Maxipix

../../../_images/Maxipix.png

Intoduction

MAXIPIX is a high spatial resolution (small pixels), high frame rate, photon-counting pixel detector developed by ESRF. MAXIPIX is based on MEDIPIX2/TIMEPIX readout ASICs developed by CERN and the MEDIPIX2 collaboration. The active detector element consists of a hybrid pixel circuit glued on a chipboard and connected to it with microwire connections. The hybrid pixel circuit consists itself of a pixelated semiconductor sensor connected to one or several readout ASICs by individual micro solder bumps on each pixel. Various module formats are available and may implement either MEDIPIX2 or TIMEPIX ASICs. Both ASICs have identical pixel geometries but different characteristics as regards principally the lowest energy threshold, the discriminator range, and the available detection modes.

We provide today Maxipix 5x1, 4x1 and 1x1 formats based on both TIMEPIX and MEDIPIX2 ASICs.

Beamlines are equiped with the detector, Espia card and a specific computer running centOS 5 x86_64.

Installation & Module configuration

Follow the generic instructions in Build and Install. If using CMake directly, add the following flag:

-DLIMACAMERA_MAXIPIX=true

For the Tango server installation, refers to PyTango Device Server.

Initialisation and Capabilities

Implementing a new plugin for new detector is driven by the LIMA framework but the developer has some freedoms to choose which standard and specific features will be made available. This section is supposed to give you the correct information regarding how the camera is exported within the LIMA framework.

Camera initialisation

The camera will be initialized within the Maxipix::Camera class. Camera contructor aims to load the configuration and calibration data to the detector backend electronic (Priam card).

There are so many hardware parameters you can set, but refer to the maxipix documentation for a good pratice.

set/getSignalLevel() set/getReadLevel() set/getTriggerLevel() set/getShutterLevel() set/getReadyMode() set/getGateMode() set/getFillMode() set/getEnergy()

Std capabilites

This plugin has been implemented in respect of the mandatory capabilites but with some limitations which are due to the camera. We only provide here extra information for a better understanding of the capabilities for Maxipix cameras.

  • HwDetInfo

    getCurrImageType/getDefImageType(): always 16bpp.

    setCurrImageType(): this method do not change the image type which is fixed to 16bpp.

  • HwSync

    get/setTrigMode(): supported modes are IntTrig, IntTrigMult,ExtTrigSingle, ExtTrigMult and ExtGate.

Optional capabilites

In addition to the standard capabilities, we make the choice to implement some optional capabilities which are supported by this detector. A Shutter control.

  • HwShutter

    setMode(): only ShutterAuto and ShutterManual modes are supported.

Configuration

Only provided configuration files (.cfg and .bpc) must be used for your detector, you must not change those files. Each detector has its own set of files. Please contact ESRF Detector group for help.

How to use

This is a python code example of a simple acquisition:

from Lima.Maxipix import Maxipix
from lima import Core

#------------------------------------------------------------------------+
#                                             config name (.cfg file)    |
#------------------------+                                               |
#     config path        |                                               |
#------------------- +   |                                               |
#    espia channel   |   |                                               |
#                    v   v                                               v
cam = Maxipix.Camera(0, '/users/blissadm/local/maxipix/calib/tpxatl25', 'tpxatl25X')

hwint = Maxipix.Interface(cam)
ct = Core.CtControl(hwint)

acq = ct.acquisition()

# set some low level configuration
# see maxipix documentationf for more information
hwint.setEnergyThreshold(10.0)
hwint.setFillMode(cam.DISPATCH)
hwint.setShutterLevel(cam.HIGH_RISE)


# setting new file parameters and autosaving mode
saving=ct.saving()

pars=saving.getParameters()
pars.directory='/buffer/lcb18012/opisg/test_lima'
pars.prefix='test1_'
pars.suffix='.edf'
pars.fileFormat=Core.CtSaving.EDF
pars.savingMode=Core.CtSaving.AutoFrame
saving.setParameters(pars)

# set accumulation mode

acq_pars= acq.getPars()

#0-normal,1-concatenation,2-accumu
acq_pars.acqMode = 2
acq_pars.accMaxExpoTime = 0.05
acq_pars.acqExpoTime =1
acq_pars.acqNbFrames = 1

acq.setPars(acq_pars)
# here we should have 21 accumalated images per frame
print acq.getAccNbFrames()

# now ask for 2 sec. exposure and 10 frames
acq.setAcqExpoTime(2)
acq.setNbImages(10)

ct.prepareAcq()
ct.startAcq()

# wait for last image (#9) ready
lastimg = ct.getStatus().ImageCounters.LastImageReady
while lastimg !=9:
  time.sleep(1)
  lastimg = ct.getStatus().ImageCounters.LastImageReady

# read the first image
im0 = ct.ReadImage(0)