UltraLo-1800 Alpha Particle Counter
XIA LLC
Page 61
C.
CounterMeasure Troubleshooting
CounterMeasure, being the interface to a technically complex and intricate detector system, may
sometimes appear inscrutable or behave in unexpected ways. This section will allow you to debug any
issues you might have with the software so you can get back to counting.
1.
Can’t Start CounterMeasure
If there’s an issue at startup, CounterMeasure will fail to start and throw an error message, in most
cases offering to send an error report to XIA. It’s best practice to send in that report so the issue can be
documented and fixed, and support provided. One notable thing that can cause CounterMeasure to fail
to start is running the system from a new user account on the provided laptop, important files are
stored on a per-user basis and won’t be found in this case. If CounterMeasure fails to start properly,
please contact XIA support at
2.
Can’t Start a Run
Sometimes CounterMeasure won’t let you start a run,
almost always by disabling the Run Control Button. There are a
two main reasons it will do this. The most likely is that the
software didn’t connect to the counter. If the “disconnected” icon is present near the status icons (see
Figure VII-2) then this is your problem. See
for how to troubleshoot this. The
next most likely cause is that the tray is either all the way open or not fully closed. If the tray is open,
close it. If it appears to be closed, try running it out, then back in. (For information on tray operation, see
3.
Status Icons Red
There are three
, and they each turn red for a specific reason. If the HV or Gas icon is
red, it means that the HV or Gas (respectively) is outside of normal operating range. If the Chassis icon is
red, it means that the counter is tilted at a fairly sharp angle (usually because the upper chamber is
opened). To fix a red Chassis icon, simply close and latch the counter. Typically all that’s required to fix a
red HV or Gas icon is to start a run, this will automatically ramp the HV and Gas to where they should be.
If CounterMeasure is unable to ramp them to the correct value, it will generate a warning message. If
the gas cannot be ramped it’s usually due to inadequate gas pressure being supplied to the support box.
Check your gas supply and make sure it’s supplying 21 PSI. If the HV cannot be ramped, contact XIA
support.
4.
CounterMeasure is Frozen
Sometimes CounterMeasure will get into a state where it cannot continue normal operation, and
occasionally cannot even be normally closed. If this happens simply open the Task Manager (via
Ctrl+Alt+Delete), click on CounterMeasure, and click “End Task”. Once CounterMeasure is closed, try to
restart it. If it fails to connect, see
for more troubleshooting information.
Figure VII-2: Disconnected icon.
