Entries by Mike Maroney

Operational Tips: Do I Need a Gridded Tube?

What’s a Grid Voltage? One of the most misunderstood aspects of X-ray tubes is how the electron beam is shaped internally, and what impact that has on the X-ray spot. As a rule of thumb, for spot sizes above approximately 50 microns, the electron beam can generally be passively focused through a combination of emitter […]

Operational Tips: Using the Open-Collector Outputs on Your Integrated X-ray Source: A Guide for Low and High Impedance Inputs

Introduction This post serves as a comprehensive guide to help you connect the open-collector outputs on your Micro X-Ray integrated X-ray source to the inputs of your control components, while considering the 20mA maximum sinking current standard across Micro X-Ray integrated sources. By following these guidelines, you can ensure seamless integration and optimal performance of […]

X-ray Sources 101: What’s a Microfocus Source, Anyway?

Definition of a Microfocus Source Much to the chagrin of many in our industry, there’s no legal (or even just widely accepted) definition of a microfocus source. This leads to some understandable confusion among the X-ray source buying population, and to some occasional overly generous prose by the marketers in some X-ray source companies. In […]

X-ray Sources 101: Bremsstrahlung Radiation and Why it Matters for Imaging

We’ve talked before about choosing a target material, what a spectrum looks like, and why it matters for analytical applications. Many imaging applications overlook the importance of their tube’s spectrum and how it impacts image contrast and quality. Today we’re going to look specifically at bremsstrahlung radiation, learn what it is and why it matters […]

X-ray Sources 101: How to Choose a Target Material for XRF

Target Material for XRF Instruments Selecting the appropriate anode target material for XRF (X-ray fluorescence) instruments is critical for obtaining precise and dependable results. The X-ray tube is the heart of the XRF equipment, and the target material inside the X-ray tube determines the primary spectrum of X-rays emitted. Different target materials possess unique properties, […]

X-ray Sources 101: Voltage, Current, and Power in X-ray Tubes

Introduction X-ray tube power is defined as the product of beam current and excitation voltage. X-ray tubes work by accelerating electrons across a gap between a low voltage potential and a high voltage potential. As we learned in the article about X-ray Tube Topologies, there are several different ways to generate the required voltage. In […]