STJ Quick Start Guide v 2.01
April 1, 2021
Page 11
USING THE PROSPECT SOFTWARE
ProSpect is a Windows application that runs with XIA’s Handel drivers. It is primarily intended as a
platform for system configuration, but ProSpect can also be used to acquire and save data.
Fig 6: ProSpect is organized into three main areas: Channel Selection, Settings and the Data Panel.
OVERVIEW OF TYPICAL USAGE
Once the STJ bias voltages, gain, thresholds and other settings have been optimized and saved to an INI
file as described in this document, the typical usage is:
1.
Power on the PXI crate, STJ detectors and preamplifiers, and then wait for preamplifiers to settle,
as indicated by the green LED on the custom crate
2.
Start ProSpect or initialize the system by selecting your modified INI file
3.
Optionally verify the STJ biasing by running a BiasScan operation and inspecting Fiske Mode
locations vs bias voltage settings for all channels.
4.
Optionally verify the presence of input pulses and the Decay Time setting by acquiring ADC traces
with the Scope tool.
5.
Optionally calibrate the gain using the GainMatch tool
6.
Adjust the ADC Offset – this must always be done after the system is initialized and/or gain is
modified, e.g. during calibration.
7.
Acquire data in MCA mode or Mapping/List mode using ProSpect or XIA’s Handel drivers via
custom software
8.
Analyze data using 3
rd
party or custom software
