microDXP Technical Reference Manual
Version 3.15
October 7, 2019
16
1.5.2 Example 2. General-Purpose Spectrometer Using RS232 and Custom
Breakout Board
In this example the microDXP acts as a general-purpose spectrometer, connected as a
peripheral device under the control of the host computer. No specialized data acquisition
modes are required, thus no firmware development is necessary. Some user hardware
design is, however, required.
XIA non-recurring engineering (NRE) required: NONE.
User development required:
1.
To connect to the external host, only a simple routing adapter interface unit is
required to break out the microDXP high-density internal connection to standard
RS-232 and power connections. At a minimum, this interface is a wire harness but
could entail a printed circuit board with a small number of passive components.
2.
Power supplies for the microDXP must be provided. Optional voltage regulators
for the analog circuitry are included on the microDXP for systems in which high-
quality power supplies are not available.
3.
Some additional mechanical design, i.e. enclosure design, may be necessary.
The microDXP, power supplies and ‘routing-adapter’ together constitute a spectrometer
that can be connected to virtually any controller with RS-232 communications. Note: The
microCOMU interface board included with the Development Kit falls into this category.
MicroDXP board dimensions and mounting information, the connector locations and
specifications, and the power supply specifications are all found in Appendix A of this
manual.
Figure 1-3: A general-purpose spectrometer incorporating the microDXP. A simple user-
designed routing-adapter interface connects the microDXP to the host computer and
power supplies.
1.5.3 Example 3. Dedicated Spectrometer Using RS232
This example considers a materials sorting application where objects with certain pre-
defined alloy ratios X, Y and Z are to be separated from others. An x-ray source irradiates
incoming samples, and incident x-rays are collected by a solid-state detector connected to
the microDXP. The microDXP is configured to assert a combination of its auxiliary digital
I/O lines whenever the peak ratio X, Y or Z is detected. The digital I/O lines drive
electromechanical or pneumatic components in real-time to execute the appropriate
