ORTEC digiBASE-E User manual

ORTEC ®
digiBASE-E ™
High-Performance, Power-over-Ethernet
Multichannel Analyzer / PMT Base
for Scintillation Detectors
User’s Manual
Printed in U.S.A. ORTEC Part No. 931047 0213
Manual Revision C
NOTICE OF PROPRIETARY PROPERTY
Thisdocumentandtheinformationcontainedinitaretheproprietaryproperty
of AMETEK Inc., ORTEC Business Unit. It may not be copied or used in any
manner nor may any of the information in or upon it be used for any purpose
without theexpress written consent of an authorized agent of AMETEK Inc.,
ORTEC Business Unit.

Advanced Measurement Technology, Inc.
a/k/a/ ORTEC®, a subsidiary of AMETEK®, Inc.
WARRANTY
ORTEC* warrants that the items will be delivered free from defects in material or workmanship. ORTEC makes no other
warranties, express or implied, and specifically NO WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
ORTEC’s exclusive liability is limited to repairing or replacing at ORTEC’s option, items found by ORTEC to be
defective in workmanship or materials within one year from the date of delivery. ORTEC’s liability on any claim of any
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from the manufacture, sale, delivery, resale, repair, or use of any item or services covered by this agreement or purchase
order, shall in no case exceed the price allocable to the item or service furnished or any part thereof that gives rise to the
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exclusive liability and buyer’s exclusive remedy shall be release of the buyer from the obligation to pay the purchase price.
In no event shall ORTEC be liable for special or consequential damages.
Quality Control
Before being approved for shipment, each ORTEC instrument must pass a stringent set of quality control tests designed to
expose any flaws in materials or workmanship. Permanent recordsof these tests are maintained for use in warranty repair and
as a source of statistical information for design improvements.
Repair Service
If it becomes necessary to return this instrument for repair, it is essential that Customer Services be contacted in advance of
its return sothat a Return Authorization Number can be assigned to the unit. Also, ORTEC must be informed, eitherin writing,
by telephone [[phone]] or by facsimile transmission [[phone]], of the nature of thefault of the instrument being
returned and of the model, serial, and revision ("Rev" on rear panel) numbers. Failure to do so may cause unnecessary delays
in getting the unit repaired. The ORTEC standard procedure requires that instruments returned for repair pass the same quality
control tests that are used for new-production instruments. Instruments that are returned should be packed so that they will
withstandnormaltransithandlingandmustbeshippedPREPAIDviaAir ParcelPostor UnitedParcelServicetothe designated
ORTEC repair center. The address label and the package should include the Return Authorization Number assigned.
Instruments being returned that are damaged in transit due to inadequate packing will be repairedat the sender's expense, and
it will be the sender's responsibility to make claim with the shipper. Instruments not in warranty should follow the same
procedure and ORTEC will provide a quotation.
Damage in Transit
Shipments should be examined immediately upon receipt for evidence of external or concealed damage. The carrier making
delivery should be notified immediately of any such damage, since the carrier is normally liable for damage in shipment.
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claims and in providing replacement equipment, if necessary.
Copyright © 2013, Advanced Measurement Technology, Inc. All rights reserved.
*ORTEC®is a registered trademark of Advanced Measurement Technology, Inc. All other trademarks used herein are the
property of their respective owners.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
WARRANTY ................................................................ ii
SafetyInstructionsandSymbols.................................................. v
SafetyWarningsandCleaningInstructions ......................................... v
1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................... 1
1.1. digiBASE-EAdvantages ................................................. 1
1.1.1. GainStabilization................................................. 1
1.1.2. FlexibleAcquisitionModes......................................... 1
1.1.3. FlexibleGating................................................... 2
1.1.4. SpectrumAnalysisMadeEasy....................................... 2
1.2. HostPCandSoftwareRequirements ....................................... 3
1.3. About This Manual ..................................................... 3
2. GETTING STARTED ....................................................... 5
2.1. ThedigiBASE-E ....................................................... 5
2.2. DataAcquisition(Gate)Modes............................................ 5
2.3. SoftwareandHardwareInstallation ........................................ 7
2.3.1. Step 1: Install the CONNECTIONS DriverUpdateKit ..................... 9
2.3.2. Steps2(Optional)and3: InstallYourSpectroscopyApplications .......... 9
2.3.3. Steps 4 through 7: Hardware Setup and Installation ..................... 9
2.3.4. Step 8: Use the DeviceController Program to “Attach” to the digiBASE-E . . 10
2.3.4.1. IPAddressing—Dynamicvs.Static ......................... 12
Dynamic ........................................... 12
Static .............................................. 13
LeaseTimeforIPAddresses ........................... 14
2.3.5. Step 9: Run MCB Configuration to Establish Communication With Your
MCBs ........................................................ 14
2.3.5.1. ConfiguringaNewInstrument .............................. 15
2.4. Multiple Users Can Attach to the Same digiBASE-E .......................... 16
2.5. MovingaStaticallyAddresseddigiBASE-EtoaDifferentNetworkorPC ........ 16
3. USINGTHEDIGIBASE-E .................................................. 17
3.1. digiBASE-EMCBPropertiesinMAESTRO ................................ 17
Installation — p. 7
Quick-reference diagram — p. 8

