XIA FalconX1 User manual

FalconX1/X4/X8
Quick Start Guide
Version 0.6
August 23, 2019
ProSpect Software
Software Revision: 1.0.39
XIA LLC
31057 Genstar Rd
Hayward, CA 94544 USA
Email: [email protected]
Tel: [phone]; Fax: [phone]
http://www.xia.com/
Information furnished by XIA LLC is believed to be accurate and reliable. However, no responsibility is
assumed by XIA for its use, or for any infringements of patents or other rights of third parties which may
result from its use. No license is granted by implication or otherwise under any patent or patent rights of XIA.
XIA reserves the right to change hardware or software specifications at any time without notice.

FalconX1/X4/X8 Quick Start Guide Version 0.6
August 23, 2019 2
Table of Contents
1Introduction...........................................................................................................................................3
1.1 Hardware Setup.....................................................................................................................3
1.2 Network Setup ......................................................................................................................4
1.3 Web Server............................................................................................................................4
1.3.1 Status.................................................................................................................................4
1.3.2 Firmware...........................................................................................................................5
1.3.3 Config ...............................................................................................................................6
1.3.4 Log....................................................................................................................................6
1.3.5 Reset..................................................................................................................................7
2ProSpect Control of the FalconXn........................................................................................................8
2.1 Configuration File.................................................................................................................8
2.2 Analog Setup and Oscilloscope Mode..................................................................................8
2.3 Pulse Characterization...........................................................................................................9
2.4 MCA Operation...................................................................................................................10
2.5 SCA Outputs.......................................................................................................................12
2.6 ProSpect..............................................................................................................................13

FalconX1/X4/X8 Quick Start Guide Version 0.6
August 23, 2019 3
1 Introduction
This manual provides the information required to get up and running with a
FalconX1/FalconX4/FalconX8 system from XIA LLC quickly. This family of highly
advanced processors incorporates the cutting edge SITORO® algorithm, developed
and licensed to XIA by Southern Innovation of Melbourne Australia.
The FalconXn family is designed to work with the full range of available X-ray
detectors, including SDD detectors as well as HPGe detectors, offering an
unprecedented combination of high throughput, excellent energy resolution and
advanced data acquisition features such as fast mapping and list mode output.
1.1 Hardware Setup
The FalconX1/X4/X8 processors are packaged in an a compact aluminum chassis,
which can easily be located close to the target detector in the laboratory:
Power is provided to the FalconXn by an external, medical-grade 12V, 5A power
supply. Communication is through a high-speed gigabit Ethernet connection. SMA
connectors are used for the analog inputs. Several MCX connectors are used for
digital control inputs; finally, a high-density connector is used to provide 32 digital
I/O lines.
To set up the FalconXn, perform the following steps; note that all connections are on
the back panel:
•Connect the power supply to AC power (100-240 VAC, 50-60 Hz) using a standard
power cord
•Plug the power supply output (lower left of the rear panel)

FalconX1/X4/X8 Quick Start Guide Version 0.6
August 23, 2019 4
•Connect an Ethernet cable (capable of supporting 1 Gbps) to the standard RJ45
connector. See below for more detail on the network setup.
•Connect the detector preamplifier outputs to the input SMA connectors. Short SMA
to BNC cables (provided) can be used if conversion is necessary.
•To turn on the box, press the button on the front panel, which will turn blue to
indicate that power is on. If the button turns red, it indicates a power fault.
•To turn the unit off, press and hold the power button for more than three seconds.
1.2 Network Setup
We strongly recommend using a gigabit Ethernet network to connect the FalconXn to
the host computer systems. For best results with fast mapping applications (which
involve very high data transfer loads), it is best to use a dedicated network
connection, so that the full data bandwidth is available to carry the high data load.
The FalconXn can be setup to use either DHCP to obtain its IP address, or with a
static address for situations where a DHCP server is not available. The network
settings can be modified either through the web server (see below) or through a
service port on the instrument (which is beyond the scope of this document).
Please note that units are shipped with a static ip address set to 192.168.0.2. To make
the initial connection to the FalconXn, it is typically easiest to make a direct
connection to the host computer; in this setup, the host computer will also need to be
set to a fixed ip address on the same subnet as the FalconXn (such as 192.168.0.1).
1.3 Web Server
To get started, it is best to make the initial connection through the built-in web server on the FalconXn.
To access the web server, just type the ip address of the box into the browser address on a computer that
is connected to the same Ethernet subnetwork as the box. Upon first connection, you will be prompted for
login credentials: username: user, password password. The web server has several panels, described
below, which are selected using the tabs along the top of the page.
1.3.1 Status

FalconX1/X4/X8 Quick Start Guide Version 0.6
August 23, 2019 5
The status tab shows a wide range of information, including serial numbers, firmware
versions, onboard voltages and temperature, and analog settings. The general state of
the board is indicated by the color of the tab at the top (where red or orange will
indicate an alarm or error state).
1.3.2 Firmware
The firmware tab shows what firmware versions are installed, and allows for loading
new firmware, as well as choosing to revert back to any previous version that is
loaded in flash memory. Up to three versions can be stored in flash memory; the
system automatically retains the most recent versions.

