C00005092<CR> Inputs 1 and 3 are routed to the currently selected segment.... ...$C65534110<CR> Inputs 2–16 are routed to the currently selected segment.$C65535111<CR> All inputs (1–16) are routed to the currently selected

segment.

SHOW_INTEGRAL [start_chan,number_of_chans]Reports the sum of the specified group of spectral data channels for the currently selectedsegment. If start_chan and number_of_chans is not provided, SHOW_INTEGRAL reportsthe sum of all channels in the currently selected segment that have their ROI flag set.


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Responses:$G0000000000075<CR> Integral reported as 0.

... ...$G4294967294131<CR> Integral reported as 4294967294.$G4294967295132<CR> Integral reported as greater than or equal to 4294967295

(maximum reportable value).

SHOW_INTEGRAL_PRESETReports the current ROI integral preset value for the currently selected segment. SeeSET_INTEGRAL_PRESET for more information about the ROI integral preset. See alsoSHOW_INTEGRAL.Responses:$G0000000000075<CR> Integral preset reported as 0.

... ...$G4294967295132<CR> Integral reported as 4294967295.

SHOW_INTEGRAL_REMAININGReports the current ROI integral remaining value. For more information about the ROIintegral remaining, see SET_INTEGRAL_REMAINING. See also SHOW_INTEGRAL.

Responses:$G0000000000075<CR> Integral remaining reported as 0.

... ...$G4294967295132<CR> Integral reported as 4294967295.

SHOW_LIVEReports the contents of the live-time counter for the currently selected segment in units of20 ms (50 ticks per second). See also CLEAR_COUNTERS and SET_LIVE.Responses:$G0000000000075<CR> Live time reported as 0 ticks$G0000000001076<CR> Live time reported as 1 tick (20 ms)

... ...$G4294967295132<CR> Live time reported as 4294967295 ticks (over 23,000 days).

SHOW_LIVE_PRESETReports the current live-time preset for the currently selected segment in units of 20 ms (50ticks per second). See also CLEAR_PRESETS and SET_LIVE_PRESET.


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Responses:$G0000000000075<CR> Live-time preset reported as disabled.$G0000000001076<CR> Live-time preset reported as 1 tick.

... ...$G4294967295132<CR> Live-time preset reported as 4294967295 ticks.

SHOW_LIVE_REMAININGReports the current live-time remaining in units of 20 ms (50 ticks per second). See alsoSET_LIVE_REMAINING.Responses:$G0000000000075<CR> Live time remaining reported as disabled.$G0000000001076<CR> Live time remaining reported as 1 tick.

... ...$G4294967295132<CR> Live time remaining reported as 4294967295 ticks.

SHOW_MDAReturns the uncorrected MDA in gammas/s by calculating the right half of the MDAequation (see SET_MDA_COEF) and returns that value.Example Responses:MDA 000000000000.85 MDA = 0.85.

SHOW_MDA_COEFFICIENTSReturns the coeffficients used for the MDA calculation. See SET_MDA_COEFFICIENTS.Example Responses:MDA_COEF 000000000002.71 000000000000000 0000000000021.7

Coefficient a = 2.71, b = 0, and c = 21.7.

SHOW_MDA_PRESETReturns the current MDA preset setting.Example Responses:MDA 000000000000000 No preset.MDA 0000000000008.5 Preset set to 8.5%.

SHOW_MODEThis command is for compatibility with Model 918 systems. It always reports that the 920Eoperates in pulse height analysis mode.Responses:$FPHA<CR>


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SHOW_NETWORK_ADDRESSReturns in a $H record the Ethernet address used by the 83905 Ethernet chip. The address iscomposed of a 32-bit company portion of the address which is usually set to the ID (41020)followed by the address portion. See also SET_NETWORK_ADDRESS.Responses:$H00000410200000000016058 Company ID=41020, Address=16

SHOW_NETWORK_IDResponds with a $F record indicating the network identifier which will be used by the MCBfor all network communication. The default host name is 920-xxxx, where xxxx is the serialnumber of the MCB. See also SET_NETWORK_ID.Responses:$F0920-0100