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3.1.1. Amplifier....................................................... 17
3.1.2. Amplifier2 ..................................................... 18
3.1.3. ADC .......................................................... 18
3.1.3.1. Gate ................................................... 19
3.1.4. Stabilizer....................................................... 20
3.1.5. HighVoltage ................................................... 21
3.1.6. About ......................................................... 21
3.1.7. Status ......................................................... 22
3.1.8. Presets......................................................... 22
3.2. Troubleshooting ....................................................... 23
3.2.1. ConnectionFailed/SocketError(IncompatibleStaticIPAddress)......... 23
3.2.2. Cannot Communicate with MAESTRO or ScintiVision-32 ............... 26
4. SPECIFICATIONS......................................................... 27
4.1. Performance .......................................................... 27
4.2. Inputs ............................................................... 28
4.3. UsewithLanthanumChlorideandLanthanumBromideDetectors............... 28
4.4. ComputerControlsandIndicators......................................... 28
4.5. Electrical,Mechanical,andEnvironmental.................................. 29
4.6. FeatureMaskBits ..................................................... 29
5. FIRMWARE COMMANDS AND RESPONSES ................................. 35
5.1. CONNECTIONS ......................................................... 35
5.1.1. CommandRecords ............................................... 35
5.1.2. Percent Response Records ......................................... 36
5.1.3. Dollar Response Records .......................................... 38
5.1.4. CommandCatalog ............................................... 38
APPENDIX A. SETTING THE COARSE GAIN JUMPER ........................... 61
APPENDIXB. LISTMODE ................................................... 63
B.1. ListModeData ....................................................... 63
INDEX..................................................................... 65

v
DANGER Do not attempt to open the cover of this instrument as this can expose dangerous
voltages. Disconnect the instrument from all voltage sources while it is being
cleaned.
WARNING Using this instrument in a manner not specified by the manufacturer may impair
the protection provided by the instrument.
CAUTION To prevent introducing moisture into the instrument during external cleaning,
use only enough liquid to dampen the cloth or applicator.
Safety Instructions and Symbols
This manual contains up to three levels of safety instructions that must be observed in order to
avoid personal injury and/or damage to equipment or other property. These are:
DANGER Indicates a hazard that could result in death or serious bodily harm if the safety
instruction is not observed.
WARNING Indicates a hazard that could result in bodily harm if the safety instruction is not
observed.
CAUTION Indicates a hazard that could result in property damage if the safety instruction is
not observed.
Safety Warnings and Cleaning Instructions
Cleaning Instructions
To clean the instrument exterior:
Remove loose dust on the outside of the instrument with a lint-free cloth.
Remove remaining dirt with a lint-free cloth dampened in a general-purpose detergent and
water solution. Do not use abrasive cleaners.
Allow the instrument to dry completely before reconnecting it to the power source.

