UltraLo-1800 Alpha Particle Counter
XIA LLC
Page 56
E.
Generated Files
There are four important file types in CounterMeasure: buffers; logs; parameters; and exports.
1.
Buffers
Buffer files, with the file extension .buf, are CounterMeasure’s data storage files. The file is a custom
binary
format,
and
requires
special
tools
to
read.
These
files
are
located
in
C:\Users\UltraLo\AppData\Roaming\XIA LLC\CounterMeasure\Buffers. Buffer files are fairly small, an
average run will only generate around 4 MB/day.
2.
Logs
CounterMeasure
produces
several
different
log
files.
They
are
all
located
in
C:\Users\UltraLo\AppData\Roaming\XIA LLC\CounterMeasure\Logs. These are the CounterMeasure log,
the Handel log, the sensor log, and the analysis log.
a)
CounterMeasure Log
The most immediately useful log is the CounterMeasure log, which is directly in that folder, or
accessible from the Main Panel by navigating to Tools and clicking Logs. It is formatted in plain text and
can be read by any text reader. This log contains information about CounterMeasure’s interaction with
the electronics and the support box, such as when it reads out events or when it reads the HV, moisture
flow, and tilt sensors. It also contains information on errors. If there is an error that requires contacting
XIA (
), we will almost certainly ask to see this log file. When a CounterMeasure log gets
too large (~52 MB) it is renamed and a new one is generated. CounterMeasure.log will always be the
most recent log, CounterMeasure.1.log the second most recent, and so on.
b)
Handel Log
The second type of log, the Handel log (CounterMeasure_handel.log), is also stored directly in the
logs folder with the CounterMeasure logs and is also a plain-text log. Handel is XIA’s device interaction
software, and CounterMeasure uses it to communicate to the hardware. This log is also useful in the
event of an unexpected error. It is important to note that this log is overwritten every time
CounterMeasure is launched, so in the event of an unexpected error be sure to save this log before
attempting to restart CounterMeasure.
c)
Sensor and Analysis Logs
The remaining two logs are stored in their own folders inside the Logs folder – these are Analysis
and Sensor logs. Sensor logs (.sns) store data from the various sensors, such as the tilt, HV, and flow.
These logs are binary-formatted. Analysis logs store logs from the analysis engine. They are plain-text
logs. These logs are only pertinent to the user if there’s an error with one of those particular systems, in
which case XIA will ask for them.
3.
Parameters
The parameter file is where the alpha analysis engine (AAE) stores the various parameters it uses to
classify
pulses.
This
log
is
stored
in
C:\Users\UltraLo\AppData\Roaming\XIA
LLC\CounterMeasure\Config. These parameters vary from counter to counter and place to place, and
