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Applications Software
Software specifically designed to meet the needs of the application in hand is a key element of a good measurement system. ORTEC offers a wide range of hardware in the form of radiation detector and data acquisition systems. It is often the application software which turns the “hardware into the solution,” and ORTEC has software covering a broad spectrum of nuclear measurement applications, often providing integrated hardware control, display and analysis in a single package.
- General purpose MCA software for a wide variety of uses: MAESTRO
- Counting Laboratory and Health Physics Applications
- Advanced Gamma Spectroscopy with HPGe Detectors: GammaVision
- Advanced Scintillation Detector spectrometry: ScintiVision
- Alpha Spectrometry with SI charged particle Detectors: AlphaVision
- GammaVision Productivity Add-on Software: Global Value
- Custom Report Generators
- Counting Lab Automation products
- Efficiency Transfer (ET) calibration codes (ANGLE)
- Nuclide Library Data Base Manager (NuclideNavigator III)
- Whole Body Counting with NaI and Ge Detectors: (Renaissance)
- Waste Assay and Nuclear Safeguards
- In Situ Spectroscopy for site characterisation and containerised waste: ISOPLUS
- Isotopic Ratio Determination of U and Pu (LLNL License): MGA
- Isotopic Ratio Determination of U and Pu (LANL License): PC/FRAM
- UF6 Cylinder Verification
- Nuclear Materials Holdup:HMS-4
- Neutron Safeguards Applications: INCC
- Homeland Security
- Chemical Weapons Identification: PINS
- Radio Nuclide Search System: NaI-SS
- Detective ® Indentifier codes
- Portal Monitor Codes
- Neutron Source Identification: Fission Meter
- Developer Support
- “CONNECTIONS” MCA communications Toolkit: A11-B32
- Analysis Results Toolkit: A12-B32
The MAESTRO Story
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The “Art” of “SMART” MCA Emulation began with the ORTEC MAESTRO product release in 1986. Over more than 25 years, the name “MAESTRO” has become a general term for MCA Emulators in the industry. Looking at today’s version of MAESTRO it has retained the original design goals while advancing in functionality and continuing to ride the wave of operating software development.
The design requirements for MAESTRO are unchanged. “Make the easy things easy.” Hot keys and simple menu structures do just that. “What you see is what you get.” All interactive functions operate on the active display. Even with multiple spectra on the screen, the user sees clearly which spectrum is active. “I want it now.” Peak finding and marking are single click exercises; the speed is reminiscent of a “hard-wired MCA,” because we insist it should be that way. “Make connection simple.” A simple to use connections setup wizard makes it as easy as we can to set up your system, regardless of which model MCB you are configuring or where it physically is on a networked system. All inputs appear the same regardless of their method of connection. Many thousands of copies of MAESTRO are in daily use across the world. A tribute to the design concept.
MAESTRO MCA Emulation Software
Advanced Software for MultiChannel Analyzer (MCA) Applications
• NEW! Windows 7 64-bit Compliant with legacy support for 32-bit Windows 7 and XP.
• NEW! “List Mode,” time-tagged data collection; create time-sliced spectra of any period after data acquisition.
• Advanced “smart” analysis functions: Fast Peak Search, Region of Interest (ROI), Improved Peak Fit, and Overlay Spectrum Comparison.
• Integrated control of a wide range of spectroscopy hardware with built in network support for control of up to 256 MCAs.
• Instant live data acquisition display on up to 8 inputs
• Advanced control of ORTEC DSP spectrometer features, either local or remote, via a common GUI.
• Automated “Jobs” for consistent and reliable data acquisition and reporting.
• Data Security Protection by personal password
MAESTRO is a multichannel analyzer (MCA) “emulation” software package. When used in conjunction with a personal computer, and appropriate MCB hardware, MAESTRO constitutes an advanced “smart” multichannel analysis environment for use in a wide variety of scientific applications in industry, teaching, and research, including nuclear counting laboratories.
The MAESTRO user interface provides live spectral display and control of hardware and provides a number of “smart” analysis tools. The spectrum display and manipulation has a common “look and feel” with other ORTEC spectroscopy products, such as GammaVision and Scintivision.
Full control of acquisition and all MCB hardware features is provided. The software auto-detects the attached hardware, presenting the user with only those features specifically available for that hardware. For example, members of the ORTEC DSPEC series of digital HPGe gamma spectrometer systems provide full control of the digital filter, auto-PZ and Insight® oscilloscope mode. These features are displayed by the MAESTRO software when
the DSPEC hardware is connected to the system.