vi

1
1. INTRODUCTION
The ORTEC digiBASE-E™ is a complete spectroscopy solution for most scintillation detectors.
It includes high voltage, digital signal processing of the detector pulse stream, and high-per-
formance multichannel analyzer functionality all within a standard 14-pin PMT base, and offers
conversion gain settings of 256, 512, 1024, and 2048 channels.
The digiBASE-E can be used with numerous scintillators. NaI(Tl) detectors have been histor-
ically the most popular; but with its new trapezoidal digital filter, the digiBASE-E is also com-
patible with the newer, faster scintillators, such as LaBr3(Ce). The digiBASE-E has almost three
times the throughput of the original digiBASE®. With the appropriate scintillator, the estimated
maximum throughput is 196k cps at a 532k cps input rate.
The integral Ethernet RJ45 connector features Power-over-Ethernet (PoE), allowing a simple,
single-cable connection to your LAN or PC.
Flexible gating logic makes it easy to configure multiple digiBASE-Es as part of an integrated
system where synchronized data acquisition is needed. Events can be correlated to <100 milli-
seconds. This makes the digiBASE-E ideal for remote monitoring applications and detector
networks and arrays.
1.1. digiBASE-E Advantages
1.1.1. Gain Stabilization
Because NaI(Tl) detector gain is sensitive to changes in ambient temperature and magnetic
fields, the digiBASE-E incorporates a gain stabilizer to significantly diminish this sensitivity. It
works by monitoring the centroid of a designated peak in the energy spectrum. The fine gain is
automatically and continuously adjusted to maintain the centroid of the peak at its desired
position.
1.1.2. Flexible Acquisition Modes
The digiBASE-E supports both the familiar Pulse Height Analysis (PHA) acquisition mode and
List Mode acquisition. In list mode, each gamma-ray interaction event is recorded in terms of
both energy (as in PHA mode) and time of occurrence (not recorded in PHA mode). The
resulting data set can be sorted on the basis of both time and energy. This has proven invaluable
in many applications such as homeland security, where, for example, a source is moving relative
to a detector. Data without the source present can be discarded on the basis of time of
occurrence, potentially enhancing signal-to-noise.

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In addition to PHA and List modes, an external input allows the digiBASE-E to perform as
a 32-bit counter for low-voltage TTL (LVTTL) pulses. The counter can be read through the
MAESTRO MCA emulation software or user-created software.
1.1.3. Flexible Gating
In measurement systems employing multiple detectors, there is often a need to synchronize data
acquisition (for example in a mobile gamma-ray search system the data from all detectors must
be correlated to correctly map out the activity distribution over an area). DigiBASE-E provides
flexible gating features; events from multiple spectrometers may be correlated to within
<100 milliseconds. This is achieved by the use of a gate input and a gate output. The gate input
can accept multiple signal types, which can be enabled from the supplied MAESTRO MCA
Emulation Software or from a user program. Command syntax is provided in Chapter 5. The
gate input modes are:
Coincidence Gate mode — In this mode, during acquisition, the gate is only open to the
passage of data when this input is “True.”
Trigger mode (“ACQ gate”) — In this mode, application of a “True” pulse to the gate starts
data acquisition.
Routing mode — In PHA mode, the presence of a “True” level results in data being routed
to an alternate spectral memory.
List Mode Event Gate — In this mode the presence of a TRUE level at the gate input
results in the associated list mode event(s) receiving a data tag. The gate output is a bridged
version of the gate input. It provides the “master output” for use with “slave” digiBASE-E
instruments in a multi-detector system. In this mode, the master gate out connects to the slave
gate(s) in.
For more detailed information on the digiBASE-E gate modes, see Section 2.2.
1.1.4. Spectrum Analysis Made Easy
The digiBASE-E is supplied with our MAESTRO®MCA Emulation Software (A65-BW).
MAESTRO has all the controls needed to adjust the acquisition parameters, acquire the data, and
save the spectra. As a member of our CONNECTIONS family of ORTEC products, it also provides
full networking with other ORTEC MCBs and supporting computers.
For complete quantitative analysis, ORTEC offers the ScintiVision™-32 MCA Emulation and
Analysis Software for Scintillation Detector Spectra (A35-B32). In addition, we offer the
A11-B32 CONNECTIONS Programmer’s Toolkit for those who wish to integrate the digiBASE-E