SHOW_NEXTUsed in conjunction with the SHOW_ROI command, SHOW_NEXT reports the nextcontinuous group of channels in the currently selected segment that have the ROI flag set.The response is of the form:

$Dsssssnnnnnccc<CR>where sssss represents an integer number that is the number of the first channel of the “next”group of channels that all have their ROI bit set, and nnnnn represents an integer number thatis the number of channels in the group. If no more channels have their ROI bit set,SHOW_NEXT returns a first channel of 0 and a number of channels of 0. The SHOW_ROIcommand is used to report the “first” group of channels that all have their ROI bit set.Example Responses:$D0100000050078<CR> Next ROI group starts at chan 1000 and is 50 channels long.$D0215000150086<CR> Next ROI group starts at chan 2150 and is 150 channels

long.$D0000000000072<CR> No other ROI groups to report.

SHOW_OFFSETThis command returns the digital offset for the input routed to the currently selectedsegment. If more than one input is routed to the currently selected segment this commandreturns the offset for the lowest numbered input routed to the currently selected segment. Seealso SET_OFFSET and SET_INPUT_ROUTE.Responses:$C00000087<CR> Digital offset reported as 0 channels.$C00001088<CR> Digital offset reported as 1 channel.... ...$C16383108<CR> Digital offset reported as 16383 channels (maximum

allowed).


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Execution Errors:%000004073<CR> No inputs are routed to the currently selected segment; thus,

no conversion gain could be returned.

SHOW_OVERFLOW_PRESETReports the state of the overflow preset for the currently selected segment.Responses:$IT<CR> Overflow preset enabled for the currently selected segment.$IF<CR> Overflow preset disabled for the currently selected segment.

SHOW_PEAKThis command returns the contents of the ROI channel with the largest number of counts. AnROI channel is a channel that has the ROI flag set. The maximum possible value is2147483647, which is the maximum number of counts that can be stored in a 31-bit channel.Responses:$G0000000000075<CR> Maximum count in an ROI channel is zero or no ROI

channels were found.$G0000000001076<CR> Maximum count in an ROI channel is 1.

... ...$G2147483646120<CR> Maximum count in an ROI channel is 2147483646.$G2147483647121<CR> Maximum count in an ROI channel is 2147483647.

SHOW_PEAK_CHANNELThis command returns the number of the ROI channel with the largest number of counts. AnROI channel is a channel that has the ROI flag set. The lowest number ROI channel with thelargest count is reported if more that one channel contains the largest number of counts.Channel 16383 is the highest numbered channel in any segment.Responses:$C00000087<CR> Maximum count was found in channel 0 or no ROI channels

were found (see errors below).$C00001088<CR> Maximum count was found in channel 1.

... ...$C16382107<CR> Maximum count was found in channel 16382.$C16383108<CR> Maximum count was found in channel 16383.

SHOW_PEAK_PRESETReports the value of the ROI peak preset for the currently selected segment. SeeSET_PEAK_PRESET for information about the ROI peak preset.


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Responses:$G0000000000075<CR> Peak preset disabled.$G0000000001076<CR> Peak preset set to 1 count.

... ...$G2147483646120<CR> Peak preset set to 2147483646 counts.$G2147483647121<CR> Peak preset set to 2147483647 counts.

SHOW_RADIXThis command is for compatibility with other ORTEC MCBs. It always reports that thenumber base radix for the WRITE command is binary.Responses:$FBIN<CR> Number base set to binary radix.

SHOW_REMOTESee also SET_REMOTE.Responses:$IT<CR> The remote is enabled.$IF<CR> The remote is disabled.

SHOW_ROIUsed in conjunction with the SHOW_NEXT command, SHOW_ROI reports the firstcontinuous group of channels in the currently selected segment that have the ROI flag set.The response is of the form:

$Dsssssnnnnnccc<CR>where sssss represents an integer number that is the number of the first channel of the “first”group of channels that all have their ROI bit set, and nnnnn represents an integer number thatis the number of channels in the group. The SHOW_NEXT command is used to report the“next” group of channels that all have their ROI bit set.Responses:$D0100000050078<CR> First ROI group starts at chan 1000 and is 50 channels long.$D0215000150086<CR> First ROI group starts at chan 2150 and is 150 channels long.$D0000000000072<CR> No ROI groups to report.

