PRODUCTS

DECTRIS X-ray detector systems are based on the newly developed “single photon counting” technology which leads to a faster acquisition of better-quality data. With DECTRIS detector systems major improvements can be expected for accurate measurements of diffraction patterns, for time-resolved experiments, for the study of weak diffraction phenomena (e.g. diffuse scattering), or for resonant scattering experiments.

Key features

High dynamic range
The high dynamic range of 1 million (20 bits) leads to an excellent image quality with an unprecedented contrast, which allows to take images with low and very high intensity reflections.

Short readout times and high frame rates
The short readout times of less than 3 ms and the high framing rates of up to 200 images/second allow the user to investigate dynamic processes and substantially reduce the measurement time. Due to the short readout times, efficiency and throughput are significantly improved.
Features like multiexposures per readout enable recording of processes with repetition rates above 1 kHz.
Other data acquisition modes like burst transfer to memory, readout with reduced dynamic range, region of interest of subsections (modules) are possible and are currently under development. These options are all targeted to further increase the frame rates of a detector.

High local and global counting rates
Due to the fast CMOS amplifiers, each pixel runs at count rates of > 10⁶ counts/s. Since the pixels are individually counting, this leads to global count rates of > 3.4x10⁹/cm².

Adjustable energy threshold
Fluorescence can be suppressed by setting a lower energy threshold, which can be even adjusted individually for each pixel.

Excellent signal-noise ratio
DECTRIS detector systems inherently have no readout noise and thus achieve data with excellent signal-noise ratio.

Excellent point-spread function
Due to the direct detection of the X-rays with silicon sensors, a point-spread function of 1 pixel is achieved.

Radiation-tolerant design
The CMOS chips as well as the sensors are designed using radiation-tolerant layout techniques developed for high-energy physics to prevent any damage from the incoming X-rays. The detectors will withstand the doses arising from long-term operation at modern synchrotrons.

Electronically gateable and external trigger
Exposure times can be varied from 100 ns to hours and are controlled either internally to an accuracy of 15 ns or by applying an external gate signal. An external trigger input with programmable delay makes synchronization between detector and other hardware at the beamline very easy.

Shutterless operation
DECTRIS detectors are electronically gated and dont require a mechanical shutter, which simplifies the whole measurement setup remarkably. Combined with the noiseless readout of the DECTRIS detectors, this allows to acquire data in fine phi-slicing mode.

Room temperature operation
All the DECTRIS detector systems are operated at room temperature and therefore are very easy to set up and maintain.

Fields of use

DECTRIS detector systems are versatile usable in many areas such as:

• Synchrotron light sources
• Industrial XRD
• Nondestructive testing
• Medical applications
• Special applications: e.g. as spectrometers for fusion reactors

DECTRIS detector systems consist of the pixel detector, a power supply, a Linux PC with a PCI data acquisition system, the powerful analyzing software TVX and the connecting cables (15 m). The smaller detectors are air-cooled and dont require a cooling unit. The larger ones come with a water cooling unit for temperature stabilization.

Beneath the outstanding performance of the detector systems, the modularity is another remarkable feature. The basic element of every DECTRIS detector, the detector module, can be combined to form multimodule detector setups with different active area sizes.
DECTRIS offers different detector systems graduated in their active area and their framing rate to perfectly suit your measurement needs. Should in your experimental setup arise the need for a special geometry, we might be able to provide a solution.

All DECTRIS detector systems are provided with a camera server program which can be easily interfaced via TCP/IP from different software packages. Examples for interfacing the detectors with SPEC and EPICS are available. For stand-alone systems the software package TVX is provided, a powerful data acquisition and data analyzing tool, which allows the advanced user to develop scripts in a C-like command language.

Every detector is thoroughly calibrated before delivery and does not need to be recalibrated.

Production

All DECTRIS detector systems are manufactured in Switzerland under high quality standards and are extensively tested before shipped to the user.