1. INTRODUCTION
1For the purposes of this manual, when we refer to MAESTRO, we mean the ORTEC MCA emulator/analysis
application you are using (e.g., MAESTRO, ScintiVision-32).
3
into their own software systems. The Toolkit offers Microsoft®ActiveX®controls to simplify
programming with National Instruments LabVIEW®, and Microsoft Visual C++ and Visual
Basic.
1.2. Host PC and Software Requirements
The digiBASE-E is completely computer-controlled and can be operated with any suitable
version of ORTEC CONNECTIONS software, including the supplied MAESTRO (v6.08 or later);
communicating via CONNECTIONS (v6.12 or later). The digiBASE-E connects via an RJ45
(8P8C) port and can be used on any PC running 32- or 64-bit Windows 7, or XP Professional
SP3.
NOTE You must have Windows administrator-level access to install ORTEC software.
1.3. About This Manual
This manual describes the digiBASE-E, tells how to connect it in a complete spectroscopy
system, gives instructions on configuring the hardware settings (such as high voltage, presets,
and gain), supplies the firmware commands and responses, and provides details on List Mode
operation. Complete details on using the control software are in the MAESTRO Software User’s
Manual as well as the manuals for ScintiVision-32 and our other ORTEC software applications.1

digiBASE-E™ High-Performance Power-over-Ethernet Multichannel Analyzer / PMT Base for Scintillation Detectors
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5
Figure 1. The digiBASE-E Connectors.
2. GETTING STARTED
2.1. The digiBASE-E
Figure 1 shows the digiBASE-E connectors on both the top and bottom panels, including the pin
assignments for the socket base, which accepts JEDEC B14-38 PMT pin bases (Table 1). The
digiBASE-E operates on Power over Ethernet (PoE). The CAT5E Ethernet cable runs to a
single-port PoE injector that requires an ac power source (see the specifications in Chapter 4).
2.2. Data Acquisition (Gate) Modes
In multi-detector measurement systems, there is often a need to synchronize data acquisition (for
example, in a mobile gamma-ray search system the data from all detectors must be correlated to
correctly map the activity distribution over an area). The digiBASE-E provides flexible gating
features; events from multiple spectrometers may be correlated to within <100 milliseconds.
This is achieved by the use of a gate input and a gate output.
d1–d10 dynodes 1–10
a anode
i.c. internal connection
ggrid
k cathode
Table 1. JEDEC B14-38 PMT Pin Base Pinouts.

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The gate input can accept multiple signal types, which you can select from the ADC property
page in MAESTRO (supplied) or from a customer-written program (command syntax is
described in Chapter 5).
The gate input modes are as follows. Note that a low signal is <0.8 V and high is >2.0 V.
!None — No gating is performed; all detector signals are processed. Can be used within
MAESTRO.
!Acq Control — Once software initiates the data acquisition process, the actual data
acquisition is in effect as long as the A input signal is high. The B output can be used to
control a sample changer. Can be used within MAESTRO.
!AcqTrigger — Once software initiates the data acquisition process, actual data acquisition
does not start until the Input A signal transitions from low to high. Data acquisition
continues until stopped by software. Can be used within MAESTRO.
!CoincGate — When Input A is low, real time and live time operate normally, but no counts
are stored in memory. When Input A is high, normal acquisition occurs. Can be used within
MAESTRO.
!EventCounter — Input A acts as a 32-bit (rising-edge) event counter for LVTTL pulses.
The contents of the counter can be monitored on the Status tab under Acquire/MCB
Properties... in MAESTRO and with the SHOW_MONI_VAL 0 firmware command. Input
impedance is 5-kΩto +3.3V, protected to ±10 V. Can be used within MAESTRO.
!Routing — If Input A is high, the spectrum histogram data are routed to an alternative data
memory. Otherwise the data are handled as a regular spectrum histogram. Currently, there
are two ways to access the data in the alternative data memory:
— Customer-written software.
— Using MAESTRO and the ORTEC Diag.exe utility simultaneously. To do this:
a) Start MAESTRO and use the detector droplist on the Toolbar to select the
digiBASE-E and display the histogram in its regular memory.
b) From My Computer, go to C:\Program Files\Common Files\ORTEC Shared\UMCBI
and run the Diag.exe program. Click on the detector droplist at the top of the window
and select the digiBASE-E. Position the MAESTRO and Diag windows as needed.
c) In the Command field in Diag, enter SET_VIEW 1 and click on the Send button.

