MEV have designed a Gamma Spectra Synthesis system which provides accurate and repeatable spectra used to test monitoring equipment in the nuclear industry.
This Gamma Spectra Synthesis system provides accurate and repeatable spectra which can be used to test radiation monitoring instruments for the nuclear energy and fuel reprocessing industry.
In more depth...
The spectra it produces replaces real spectra removing the need for liquid nitrogen cooled sensors, amplifiers and the extremely hazardous radioactive source material previously required when commissioning nuclear instruments. This system is compact, based on 19" rack-mounted card modules, and can therefore be used to validate the instrument under test off site prior to site installation.
A typical gamma spectroscopy system comprises several detector/amplifier/analogue to digital converter/multi-channel analyser chains, each with an accompanying MCA. The MCAs are monitored and controlled by a single computer. For development and testing purposes the detector/amplifier/analogue to digital converter/multi-channel analyser chains are replaced with an equivalent number of Waveform Generator cards and a single Controller card. The Waveform Generator cards are connected to the MCAs of the system. The spectra acquired by the MCAs are stored in memory on the Waveform Generator cards. Each Waveform Generator card can hold up to fifteen different 4096 element spectra in on card EEPROM. In addition, seven different 4096 element spectra may be downloaded into each Waveform Generator card from a controlling PC.
A Controller card determines which of the 22 spectra (15 + 7) is being output by the waveform Generator cards at any particular moment. This may be either manually via front panel mounted switches or determined by the state of up to eight voltage inputs (5 - 24V DC). When the spectra selection is determined by the voltage inputs a large number of tests of the system can be performed entirely automatically.