As a member of the ORTEC CONNECTIONS suite of software products, MAESTRO has the capability to fully support up to 250 detector systems across a local area network; a remote detector appearing to a local operator is no different to one physically attached to the local PC workstation.
Download the MAESTRO brochure
Download the List Mode File Formats
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For Counting Laboratories and Health Physics
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GammaVision Gamma Spectrum Analysis
GammaVision is a comprehensive package for the analysis of gamma-ray spectra acquired with HPGe detectors. The first version was introduced over 25 years ago. Hardware control, advanced MCA display, and a suite of data analysis algorithms are integrated into one complete package. GammaVision-32 is broadly applicable to any gamma-ray spectroscopy application. You can view up to 8 live spectra and up to 8 stored spectra at the same time. A high degree of sample automation is possible using JOB or script files and an array of corrections is provided to deal with sample, nuclide and spectrum-related effects. The methods employed are compliant with recognized national and international standards such as ANSI/ISO/ASQ 9001:2000, ASME/NQA-1-1989, and ASME/NQA-2a-1990 and ISO/DIS 11929. GammaVision will work with any ORTEC MCB on Windows Systems.
Download the GammaVision data sheet.
Benefits of Upgrading from Previous Versions of GammaVision |
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LVis Counting Laboratory Application Manager Software
LVis is an application manager software package designed to simplify the routine operation of GammaVision-32 within a busy counting laboratory environment. All of the powerful features of the widely-used GammaVision analysis package are still available, but routine sample counting operations are greatly simplified. In addition, a number of new or enhanced features are added.
Download the LVis data sheet. |
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ScintiVision Quantitative Analysis of Gamma-Ray Spectra from NaI(Tl) Detectors
ScintiVision is an integrated multichannel analyzer (MCA) emulator and gamma-ray spectrum analysis program for the collection and analysis of sodium iodide (NaI) and other scintillator gamma-ray spectra. ScintiVision incorporates the latest advances in analytical accuracy with user friendliness and the widest range of tools and corrections available to the spectroscopist. These include absorption correction, nuclide library editing, and all hardware setup including presets, acquisition settings, and multichannel buffer (MCB) settings. Multiple windows allow you to view several spectra at once for easy comparison or to monitor the acquisition of several sample spectra. ScintiVision has numerous automation features, including powerful automated command sequences or “job streams.” ScintiVision has two analysis methods. In the primary analysis method, a library-directed peak search delivers lower detection limits than can be achieved by “unguided” peak searches. The interactive re-analysis mode lets you repeatedly re-fit the spectrum while monitoring the fit residuals.
Download the ScintiVision data sheet. |
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AlphaVision Alpha Spectroscopy Data Management and Analysis
AlphaVision provides the capability for controlling the MCB hardware, collecting alpha particle spectra from solid-state detectors, analyzing the results by one of several methods and generating reports. The results and QA data are stored in databases for ease of integration with other software. Extensive menus are provided for performing all acquisition and analysis functions, such as control of acquisition, setting of analysis parameters, calibration, and library editing. Graphical display of individual Detector status, along with logical grouping of the Detectors in the system, results in an interface that provides the online status of up to 128 alpha Detectors. AlphaVision includes features for managing virtually all alpha spectrometry projects, covering each of the necessary steps and providing features that will enhance your results.
Download the AlphaVision data sheet. |
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Global Value - GammaVision Productivity Add-on
Global Value provides the tools necessary to convert the standard gamma spectroscopy system into a state-of-the-art production package including optimization of sample data input and automation routines, generation and electronic review of user-defined reports, advanced QA features, sample changer operation, and virtually unlimited custom calculations in a secure, reliable, and efficient manner. Some modules in Global Value replace functionality currently available in GammaVision with enhanced capabilities, such as sample data entry and QA, while others add new functionality in the production environment for data management, reporting, automation, and security.
Download the Global Value data sheet. |
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Report Writer for GammaVision
The GammaVision Report Writer transfers GammaVision analysis results from an Unformatted Output (.UFO) analysis results file to a database. From this database it creates custom reports. This program uses a database so the analysis results can be used with off-the-shelf report generators. The Report Writer can be run either automatically from GammaVision or as a separate program. This provides the ability to create reports, including plots, in whatever form or format needed.
The Report Writer uses the Crystal Reports engine to generate reports, using Crystal Reports macro files as report templates. Crystal Reports V7 or later (not included in A44-B32) is used to make or edit the template files. The report template names are stored in the GammaVision Sample Description File (.SDF) format, so each sample type can have a different report. Several example templates are included.