SHOW_ROI_MDAReports the start channel and number of channels used in the MDA preset calculation.Example Response:$D0700000050ccc Calculation is performed on channels 7000–7049.

SHOW_ROI_UNCERTAINTYReports the start channel and number of channels used in the uncertainty preset calculation. See also SET_ROI_UNCERTAINTY.


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Response:$D0700000050ccc Calculation is performed on channels 7000–7049.

SHOW_SEGMENTThis command is for compatibility with other ORTEC MCBs. It reports the last value thatwas set with the SET_SEGMENT command. Segments have no meaning in 920E MCBs.Responses:$A001246<CR> Segment last set to 1.$A002247<CR> Segment last set to 2.

... ...$A016252<CR> Segment last set to 16.

SHOW_SNUMResponds with a $F record indicating the serial number of the MCB. See SET_SNUM.Responses:$F100 Serial number = 100.

SHOW_STATUSReturns system status information in the following format:

$Mllllllllllttttttttttaaaaahhhhhccc<CR>where llllllllll represents the live time as returned by the SHOW_LIVE command, ttttttttttrepresents the true time for the current segment as returned by the SHOW_TRUE command,aaaaa represents the active device mask as returned by the SHOW_ACTIVE_DEVICEScommand, and hhhhh represents the hardware status, which is an ASCII representation of a16-bit decimal number with the following bit definitions:Bit 0 (LSB): Bias Supply Polarity (0=positive, 1=negative).Bit 1: Bias Supply Overload (0=overload, 1=normal).Bit 2: High Voltage Enabled (0=disabled, 1=enabled).Bit 3: Unused.Bit 4: Amplifier pole-zeroed since initialization (0=normal,

1=needs pole zeroing).Bits 5–7: Unused.Bit 8: Amplifier Automatic Pole Zero (1=Auto Pole Zero in

progress, 0=normal).Bits 9–14: Unused.Bit 15 (MSB): Reserved.


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SHOW_TIMEReports the time from the battery backed-up system clock in the form: $Nhhhmmmsssccc<CR> where hhh represents a 3-digit integer hour (0–23), mmmrepresents a 3-digit integer minute (0–59), and sss represents a 3-digit integer second (0–59).See also SET_TIME, SET_DATE, and SHOW_DATE.Example Responses:$N010054017052<CR> Time returned 10:54:17 (10 hours, 54 min, 17 sec).$N020013037050<CR> Time returned 20:13:37 (20 hours, 13 min, 37 sec).

SHOW_TIME_STARTReports the time of the last START command for the currently selected segment in the form: $Nhhhmmmsssccc<CR> where hhh represents a 3-digit integer hour (0–23), mmmrepresents a 3-digit integer minute (0–59), and sss represents a 3-digit integer second (0–59).See also SET_TIME_START, SET_DATE_START, and SHOW_DATE_START.Example Responses:$N010054017052<CR> Time returned 10:54:17 (10 hours, 54 min, 17 sec).$N020013037050<CR> Time returned 20:13:37 (20 hours, 13 min, 37 sec).

SHOW_TIME_TRIGGERResponds with the time that the last valid trigger occurred either via the TRIGGER commandor the Sample Ready input. If no valid trigger has occurred since power-up or ifENABLE_TRIGGER is sent followed by DISABLE_TRIGGER without a valid trigger, thecommand returns all zeros.Example Responses:$N000000000ccc<CR> No valid triggers have occurred.$N013011012ccc<CR> Trigger occurred at 1:11:12 p.m.

SHOW_TRIGGERReports if the trigger is enabled or disabled. See also ENABLE_TRIGGER andDISABLE_TRIGGER.Responses:$IF<CR> Trigger disabled.$IT<CR> Trigger enabled.