2. GETTING STARTED
7
d) Close and reselect the MAESTRO spectrum window for this digiBASE-E. The
histogram in the alternative data memory will be displayed in the MAESTRO
spectrum window.
e) To return to the regular histogram memory, enter SET_VIEW 0, click on Send, then
close and reselect the MAESTRO detector window for this digiBASE-E to redisplay
the regular spectrum histogram.
!Sync — This applies only to list mode and a daisy-chain configuration (maximum 12 units
per daisy chain). Input A is the time synchronization pulse. A transition from low to high at
Input A causes a sync timestamp to appear in the list mode data stream. Requires customer-
written software.
!SyncMaster — This applies only to list mode and a daisy-chain configuration. In a
daisy-chained setup (maximum 12 units per daisy chain), only one digiBASE-E can act as
SyncMaster. The SyncMaster is responsible for generating a pulse at 100 ms intervals, and
the pulse is replicated to the other daisy-chained digiBASE-Es. Requires customer-written
software. Your software must distinguish the IP address of the master unit from the slaves.
2.3. Software and Hardware Installation
Installation takes just a few straightforward steps. See the quick-reference diagram in Fig. 2.
1. Install the accompanying CONNECTIONS Driver Update Kit (p/n 797230) first, being sure to
mark the DigiBASE-E checkbox on the Instrument Families screen.
2. If using ScintiVision-32, install it before installing MAESTRO.
3. Install the accompanying MAESTRO MCA Emulation Software (A65-BW).
4. Set the digiBASE-E’s coarse gain jumper as desired (the factory default is 1×), then mount
the detector on the digiBASE-E.
5. Connect the single-port PoE injector to an ac power supply
6. Connect the PoE injector to a network or a host PC.
7. Connect the digiBASE-E to the PoE injector.
8. Run the accompanying digiBASE-E Ethernet Device Controller program to locate all
digiBASE-Es on the network, and attach to the desired unit(s). Be sure to read
Section 2.3.4.1 on IP addressing.
9. Run the MCB Configuration program to establish communication between the digiBASE-Es
(and any other ORTEC MCBs) and your ORTEC software application(s).
NOTE Note that the SET_VIEW command affects only the PC that issued the
command. A user who accesses the same digiBASE from a different PC will
initially see the regular (SET_VIEW 0) spectrum view.

digiBASE-E™ High-Performance Power-over-Ethernet Multichannel Analyzer / PMT Base for Scintillation Detectors
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Figure 2. Installation Quick-Reference.

2. GETTING STARTED
9
Figure 3. Choose ‘DigiBASE-E’.
2.3.1. Step 1: Install the CONNECTIONS Driver Update Kit
1. The CONNECTIONS Driver Update
Kit must be installed before
MAESTRO can be installed.
On the Instrument Families page,
be sure to mark the DigiBASE-E
checkbox, as shown in Fig. 3. Other-
wise the digiBASE-E will not be
able to communicate with the PC
and MAESTRO.
If you also have other types of MCBs
attached to this PC, refer to the instal-
lation instructions in the correspond-
ing hardware manuals or in the ORTEC
MCB CONNECTIONS Hardware Pro-
perty Dialogs Manual (p/n 931001, on
the install CD). Alternatively, you can
install the other device drivers later,
as described in the CONNECTIONS
Driver Update Kit instructions.
2.3.2. Steps 2 (Optional) and 3: Install Your Spectroscopy Applications
Next, install the ORTEC software applications on the PC that will control the digiBASE-E.
2. The digiBASE-E is supplied with MAESTRO. However, if you will also be installing
ScintiVision-32 for the first time on this PC (i.e., if it is not already installed), it is important
to install it before MAESTRO, according to the instructions in the ScintiVision-32 User’s
Manual.
3. Next, install the accompanying version of MAESTRO according to the instructions in its
User’s Manual.
2.3.3. Steps 4 through 7: Hardware Setup and Installation
4. The coarse gain for the digiBASE-E is set with a jumper on the analog board. The available
settings are 1×, 3×, and 9×; the factory default is 1×. If you wish to use a different setting,
see the instructions in Appendix A. Be sure to record the setting you use (you may wish to
label the digiBASE-E housing with the current coarse gain setting).
Now attach the detector to the digiBASE-E according to the detector data sheet.