Download the GammaVision Report Writer data sheet. |
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Report Writer for ScintiVision
The ScintiVision Report Writer transfers ScintiVision analysis results from an Unformatted File Output (.UFO) analysis results file to a database, then creates custom reports from the database. This program uses a database so the analysis results can be used with off-the-shelf report generators. Reports can be generated from a selected .UFO file or directly from existing database records. The Report Writer can be run either automatically from ScintiVision or as a separate program. This provides the ability to create reports, including plots, in whatever form or format needed.
The Report Writer uses the Crystal Reports engine to generate reports, using Crystal Reports macro files as report templates. Crystal Reports V7 or later (not included in A46-B32) is used to make or edit the template files. The report template names are stored in the ScintiVision Sample Description File (.SDF) format, so each sample type can have a different report. Several example templates are included.
Download the ScintiVision Report Writer data sheet. |
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ANGLE 3 Advanced Efficiency Calibration Software for High Purity Germanium Detectors
ANGLE 3 calculates the efficiencies of HPGe detectors using the semiempirical "efficiency transfer" (ET) approach. Any detector can be characterized and all gamma-spectrometry systems in a lab can be supported simultaneously. ET combines advantages of both relative and absolute (Monte Carlo) methods, while minimizing their drawbacks. There is no need for expensive return-to-factory detector characterization - calibration is transparent and fully controlled by the user. All input/output data for all detectors are easily managed from a single screen through an intuitive graphical interface. Computation times are short (seconds), changing and varying input parameters is simple, as well as file manipulation. ANGLE is a perfect tool for teaching/training/studying purposes in gamma-spectrometry.
Download the ANGLE data sheet.
Visit the ANGLE website. |
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Nuclide Navigator 3 Chart of the Nuclides Database
NuclideNavigator is an interactive program to view, search, and extract gamma-ray, alpha-ray, and beta-ray energies and yields, half-lives, parent/daughter relations, and neutron absorptions from databases. Several different “Master libraries” are included. It can also be used to build application libraries or working libraries in the GammaVision format or the Microsoft Access format. The GammaVision format is used by GammaVision, MAESTRO, AlphaVision, Renaissance, and ScintiVision software. The Access format libraries are easily used in Visual Basic or user-written programs.
Download the Nuclide Navigator 3 data sheet. |
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Renaissance Whole Body Counting
Renaissance software controls whole-body counting and lung burden systems, analyzes the spectra and stores the results. It provides a complete and integrated solution based on high performance PCs. For simplicity of operation, separate Supervisor and Operator modes are provided. A comprehensive array of advanced spectral analysis tools are included. Data are archived for easy retrieval in a LIMS compatible Microsoft Access database. The system provides a rapid screening device using sodium iodide (NaI) or germanium (HPGe) detectors. It supports stationary detector and scanning mode. The Renaissance software reduces the collected spectrum from the detectors to a list of nuclide activities or concentrations in the person or objects. The user has complete control of the setup, initialization, calibration, quality assurance (QA), reporting, alarm and warning limits, and password security. The operator has a simple user interface.
Renaissance can collect inputs for and produce outputs that can be used by any dose-calculation program.
Download the Renaissance data sheet. |
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For Waste Assay and Nuclear Safeguards
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ISOTOPIC Advanced Solution to Gamma Ray Waste Assay
ISOTOPIC provides a practical solution to a wide range of gamma-ray measurement problems encountered in site characterization and waste container measurements. ISOTOPIC v4.1 is based on work done originally at several U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) sites in the analysis of thousands of fissile waste containers and in methods developed at the U.S. Energy Measurements Laboratory (EML-NYC) for measuring wide-area contamination of soils and surfaces.
Download the ISOTOPIC data sheet. |
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MGA++ for Nuclear Safeguards
MGA++ is a suite of three programs (MGA, U235 and MGAHI) for analysis of actinide spectra acquired by germanium detectors. MGA++ is the result of years of continuing development at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The original MGA code was developed to determine plutonium isotopic abundances for gamma-ray data. MGA-B32 consists of an upgraded version of the original MGA code (which relies on the 100-keV region), U235, a uranium isotopic analysis code that uses gamma rays less than 300 keV, and MGAHI, a plutonium isotopic analysis code that uses the 200 keV–1 MeV energy region. The programs, requiring no special calibration sources or calculations, use only information obtained from the sample spectra to determine the isotopic ratios. MGA++ includes the control of the data collection, using any MCB, for one or two HPGe detectors, including the Detective and Micro-Detective.
