A bit over a week ago, the copper X-ray microfocus source, our reliable light for the last seven years, suddenly stopped working. After opening the control box and doing some troubleshooting, it seems the issue is the same as what we had with the molybdenum source in 2022: the high-voltage (HV) power supply is shorting out, blowing an internal fuse in the process.
After some calling around, it seems these HV bricks are special OEM units. Fortunately, Xenocs has been rapid in their response. They don’t have a replacement in stock at the moment, but we’ll get one as soon as possible after our purchase order comes through. After that, we should be back up and running in normal operation. This process could take some months though.
In the mean time, we’ll work using our molybdenum X-ray source. While this is weaker and the detector only 50% efficient at that energy, it still lets us continue some experimentation. With an X-ray source, we will be able to continue developing the new control system and the various accoutrements we’re currently working on.
It will also mean that we will see an impact on our performance for this year, but hopefully we can resume soon. Initial performance was very promising, but now we’re hoping to at least meet expectations by end-of-year. Check out the current stats below!