FalconX1/X4/X8 Quick Start Guide Version 0.6
August 23, 2019 6
1.3.3 Config
The config tab shows the current network configuration settings. Pressing the ‘edit
saved config’ button allows the user to change the network settings (from dhcp to
static ip, for example).
1.3.4 Log
The log tab shows basic information from the initial startup as well as subsequent
host connections. If there is an error or alarm state, the log page will give the
associated details.

FalconX1/X4/X8 Quick Start Guide Version 0.6
August 23, 2019 7
1.3.5 Reset
The Reset tab allows the user to reboot the FalconXn unit, in order to restore to initial
conditions.

FalconX1/X4/X8 Quick Start Guide Version 0.6
August 23, 2019 8
2 ProSpect Control of the FalconXn
We support the FalconXn processors with our standard high-level Handel driver
library, which allows us to offer GUI control through ProSpect, our standard setup
and control program, which we use to support our full range of X-ray spectrometers.
As the FalconXn operates somewhat differently than our conventional spectrometers,
a detailed procedure for using ProSpect with the FalconXn is presented here.
2.1 Configuration File
Like all devices under the Handel driver library, a configuration file eg, falconx4.ini)
is used to store all of the necessary settings, including the network settings (target ip
address and port numbers) as well as spectrometer settings and configuration data.
Sample configuration files are included with the ProSpect release; it is typically
necessary to edit the sample file with the target ip address to connect to the target
system. It may also be necessary to edit the template configuration file included in
the ProSpect release to have a file with the correct number of channels; the template
file is set up to support an eight-channel system. To set up for fewer channels, just
delete the unneeded channels from each section, and change the number of channels
specified for the module. Note that it is possible to make a setup for a number of
channels that differs from the number of channels of the target unit, if you only want
to use a subset of the channels –for example, you can make a six-channel setup that
works with a FalconX8.
2.2 Analog Setup and Oscilloscope Mode
The first step to setting up a system is to adjust the analog settings appropriately for
the target detector and application. All analog front-end settings are under computer
control, so that the FalconXn can easily be used with a wide range of detectors with
no special modifications or special setup necessary. The settings can be grouped into
three categories: input control, coupling, and gain/offset.
•Input control:
oSignal termination: 1 kohm or 50 ohm. Typically set to 1 kohm, except
when using long cables with a preamplifier output that can drive a 50 ohm
load.
oSignal attenuation: 0 dB (no attenuation) or -6 dB (50%). Typically set to 0
dB, except when the preamplifier output range extends outside +/- 8V, or if
the gain is extremely high.
oSignal Polarity: set so that the X-ray steps are positive-going.
•Signal Coupling
oDC coupling: for use with resistive feedback preamplifier outputs or the
direct output from a PMT connected to a scintillator
oAC coupling: for use with reset preamplifier outputs to turn the step-pulse
into a tail pulse (you will use this setting for all SDD and X-ray HPGe
detectors). For the tail pulse, four decay times are available, ranging from

FalconX1/X4/X8 Quick Start Guide Version 0.6
August 23, 2019 9
‘very-short’ (around 300 nanoseconds) to ‘long (around 2 microseconds).
The shorter decay times are meant to support the highest counting rate
operation. SDD detectors will use wither the ‘short’ or ‘very-short’ settings;
HPGe detectors, which have higher noise, can benefit from the longer decay
times.
•Gain and offset control
oThe signal gain can be adjusted over a range of x1 to x16 in fine steps (as
12-bit DAC is used)
oThe signal offset can be adjusted so that the baseline value can be placed
anywhere in the ADC range. By default, it is in the center of the range.
•
•
•The screenshot above shows the signal from an SDD, with the polarity set to give
positive-going pulses and the gain set to give a reasonable step size.
2.3 Pulse Characterization
Once the analog settings have been adjusted, the next step is to characterize the pulse,
or measure the shape of the pulse; it is necessary to have this characteristic pulse
shape prior to collecting MCA data (the MCA will not operate if there is no
measurement of the pulse shape). For this step, it is best to have a signal from a
simple spectrum (Fe55 or metal foil target), at a moderate count rate (up to 100 kcps
–most pulses should be isolated when looking at a Scope trace). To start the
Characterization process, either press th ‘Characterize’ button in the setup panel on
the left, or choose the Characterization tab on the right and press the ‘Characterize’
button at the top. In either case, the Characterization tab will be activated, and you
will see a progress bar along the top. Once the process ends, the display will be
updated with the fitted pulse shape, where you will see three curves: a sample pulse,
the initial fitted shape based on a sum of two exponentials, and the final pulse shape
which is a refined version of that fit.