SHOW_TRUEReports the contents of the true-time counter for the currently selected segment in units of20 ms (50 ticks per second). See also CLEAR_COUNTERS and SET_TRUE.Responses:$G0000000000075<CR> True time reported as 0 ticks.$G0000000001076<CR> True time reported as 1 tick (20 ms).$G4294967295132<CR> True time reported as 4294967295 ticks (over 23,000 days).


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SHOW_TRUE_PRESETReports the current true-time preset for the currently selected segment in units of 20 ms (50ticks per second). See also CLEAR_PRESETS and SET_TRUE_PRESET.Responses:$G0000000000075<CR> True-time preset reported as disabled.$G0000000001076<CR> True-time preset reported as 1 tick.

... ...$G4294967295132<CR> True-time preset reported as 4294967295 ticks.

SHOW_TRUE_REMAININGReports the current true time remaining in units of 20 ms (50 ticks per second). See alsoSET_TRUE_REMAINING.Responses:$G0000000000075<CR> True time remaining reported as disabled.$G0000000001076<CR> True time remaining reported as 1 tick.

... ...$G4294967295132<CR> True time remaining reported as 4294967295 ticks.

SHOW_UNCERTAINTYReturns the current value of the uncertainty for the peak in the uncertainty preset. See alsoSET_UNCERTAINTY.Responses:UNCE 0000000000008.5 Uncertainty of the peak is 8.5%

SHOW_UNCERTAINTY_PRESETReturns the current uncertainty preset setting. See also SET_UNCERTAINTY_PRESET.Responses:UNCE_PRES 000000000000000 No preset.UNCE_PRES 0000000000008.5 Preset set to 8.5%.

SHOW_VERSIONReports the 920E firmware version number in the form:

Fmmmm-vvv<CR>where mmmm is a 4-character model designator and vvv is a 3-character version designator.Example Responses:$FE920-005<CR> EtherNIM Model 920E firmware version 5 reported

SHOW_WIDTHReports the maximum number of bytes that can be sent by the 920E to the host computer as aresult of the WRITE command. See also SET_WIDTH and WRITE.


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Responses:$C00012090<CR> Width reported as 12 bytes (minimum width).$C00013091<CR> Width reported as 13 bytes.

... ...$C00512095<CR> Width reported as 512 bytes (maximum width).

SHOW_WINDOWReports the start channel and number of channels that are in the window of interest for thecurrently selected segment in the form:

$Dxxxxxyyyyyccc<CR>where xxxxx is the start channel (0 through 16383) and yyyyy is the number of channels (1through 16384). See SET_WINDOW for more information about the window of interest.Example Responses:$D0000016384094<CR> Window of interest reported as starting at channel 0

and continuing for 16384 channels.$D0000008192092<CR> Window of interest reported as starting at channel 0

and continuing for 8192 channels (first 1/2).$D08192081920E12<CR> Window of interest reported as starting at channel

8192 and continuing for 8192 channels (last 1/2).

START [seg-mask]Starts the acquisition of spectral data. If seg-mask is not provided, the acquisition is startedfor the currently selected segment. If seg-mask is provided, each bit in the mask representsone possible segment to start in the currently selected segment. For every one bit in the mask,the corresponding segment is started. An acquisition is started for a segment by starting datacollection for all inputs routed to the segment. This means that when a single segment isstarted on a Model 920E, up to 16 inputs may be started if all 16 inputs have been routed tothe segment that is started (see SET_INPUT_ROUTE command).Example Commands:START<CR> Starts data acquisition for the currently selected

segment.START 1<CR> Starts data acquisition for segment 1.START 2<CR> Starts data acquisition for segment 2.START 3<CR> Starts data acquisition for segments 1 and 2.START 4<CR> Starts data acquisition for segment 3.START 5<CR> Starts data acquisition for segments 1 and 3.

... ...START 65534<CR> Starts data acquisition for segments 2–16.START 65535<CR> Starts data acquisition for segments 1–16.


