Canberra iMatic Automatic LB User manual

iMatic™
Automatic LB
System
9239221
K V1.26 User’s Manual

Copyright 2017, Mirion Technologies (Canberra), Inc .
All rights reserved.
The material in this document, including all information, pictures,
graphics and text, is the property of Mirion Technologies (Canberra),
Inc. and is protected by U.S. copyright laws and international copyright
conventions.
Mirion Technologies (Canberra) expressly grants the purchaser of this
product the right to copy any material in this document for the
purchaser’s own use, including as part of a submission to regulatory or
legal authorities pursuant to the purchaser’s legitimate business needs.
No material in this document may be copied by any third party, or used
for any commercial purpose or for any use other than that granted to the
purchaser without the written permission of Mirion Technologies
(Canberra), Inc.
Mirion Technologies (Canberra), Inc., 800 Research Parkway, Meriden,
CT 06450 Tel: [phone] FAX: [phone]
http://www.canberra.com/.
The information in this document describes the product as accurately as
possible, but is subject to change without notice.
Printed in the United States of America.
For technical assistance, call our Customer Service Hotline at
1-800-255-6370 or email [e-mail].
iMatic, iLink and iSeries are trademark of Mirion Technologies, Inc.
and/or its affiliates in the United States and/or other countries.
PIPS is a registered trademark Mirion Technologies, Inc. and/or its
affiliates in the United States and/or other countries

Table of Contents
1. Introduction .................................................................................... 1
About this Manual..........................................................................................................................1
Typographic Conventions...............................................................................................................2
2. Getting Started ............................................................................... 3
Turning on the iMatic.....................................................................................................................3
Power ON Options.....................................................................................................................3
Demo/Troubleshooting Mode.........................................................................................................4
Front Panel Controls.......................................................................................................................6
Power and Battery Indicators.....................................................................................................7
Display.......................................................................................................................................8
View...........................................................................................................................................8
Print............................................................................................................................................8
Arrow Keys................................................................................................................................9
Numeric Keypad......................................................................................................................11
Enter, Cancel, and Setup Keys.................................................................................................11
Sample Changer Control Keys.................................................................................................11
Count Key (Count/Pause/Resume) ..........................................................................................12
Halt...........................................................................................................................................12
Rear Panel Controls and Connectors............................................................................................13
Sample Changer............................................................................................................................14
Loading Sample Carriers..........................................................................................................15
Uninterruptible Power Supply......................................................................................................16
3. Setup Menu................................................................................... 17
Delete Data...................................................................................................................................18
Set Security Level.........................................................................................................................18
Define Procedure..........................................................................................................................20
Procedure Name.......................................................................................................................
21
Select Calibration.....................................................................................................................22
Unk Sample Diameter..............................................................................................................22
Select Report............................................................................................................................23
Count Time ..............................................................................................................................24
Sample Iterations......................................................................................................................24
Count Presets............................................................................................................................25
Activity Units...........................................................................................................................26
Action Limits ...........................................................................................................................27
Method Blank Enable...............................................................................................................28
iMatic Automatic Counting System User's Manual - 9239221K i

Group Iterations .......................................................................................................................29
System Information ......................................................................................................................30
Unit ID .....................................................................................................................................30
Unit Serial Number..................................................................................................................31
Display All Unique IDs............................................................................................................31
Display MAC Address.............................................................................................................32
View DAQ BD Parameters......................................................................................................33
Version Information.................................................................................................................33
Setup Printer.................................................................................................................................34
Character/Line..........................................................................................................................34
Left Margin..............................................................................................................................35
Lines/Pages ..............................................................................................................................35
Top Margin ..............................................................................................................................36
Bottom Margin.........................................................................................................................36
LPT Timeout............................................................................................................................37
Define Report ...............................................................................................................................37
Edit Title ..................................................................................................................................41
Select Field...............................................................................................................................41
Clear Last.................................................................................................................................42
Print..........................................................................................................................................43
Group Summary.......................................................................................................................43
Print Header .............................................................................................................................44
Define Std Source.........................................................................................................................44
Select User Source ...................................................................................................................45
Half-life (Days)........................................................................................................................46
Source Calibration Date...........................................................................................................46
Source Calibration Month ................................................................................................47
Source Calibration Day ....................................................................................................47
Source Calibration Year ...................................................................................................48
Source Calibration Time..........................................................................................................48
Source Calibration Hour...................................................................................................48
Source Calibration Minute................................................................................................49
Source Calibration Second ...............................................................................................49
Detector Parameters......................................................................................................................50
Guard Det HV..........................................................................................................................50
Guard Det Threshold................................................................................................................51
Guard Det Serial Number.........................................................................................................52
Sample Det HV........................................................................................................................52
Sample Det Threshold..............................................................................................................53
Sample Det Serial Number.......................................................................................................54
Sample Det Gain Proc..............................................................................................................54
ii iMatic Automatic Counting System User's Manual - 9239221K

