Reduce display resolution of SmartMaps

When collecting an INCASmartMap, the resolution is generally dictated by the structural detail within your sample and the speed at which you wish to carry out your analysis. When collecting a high-resolution map it can take time to collect enough counts into each pixel, to see the desired structure in your sample. It is only at this point that you can decide whether the data is valuable and possibly worth collecting for longer to improve it. In fact, when searching for particular structures in a sample you may need to map several areas until you locate the right one. This can often make mapping applications time consuming and a way is needed to make the process more efficient.

INCASmartMap solves this dilemma and makes efficient use of time when mapping. It provides the option of displaying high resolution X-ray maps at a lower resolution at the beginning of map acquisition, therefore displaying maps with higher counts per pixel and better contrast. Reducing the display resolution of the X-ray maps combines the counts from groups of the high-resolution pixels to form fewer but larger pixels. After just 4 frames these low-resolution maps can provide enough information on which to decide whether continuing the analysis at this location will prove worth while. They also provide an indication to the presence of key elements in the sample, at an early stage of the analysis.

1.

Changing X-ray Map Display Resolution

From the Elements Map step of the Mapping Navigator, the 'Reduce Resolution' drop down box will select the degree by which the resolution of the maps will be reduced for display. The options range from 'Off', which displays the maps at their full resolution, to 'by 8' which reduces the number of pixel dispalyed along each axis by a factor of 8. Changing this value will re-display the maps at the new resolution.

Note changing the resolution does not alter the raw data. After changing the display resolution the constrast and brightness may need to be adjusted to gain optimum appearance.

2.

Seeing the benefit

An INCASmartMap was collected from an alloy sample that contains micro-scale fine structures, with a full map resolution of 256 x 256 pixels. The maps below, in the left hand column, show the early stages of the INCASmartMap collection, when only 4 frames have been collected. When dispalyed at their full resolution of 256 x 256 pixels the features show little contrast above the background, making it difficult to pick out the features in the sample. Refering to the Cr Ka map the maximum X-ray counts at any pixel is only 9 (as shown on the colour scale bar).

3.

However, by reducing the display resolution for these maps by 4, to 64 x 64 pixels, the second set of maps in the right hand column show higher counts per pixels and a greater contrast. These maps highlight the rough outlines of the features above the background level (At this display resolution the max counts per pixel in the Cr map is now 56). After 4 frames these low-resolution maps can provide enough information on which to decide whether continuing the analysis at this location will prove worth while. They also provide an indication to the presence of key elements in the sample, at an early stage of the analysis. The acquisition of this map was completed after 244 frames, and the final maps are displayed, below, at full their full resolution of 256 x 256 pixels. These maps contain enough counts in each pixel to clearly show the fine detail of the distribution of the elements in the sample.