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5. Attach the PoE injector to its ac power cord, and connect it to an ac power supply. The power
ON indicator will light.
6. Power on the host PC. If working in a standalone (non-networked) configuration and using a
laptop (or desktop PC) that has a wireless LAN card, disable the card’s wireless networking
function. Some laptops automatically disable the network interface card to conserve the
battery when not connected to an ac power supply. Ensure that the network interface card is
enabled. In most cases, there will be no need to change your firewall settings.
The digiBASE-E is supplied with two 10 ft (3 m) CAT5E Ethernet cables. Attach one
CAT5E cable to the IN (LAN) jack of the PoE injector, then connect it to the PC’s Ethernet
adaptor or to the LAN.
7. Attach the second CAT5E cable to the PoE injector’s OUT (LAN+DC) jack, and connect it
to the digiBASE-E.
2.3.4. Step 8: Use the DeviceController Program to “Attach” to the digiBASE-E
This section tells how to use the Ethernet DeviceConnection program to locate all (powered on)
digiBASE-Es on the network, and “attach” to the units you wish to control from your PC. This
attachment process flags the instrument as “belonging” to your PC. Then, when you then run the
MCB Configuration to locate all ORTEC MCBs on the network (Section 2.3.5), any digi-
BASE-Es you have attached will be displayed as if they are physically connected to your PC
IMPORTANT — DHCP SERVER AND DYNAMIC ADDRESSING
If using your network’s Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server to assign a
dynamic IP address to your digiBASE-E (see Section 2.3.4.1), you must power on the PoE
injector and connect it to the LAN before connecting the second CAT5E cable to the
digiBASE-E. This is because, for the first 10 seconds the digiBASE-E is connected to the
LAN, it broadcasts an IP address request to the DHCP server. If it receives no response, it
defaults to the factory-assigned IP address discussed in Section 2.3.4.1 (which we strongly
recommend you read before using the digiBASE-E). If you miss the 10 second window,
simply disconnect/reconnect the network cable from the digiBASE-E to cycle its power. (If
connecting to a standalone PC [no network available], see Section 2.3.4.1.)

2. GETTING STARTED
2This is unlike other ORTEC MCAs, which (if powered on) are displayed by the MCB Configuration program
even if they are not attached to your local PC. Most ORTEC MCAs use only the MCB Configuration program to
set up communication with your PC. The digiBASE-E communicates differently than other ORTEC instruments;
the Ethernet Device Controller handles those differences.
11
(even if they are on other network nodes). The MCB Configuration interface will not display any
digiBASE-Es you have not attached.2
Click on the Ethernet Device Controller icon on the desktop.(Or use My Computer or
Windows Explorer to navigate to C:\Program Files\Common Files\ORTEC Shared\UMCBI
and open the DeviceController.exe file.) Figure 4 shows the initial screen.
Click on the Find All digiBASE-Es button. Within 10–20 seconds, the screen will update
with all located (powered on) digiBASE-Es. Figure 5 shows a device controller window
displaying three digiBASE-Es.
Click on the digiBASE-E you wish to control from this PC, then mark the Attach to this
device checkbox and confirm that you wish to attach. You must then decide on IP addressing
for this unit; see Section 2.3.4.1 for details. Repeat for each digiBASE-E you wish to use.
When you have attached to each digiBASE-E and are satisfied with the IP addressing for
each, click on the Save button to save this configuration to your PC, then click on the
Figure 4. The Initial (Blank) Device Controller Screen.
NOTE If another user(s) has already attached to this digiBASE-E, a message box will
notify you. See the note in Section 2.4 about multi-user access.

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window’s Close (×) icon. The final step will be to run the MCB Configuration program, as
discussed in Section 2.3.5.
2.3.4.1. IP Addressing — Dynamic vs. Static
The Ethernet Device Controller program gives you two ways to establish an IP address for the
digiBASE:
Automatic assignment of a dynamic IP address by your network’s Dynamic Host
Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server.
Manual assignment of a static IP address.
Dynamic
We recommend using the DHCP option, where available, because it is simplest and least prone
to address incompatibility issues. If you connect one or more powered-on digiBASE-Es to a
network with a DHCP server, it will assign each digiBASE-E a dynamic IP address. Then when
Figure 5. Three digiBASE-Es Detected; Highlighted Unit is Attached
to this PC (“Attach” checkbox is marked).