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Execution Warnings:%000001070<CR> One or more inputs was already started. At least one input

did start.%000004073<CR> One or more segments in START command had no inputs

routed to them to start.%000005074<CR> All requested inputs were already started. The START

command was ignored.%000006075<CR> One or more presets were already exceeded. The START


STOP [seg-mask]Stops the acquisition of spectral data in the currently selected segment. The optional segmentmask is provided for compatibility with other MCBs and can be any value from 0 to 65535,but is ignored by the Model 920E.Execution Warnings:%000005074 Acquisition already stopped (no changes made).

TERMINALPrepares the serial line for communication with a terminal. In terminal mode, text sent to the920E echoes back to the host and response records sent to the host by the 920E areterminated with a carriage return and line feed. This command has no effect when sent viathe mailbox. See also COMPUTER.

TEST maskPerforms any combination of the 920E internal selftests where mask represents a 16-bitinteger with each bit set specifying a test as follows:Bit 0 (LSB): ROM checksum test (nondestructive).Bit 1: Spectral data memory test (destroys spectral data).Bit 2: Processor memory test (destroys spectral data).Bit 3: Serial line test (serial loop-back connector required).Bit 4: RESERVED.Bit 5: Mailbox memory test (may cause mailbox comm error).Execution Errors:%004002075<CR> ROM1 failed test.%004004077<CR> ROM2 failed test.%004008081<CR> Processor Memory failed test.%004016080<CR> Spectral Data Memory or Mailbox Memory failed test.%004032078<CR> RESERVED.%004064083<CR> Serial Line failed test.


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The actual response record can be a combination of any of the above records depending onthe selftests performed. For example:%004006079<CR> ROM1 and ROM2 both failed test.%004010074<CR> Processor Memory and ROM1 both failed test.

TRIGGERTriggers the data acquisition as if an edge occurs on the Change Sample connector. SeeENABLE_TRIGGER and DISABLE_TRIGGER.

WRITEStarts the transmission of the spectral data in the window of interest (see SET_WINDOWcommand) for the currently selected segment from the 920E MCB to the host computer. TheWRITE command responds with a binary data record as follows:

#Bllcc?111122223333 ... nnnns

In this record ll represents a 16-bit binary integer that is the record length, cc represents a 16-bit binary integer that is the number of the first channel in the record, ? is an unused byte,1111 represents a 32-bit binary integer that is the contents of the first channel in the record,2222 represents the second channel in the record, etc., nnnn represents the nth channel in therecord, and s represents an 8-bit binary checksum of the entire record up to the checksumbyte itself.

After the 920E MCB responds with a binary data record, the host computer must prompt forthe next record with one of the following handshake prompts: GO<CR>, RE<CR>, orHA<CR>. GO causes the next binary data record to be sent by the 920E or the % response ifthe last record has already been sent. RE causes the previous binary data record to be resentexactly as it was the last time. HA causes the WRITE command to be halted and respondswith a %130131078<CR> record.

The number of channels that are sent on a binary data record depends on the record width asset by the SET_WIDTH command and the number of channels remaining in the window ofinterest to be sent. If the record is the last record to be sent, it will contain the number ofchannels remaining in the window of interest. This may or may not be the same number ofchannels as the previous record(s). If the record is not the last record to be sent, it willcontain as many channels as will fit without creating a binary data record that is longer thanthe limit set by the SET_WIDTH command. The following formula can be used to determinethe number of channels that will be sent on a record that isn’t the last record:


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In the above formula CHANS is the integer number of channels that will be sent on therecord and WIDTH is the current record width as set by the SET_WIDTH command(maximum value is 512 bytes).

WRITE_FILE “aabbccddeeff”Writes a block of data to the file which was opened with the OPEN_FILE command. Eachbyte of data is encoded as a two hexadecimal character. In the example above, 5 bytes aresent. Multiple WRITE_FILE commands can be used to send a long file to the MCB.

WRITE_FILE_FLASH “aabbccddeeff”Writes a block of data to be written to the flash memory beginning with the first byte in theflash memory. The OPEN_FILE_FLASH command must be set before using this command.Each byte of data is encoded as two hexadecimal characters. In the example above, 5 bytesare sent. Multiple WRITE_FILE_FLASH commands are used to send the entire block ofdata.

ortec model 920e hardware manual 777700e - july 2010 · in addition, the following symbols may...

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