Rapid scanning mass spectrometer. Final CRADA report for CRADA Number Y-1295-0394

This Cooperative Research and Development Agreement was used to modify Vacuum Technology`s AERO VAC computer/mass spectrometer interface and electronics to allow the mass spectrometer to acquire rapid scans. The computer interface sends signals from the PC to the mass spectrometer, controlling its filament, giving scan instructions, and selecting the proper electrometer range, and detector. It then receives the detector output in the form of amplified digital signals from the electrometer. This project performed the following three upgrades on the computer interface and electronics. (1) A new electrometer was designed and built to process the signal from the detector. This new electrometer is more sensitive, over 10 times faster, and over 100 times more stable than the electrometer it will have replaced. (2) The controller EPROM was reprogrammed with new firmware. This firmware acts as an operating system for the interface and is used to shuttle communications between the PC and the AERO VAC mass spectrometer. The new firmware allows digital signals to be transmitted considerably faster to and from the mass spectrometer than the old firmware. The voltage regulator which causes the ion selector voltage to ramp to allow ions of selected mass to be sequentially detected was redesigned and prototyped. The redesign allowed obsolete electronics in the regulator circuitry to be replaced with more efficient circuitry. The redesigned voltage regulator can be ramped up or down more than 100 times faster than the existing regulator. Figure 4 shows a picture of the prototype voltage regulator circuit. These changes were incorporated into a prototype unit and preliminary performance testing conducted. Results indicated that scanning speed was significantly increased over the unmodified version