Download the MGA++ data sheet. |
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PC/FRAM Plutonium and Uranium Isotopic Analysis
PCFRAM is a program for analysis of actinide spectra acquired by HPGe or CdTe detector. It can analyze plutonium spectra as well as a wide variety of heterogeneous samples containing plutonium, americium, uranium, and other nuclides. All calculations are done using the sample spectrum, so calibration standards are necessary. The analysis is controlled by a set of parameters that can be adjusted by the user to match the data collection situation. It works well with shielded samples and complex matrix samples. Included are a large number of supplied sample/geometry parameter sets. The program will operate in English or Russian.
PC/FRAM operates in the ORTEC CONNECTIONS framework and operates in Windows with any ORTEC MCB. The PC/FRAM code was developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory in the mid 1980s. It has been continuously improved since then. PC/FRAM can also analyze spectra from items containing only uranium and quantifies the uranium isotopic distribution. These measurements are performed on samples of arbitrary size, geometry, and physical and chemical composition.
Download the PC/FRAM data sheet. |
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UF6 Cylinder Verification
The UF6 software application is based on the classical enrichment meter method and executes on the Micro-trans-SPEC or trans-SPEC-DX-100T without the need for the inspector to carry an extra computer. The user interface is similar to the Micro-trans-SPEC basic GUI software and uses identical methods for such tasks as hardware setup and storage of spectra and display. In addition, many of the data entry fields are stored in a configuration file that may be created and edited on a Windows XP computer and subsequently copied to the built-in data processor using Microsoft’s ActiveSync application.
Download the UF6 data sheet. |
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HMS4 Holdup Measurement System for Safeguards Measurements
HMS4 is a the software part of a system to measure holdup. "Holdup" refers to the accumulation of special nuclear material (SNM) inside the processing equipment of nuclear facilities. Holdup must be minimized and quantified: for radiation and criticality safety, safeguarding against theft or diversion, and economic reasons. Accurate holdup measurements, while simple in principle, are demanding on the operator. The measurements by their nature are made in situ at specified points in the plant — often in awkward locations where SNM may be deposited, such as valves and ducts. The operator often must wear protective clothing, resulting in additional discomfort during the performance of the measurement under already unpleasant conditions of high temperature and humidity — perhaps up a ladder while holding a detector against a pipe with an outstretched arm. Beside those physical demands, the operator must keep track of the nuclear counting data and associated parameters (e.g., wall thickness, measurement distance). The HMS4 holdup measurement system makes it all as easy as possible for the operator, who need carry only a small, lightweight mobile unit which guides the operation and automatically logs the data with unique coding. This nearly eliminates the expense of having to repeat a measurement due to a data entry error. The mobile unit is set up ready to go at the base station. When the operator completes the measurements, the unit is returned to the base to download the data. The host computer maintains all history and current data in an easy-to-use database. All needed reports and QA are available there.
Download the HMS4 data sheet. |
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INCC Neutron Coincidence Counting
INCC is a general purpose neutron coincidence counting program that runs on personal computers running any Microsoft Windows operating system. It is intended for nondestructive passive and active neutron verification applications. Passive neutron verification techniques include calibration curve, known alpha, known multiplication, add-a-source, multiplicity, curium ratio and truncated multiplicity. Active techniques include calibration curve, multiplicity, collar and active/passive. You can use all of these techniques with INCC. Active multiplicity presently determines the neutron multiplication of a uranium item, but does not determine the uranium mass. You can use any of the common coincidence electronics packages currently available.
Download the INCC data sheet. |
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For Homeland Security
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Detective Identifier Codes
The Detective Identifier codes have been under development since 2004. Based on a technology transfer license from LLNL, the codes offer a unique approach to the fast and reliable identification of nuclear sources under adverse and unpredicted measurement conditions; attenuation, masking. They are designed to detect and identify cases of illicit nuclear materials in the hands of non-expert operators. These codes operate on the Detective family hand held radioisotope identifiers.
Learn more about the Detective family of Hand-Held Radioisotope Identifiers.
Version 1.13 Firmware and Software Upgrade. |
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The Detective-Remote Nuclide Search and Identification System
Detective-Remote offers state-of-the-art real-time radionuclide detection and real-time nuclide identification for Homeland Security applications from a simple-to-operate user interface. It provides unambiguous results in "drive-by" or "fly-by" modes. It is also useful in certain stationary situations.