FalconX1/X4/X8 Quick Start Guide Version 0.6
August 23, 2019 10
Please note that if you are using a weak source, the characterization process may fail
due to a timeout in the final verification procedure, which starts at the 60% point of
the process. In that case, run the process again, and cancel the process once you get to
the 60% point –the best fit to that point will be used.
Once you have completed the characterization process, it is a good idea to save the
configuration so you can reload it at a later time. Choose File -> Save as … to store
the configuration file; at this point, it is necessary to store each configuration in a
separate directory, so as to avoid overwriting the characterization file, which is stored
separately from the ini file (and referenced by the ini file).
2.4 MCA Operation
Once you have successfully characterized the pulse shape, you can take MCA data.
To get started, switch to the main MCA panel, and also select the Acquisition tab on
the left; see screenshot below.
In the Acquisition tab, you can select the number of bins in the spectrum (up to 4k),
as well as the bin width (in eV).
For pulse control, you can set the detection threshold, which is expressed as a
fraction of the full ADC range, and is set in the Characterization process –you may
not need to adjust the threshold, unless you are working to see the lowest possible
energies. The Minimum separation controls how close together two detected pulses
can be and be included in the spectrum; a longer separation can give somewhat better
resolution at high rates, at the expense of throughput. Finally, you can choose what
sort of detection and measurement filter is used to process the pulses:
Low energy: this is the slowest setting, and allows the lowest possible threshold to
detect light elements. This setting is also useful to process pulses with very long rise
times.
Low rate: Useful for larger area detectors with some pulses with longer rise times.

FalconX1/X4/X8 Quick Start Guide Version 0.6
August 23, 2019 11
Medium rate: This is the best all-around setting for most applications, as it combines
very high throughput with the best energy resolution for fast detectors.
High rate: this setting works with very fast (typically small area) detectors, and
allows for the highest possible throughput and the best pileup inspection, at the
expense of some resolution at low rates. Please note that this setting shoul only be
used with very short rise times; resolution performance is significantly degraded
using this filter with long rise times.
The performance of the medium and high rate filters with a small area CUBE SDD
detector (Ketek H7) is shown below. The high rate setting achieves 240 eV FWHM
atan output rate of 4 Mcps, while the medium rate setting achieves better than 170 eV
resolution at an output rate of 2.4 Mcps (and better than 140 eV at an output rate of 1
Mcps).

FalconX1/X4/X8 Quick Start Guide Version 0.6
August 23, 2019 12
2.5 SCA Outputs
The FalconXn has 32 digital lines available on the high density connector that can
support either inputs or outputs. By default, the unit can be set up to have either 16 or
24 digital output lines used to support hardware SCA outputs, where the remaining
lines are set up as inputs to support reading in encoder positions or counter outputs.
Running under ProSpect/Handel, the default setup uses 24 outputs used for SCA
outputs, where the outputs are split evenly per channel (24/channel for FalconX1,
6/channel for the FalconX4 and 3/channel for the falconX8.
Use the SCA tab on the left to set up and control the SCA outputs. The easiest way to
set the SCA regions is to define an ROI in the MCA window around the target energy
range, then transfer that ROI definition to the FalconXn unit using the appropriate
buttons on the SCA panel.
You can control the width of the pulses using the SCA panel; the default pulse length
is 400 ns, but can be adjusted in 4 ns steps. Note that the minimum off time for the
digital outputs is set to the pulse width (but can be longer, depending on counting
rate). Note that a high pulse indicates that a pulse was detected in the corresponding
SCA region.
The SCA outputs for the FalconXn are not affected by the run state –you do not need
to start a run to get the outputs. The SCA outputs are enabled or disabled using the
drop-down box in the SCA panel –they can either be always on or always off, ot
controlled by the GATE pulse.
120
140
160
180
200
220
240
260
012345
FWHM Resolution (eV)
OCR (Mcps)
FalconX Resolution at 5.9 keV
versus Output Count Rate
Max Rate Resolution Med Rate Resolution

FalconX1/X4/X8 Quick Start Guide Version 0.6
August 23, 2019 13
2.6 ProSpect
For more details concerning the use of ProSpect, please consult the User Manual for
the DXP-Mercury, as the common features of the ProSpect interface are described
there and are outside the scope of this short manual.