Define Calibrations.......................................................................................................................55
Edit Cal Name..........................................................................................................................57
Bkg Cal Parameters..................................................................................................................58
αEff Cal Parameters................................................................................................................59
βEff Cal Parameters................................................................................................................60
Auto Cal Sequence Start ..........................................................................................................60
Define QC Procedures..................................................................................................................61
Select QC Reference................................................................................................................62
Daily Bkg Parameters ..............................................................................................................62
Daily αEff Parameters ............................................................................................................63
Daily βEff Parameters.............................................................................................................64
Set Date/Time...............................................................................................................................65
Set Day (of Week)....................................................................................................................65
Set Month.................................................................................................................................65
Set Year....................................................................................................................................66
Set Hour ...................................................................................................................................66
Set Minute................................................................................................................................66
Set Second................................................................................................................................67
Define Users.................................................................................................................................67
Auto - restack ...............................................................................................................................68
Timed Count.................................................................................................................................68
Clear QC Log ...............................................................................................................................69
Data Output Setup ........................................................................................................................70
Output Modes...........................................................................................................................70
Output Configuration...............................................................................................................71
Printer Enable...........................................................................................................................
72
Set Analysis Parameters ...............................................................................................................72
Setup Test Pulser..........................................................................................................................73
Pulser Amplitude......................................................................................................................73
Pulser On/Off...........................................................................................................................74
4. Display Menu................................................................................ 75
5. View Menu .................................................................................... 76
Sample Data..................................................................................................................................76
Calibration Data............................................................................................................................78
QC Data Display...........................................................................................................................79
6. Print Menu .................................................................................... 80
Print Most Recent Group..............................................................................................................80
Print All Groups ...........................................................................................................................81
Print Selected Group/Report.........................................................................................................81
iMatic Automatic Counting System User's Manual - 9239221K iii

Print System Reports....................................................................................................................82
A. Calibrating the System ................................................................ 84
Entering Calibration Source Information .....................................................................................85
Selecting Output Mode.................................................................................................................86
Modifying Calibration Procedures ...............................................................................................86
Measuring Alpha and Beta Backgrounds and Efficiencies ..........................................................88
B. Counting Samples........................................................................ 90
C. System QC Charts ....................................................................... 91
QC Chart Reference......................................................................................................................91
QC Warnings................................................................................................................................91
QC Lockout ..................................................................................................................................92
D. Optimizing the CANBERRA iSERIES for Air Sample Counting 93
iSERIES Algorithm......................................................................................................................93
Testing the Algorithm..............................................................................................................94
Potential Problems ...................................................................................................................94
Firmware Versions...................................................................................................................94
Gain Calibration ...............................................................................................................95
Analysis Calibrations........................................................................................................97
Sample Distance...............................................................................................................98
Sample Analysis Delay.....................................................................................................99
Count Time.......................................................................................................................99
Sample Collection Time.................................................................................................100
Filter Media Selection ....................................................................................................102
Regions...........................................................................................................................104
Uncertainty of the Measurement ....................................................................................104
Manual Gain Adjust .......................................................................................................105
Radon Stripping Verification Tests................................................................................112
E. Updating iMatic Firmware.......................................................... 113
Setting Up HyperTerminal .........................................................................................................113
Using the Flash Loader Utility ...................................................................................................115
F. System Installation .................................................................... 119
Items Required............................................................................................................................119
Site Selection..............................................................................................................................120
Physical Requirements...........................................................................................................120
AC Power Source...................................................................................................................121
Preparation..................................................................................................................................121
Installation of Unit......................................................................................................................122
Mounting the System .............................................................................................................122
iv iMatic Automatic Counting System User's Manual - 9239221K