Download the Detective-Remote Data Sheet |
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Portal Monitor Codes
These codes have been developed based on the Detective Identifier codes for applications such as portal monitoring where containerised unknown sources are moving past an array of HPGe detectors (or vice versa). They employ the Detective approach to identification and are very resistant to both false positive and false negative errors. They are available with a high degree of customization for OEM portal applications.
Download the Detective-SPM Series Truck, Rail, Pedestrian and Package Monitor data sheet. |
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NAI-SS Radionuclide Search System: NAI-SS-B32
The ORTEC NAI-SS-B32 software gathers Gamma-Ray data from large Area NaI(Tl) detectors and combines them with GPS positional information and optionally neutron count-rate information and presents them in real time against a location map in order to aid the location of missing or illict radioactive sources. The Gamma-Neutron search system may be conveniently packaged in one or more rugged plastic "pelican type" containers. For automotive use, the system may be placed inside the luggage space or installed in a conventional roof top carrier.
The system provides visual and audible indicators of neutron and gamma count-rates displayed on a GPS-based surface map in real time as the vehicle moves. Data is gathered continuously and assembled in 1 second "slices," which can be displayed in a variety of formats, or passed to an advanced analysis "engine" (included) for further processing, either for a single slice or group of slices covering an interval when the visual display was indicating an in range source. Historic data may be recalled for re-analysis.
Download the NaI-SS data sheet. |
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Neutron Source Identification: Fission Meter
The Fission Meter software collects and analyzes the neutron coincidence and multiplicity rates for the neutrons from a source. Different types of neutron sources have different multiplicity signatures and this can be used to determine if the neutron source contains SNM. The software works with a special neutron detector. It can operate in the mobile search mode to locate a source. Once the source has been located, the system is held stationary in the Static Search mode depending on the source strength. The Static Search mode provides the user with a clear indication if there are non-cosmic neutrons, that is, neutrons due to a fissioning source.
Download the Fission Meter data sheet. |
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Chemical Weapons Identification: PINS
PINS is a system for automatically analyzing the HPGe spectrum from the neutron activation of an unknown sample, typically in a field situation, for chemical weapon components or explosives. This is novel application of a well-understood technique, involving the interrogation of a container, using neutrons from a small moderated source. The neutrons pass through the wall of the container and collide with the atomic nuclei of the contents. The nuclear reactions ("neutron capture" and "inelastic scattering") produce gamma rays, which can be detected and produce a gamma-ray spectrum. The gamma-ray spectrum can be analyzed to show the chemical elements in the container. The gamma ray energies and peak area ratios are used to characteristic of the contents of the container, such as high explosive, nerve gas, or other.
Download the PINS data sheet. |
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For Software Developers
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"CONNECTIONS" MCA Communications Toolkit: A11-B32
The CONNECTIONS Toolkit is support software to give a programmer a simple interface to ALL ORTEC CONNECTIONS-compliant instruments including all current (and most “legacy”) ORTEC multichannel analyzers, multichannel buffers, and multichannel scalers and some other manufacturers products.
The Toolkit uses the latest Microsoft ActiveX technology. The ActiveX technology makes it easy to write custom programs that interact with CONNECTIONS compliant hardware. This is the same software used by all ORTEC software products. It operates locally and over networks with any MCB by any hardware connection method.
The CONNECTIONS Toolkit gives you three ActiveX controls. Using the controls, you have complete control over the instrument. You can adjust any computer-controllable setting in your instrument, start and stop data collection, and retrieve acquired data. Your software can operate simultaneously with ORTEC software.
Download the A11-B32 data sheet. |
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Analysis Results Toolkit: A12-B32
The Analysis Results Programmer's Toolkit provides software so that a programmer can easily create custom programs to interface with the spectrum and analysis results files used by GammaVision® for the analysis of gamma-ray spectra from germanium detectors. Data collection can be controlled from the user program or by GammaVision. The analysis is done by any of the GammaVision analysis engines.
A useful combination of ORTEC- and user-written software would be to use the ORTEC software to set up and calibrate the multichannel buffers (MCBs) and then implement the special operations in a user-written program. For spectroscopy applications, it is expected that MAESTRO® or GammaVision would be used to configure the system and perform most of the interactive functions of the system. The user-written programs would then perform any other functions of the system.
Support and examples are given for Microsoft C and Visual Basic®. Other programming language support might be added as it becomes available.
Download the A12-B32 data sheet. |
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