Remote microscopy and intelligent control systems used to monitor instrument health and calibration

Two old microprobes that have extensive power requirements have been modified and totally upgraded electronically by adding a full PC software control system. With this upgrade, remote microscopy through use of a program called TeamViewer has subsequently been possible to monitor SEM conditions and performance as well as for monitoring overnight x-ray maps. In this talk we will be discussing the changes made to the instruments and power consumption savings as well as the advantages of remote mapping using multiple WDS and EDS detectors. The talk will discuss the use of remote control software for operating and monitoring other instruments remotely. The talk will also cover the use of a system called "microValidator" which was developed to determine if the microscopy system is set up adequately to achieve reliable results when working with SEM/EDS and for automatic GSR particle analysis. This tool is used to automatically validate the performance of user's systems and test the instrument operation and calibration (Instrument Health). This system was developed to allow for validation of SEM/EDS/GSR system needed to ensure reliable results. It automatically checks SEM Magnification, EDS system, GSR software and only takes several minutes to do a complete run. This type of SEM/EDS validation procedure should be standard on all microscopes, especially when in-experienced operators are preparing legal reports.