Installing the Sample Mast.....................................................................................................124
Installing the Lead Shield.......................................................................................................124
Installing the Detector............................................................................................................129
Installing the Cabinets............................................................................................................133
Installing the Monitor Support Arm.......................................................................................134
Installing the Batteries............................................................................................................136
Installing the Printer Shelf .....................................................................................................137
Connecting the System...............................................................................................................138
AC Voltage ............................................................................................................................138
AC Power Connection............................................................................................................138
G. Technical Reference .................................................................. 139
Cleaning the PIPS Detector........................................................................................................139
Battery Care................................................................................................................................140
Nickel Metal Hydride Battery................................................................................................140
Memory Backup Battery........................................................................................................140
Protected Memory Corruption....................................................................................................141
iLink ...........................................................................................................................................142
Barcode Reader ..........................................................................................................................142
H. Specifications............................................................................. 143
Performance................................................................................................................................143
Physical.......................................................................................................................................144
Environmental ............................................................................................................................144
Rear Panel Connections..............................................................................................................145
Accessories Supplied..................................................................................................................145
I. Installation Considerations ....................................................... 146
J. FCC Notice ................................................................................. 147
Index ................................................................................................. 149
iMatic Automatic Counting System User's Manual - 9239221K v

Important Safety Considerations
Read Carefully
General Safety
Indicates warning of mains or high voltage present at output labeled HV.
Risk of electrical shock if covers are removed.
Caution – risk of danger. Refer to documentation for detailed explanation of caution
symbol wherever marked.
Earth tree symbol – indicates the connection point for the primary earth (ground)
supply.
Product complies with appropriate current EU directives.
Product complies with appropriate current FCC (UL)/CSA 61010-1 directives.
Mechanical Safety: Caution – risk of injury due to moving parts.
Personal Safety: Protective gear is required.
Environmental Safety: Caution surfaces hot/cold.
Manufacturer's Address
Mirion Technologies (Canberra), Inc.
800 Research Parkway
Meriden, CT. 06450
vi iMatic Automatic Counting System User's Manual - 9239221K

About this Manual
1. Introduction
A traditional approach for determining the activity of
long-lived radionuclides
present in air is based on sampling a
measured volume of air through a filter, thus collecting
radioactive dust particulate, and measuring the filter at a later
time with an alpha spectrometer. The natural presence of
Radon (222Rn) and Thoron (220Rn) gas in the atmosphere
represents a significant problem when trying to rapidly
quantify such an activity (e.g. without waiting for the
Radon/Thoron signatures to decay). Alpha particles resulting
from the decay of the daughters of the Radon/Thoron
isotopes down scatter into the lower energy region of the
spectrum where signals indicative of the presence of
long-lived radionuclides would be detected. It is this
interference that must be determined and corrected for. The
Canberra iMatic instrument is an automated single-detector
counting system for the measurement of low-level alpha and
beta radiation. The system utilizes a series of algorithms to
evaluate the Radon/Thoron contributions to the spectrum to
dramatically improve the signal to noise ratio of the
long-lived alpha emitting radionuclides.
Figure 1 iMatic Automatic LBCS
About this Manual
This manual contains the following chapters and appendices:
Chapters
The Chapters are divided into the following arrangement.
Chapter 1, Introduction, (this chapter) is an introduction to the manual.
Chapter 2, Quick Start, gives a brief introduction to the iMatic front and rear
panel controls.
Chapters 3 through 6 describe in detail how to use the Setup, Display, View, and
Print menus.
Appendices
The appendices offer useful information not usually needed in day-to-day operation.
iMatic Automatic Counting System User's Manual - 9239221K 1

Chapter 1 Introduction
Typographic Conventions
Names of Keys on the Keyboard
The names of keyboard keys as they usually appear on the keyboard and are seen in
small capital letters (for example, ENTER or ESCAPE).
User Entries
Text you are expected to type in is shown in Courier New (monospaced style)
type.
File Names/Path Names
Names of files and directory path names are shown in Arial (C:\GENIE2K).
Soft Keys/Buttons
Soft keys/buttons are shown in Special Bold type.
Titles
Titles of books and of manual chapters and section are shown in italics.
Emphasis of Text
Italics is used to emphasize text.
Notes
Note: Indicates supplementary information that may be of interest.
Reference Designators
Letters that appear within square brackets [] refer to reference designators on the
assembly drawings.
2 iMatic Automatic Counting System User's Manual - 9239221K