2. GETTING STARTED
3This address falls within the Automatic Private IP Addressing range (169.254.0.0 to 169.254.255.255). See
Microsoft support article 220874, How to use automatic TCP/IP addressing without a DHCP server.
13
you run the digiBASE-E Ethernet Device Controller software, you can choose to accept the
assigned address for each instrument or unmark the DHCP checkbox to switch to the manual
option.
Static
If assigning static IP addresses (for standalone applications or for networks without a DHCP
server) consult your network administrator first. An incorrect setting in any of the IP address
fields will prevent the digiBASE-E from communicating properly. Be sure to see Section 2.5 on
moving statically addressed digiBASE-Es without incurring communication errors.
The digiBASE-E is factory-assigned the static IP address 169.254.0.127.3If you connect a new
digiBASE-E to a PC that does not have network access, this is the IP address you will see the
first time you run the accompanying digiBASE-E Ethernet Device Controller program. Note that
it can take 5 or more minutes for the PC and digiBASE-E to establish communication. During
this period, Windows will typically display an “acquiring network address” message in the
lower-right corner of the screen.
If using multiple digiBASE-Es on a non-networked PC, all will initially have the same factory-
default IP address. Run the Ethernet Device Controller program, then attach to and manually
assign a unique IP address to each, otherwise they will not communicate correctly. (Suggestion:
change the value in the fourth dot section [triad], 127, to 126 for the second digiBASE-E, 125
for the third digiBASE-E, and so on.)
IMPORTANT — READ SECTION 2.5 AND RECORD STATIC IP ADDRESSES
Section 2.5 tells how to move a digiBASE-E with a static IP address to a different network
without encountering communication errors. However, if you assign the digiBASE-E a static
IP address, we strongly recommend that you record the IP address, subnet mask, and default
gateway, and store this information where it can be retrieved. You could need it if the
instrument is moved to a network with an incompatible subnet address. (In most cases of
incompatible addressing, the Ethernet Device Controller program will display the
digiBASE-E’s static address. However, for the cases in which the device controller program
cannot read the static address, if it is not recorded and available you must contact your
ORTEC representative or our Global Service Center for assistance.)

digiBASE-E™ High-Performance Power-over-Ethernet Multichannel Analyzer / PMT Base for Scintillation Detectors
14
Lease Time for IP Addresses
The digiBASE-E will retain a dynamic IP address as long as it remains connected to the network
and powered on via an IEEE 802.3af device, or for the length of the IP address lease (an
adjustable property of the DHCP server). If you take the digiBASE-E offline for longer than the
lease time and the lease expires, you must re-run the Ethernet Device Controller program so it
can acknowledge the new IP address. A digiBASE with a manually assigned IP address will
retain that address until you change it, regardless of connection/disconnection.
2.3.5. Step 9: Run MCB Configuration to Establish Communication With Your
MCBs
This is the final installation step. It establishes communication between the digiBASE-E and
your ORTEC spectroscopy software. Following is an abbreviated discussion of the operation
and use of the MCB Configuration program. We strongly recommend that you read the instruc-
tions for the CONNECTIONS Driver Update Kit for complete details on customizing MCB ID
Numbers and Descriptions, changing your Windows firewall settings to allow MCB access
across a network, enabling additional device drivers, and troubleshooting.
1. Make sure the digiBASE-E is connected and powered on as described above.
2. Connect and power on all other local and network ORTEC instruments that you wish to use,
as well as their associated PCs. Otherwise, the MCB Configuration program will not detect
them during installation. Any instruments not detected can be configured at a later time.
3. To start the software, enter mcb in the “search programs and files” box, then click on the
MCB Configuration search result; or open the Windows Start menu and click MAESTRO,
then MCB Configuration. The MCB Configuration program will locate all of the powered-
on ORTEC MCBs on the local PC and the network, and display the Master Instrument List
of instruments found (Fig. 6).
NOTE Once you have “attached” to a digiBASE-E as described in Section 2.3.4 — whether
it is connected to the LAN or directly to your PC — you can use the MCB Config-
uration program’s command line and the -L (local discovery only) flag to locate only
the ORTEC MCBs that are physically connected to your PC plus any attached
digiBASE-Es. See the command line discussion in the CONNECTIONS Driver Update
Kit instructions.