The mar345 Image Plate Detector

• At the forefront of modern X-ray structure work, the mar345  Image Plate Detector System offers you the best choice for recording diffraction patterns of small molecules  as well as protein crystals. Furthermore, it is a powerful tool for use in the fields of powder diffraction, texture analysis, small angle scattering, fiber and neutron diffraction.
• Since its introduction in early 1997 as the successor of the extremely popular mar scanners with 300mm and 180mm plates, the impact in the scientific community has been extraordinary. Close to 350 instruments have been installed by mid of 2008. They can be found at almost all synchrotrons around the world where they are used as work-horses for all kind of diffraction experiments. Likewise, they are very popular at both commercial and public research institutes.
• You won’t find an X-ray detector with a better price/performance ratio anywhere!

 

Highlights:

• Speed: Cycle times range from as little as 34 seconds for an area of 180 mm diameter to 80 seconds for an area of 345 mm diameter.
• Active area: With its diameter of 345mm the mar345 Image Plate Detector offers the largest detection area of popular detectors around.
• Dynamic range: Due to highly improved optics and electronics raw data can be double-sampled: each pixel in the output image of 150 µm scan modes consists of 2 digital data. This makes a dynamic range of real 17 bits (0:131071).
• Sensitivity: The image plate material itself is sensitive for a broad range of X-ray photon energies from down to 4 keV (3 Ang.) up to 100 keV (0.012 Ang.). This property allows the mar345 detector to be used for a large variety of applications - with a special Gd coating even for neutron diffraction.
• Efficiency: The read-out system of the mar345 Image Plate Detector is unique in its use of a single high performance 85mW laser which delivers more than 0.8µJ/pixel at the plate. This ensures that an extremely high percentage (>95%) of trapped F-centers are transformed into photostimulated luminiscence.
• Noise: Since there is no dark current or leakage current, the intrinsic noise of the system is <= 1 photon equivalent!
• Design: All the detector needs is inside the scanner. The one and only connection to the outside world is an Ethernet cable to your computer. Could an Image Plate Detector be more compact?
• Calibration: Before being shipped, the scanners are carefully calibrated in our lab. In the course of that process a correction table is generated that will remain valid for the lifetime of the scanner. During that entire process we strictly apply a no-compromises policy. This ensures that instruments go to the customer in perfect shape and thoroughly tested for all functions.
• Dependability: After many years of heavy-duty operation at many synchrotrons and home labs we are confident to say: there is nothing around that compares to the reliability of the mar345 scanners.
• Cost-of-ownership: The mar detectors and goniometers are renowned for its reliability. Due to this fact and due to excellent serviceability of our products, real costs of ownership of our instruments are far inferior to those of our competitors.
• Free software: Easy-to-use and versatile. Free updates for the lifetime of your detector. Plus state-of-the-art data processing software at no costs. Our software distribution policy really makes a difference!

 

 

Detector configurations:

• mar345dtb: The detector is mounted on a mardtb goniometer. The mardtb  “desktop beamline” features a fully automatic beam alignment system and more than 10 motors including an “inverted PHI” assembly and a 2-theta stage. The mar345dtb system is a complete data collection system that can be operated with any X-ray source (sealed tubes to synchrotrons).

• marµX: A mar345dtb system in combination with a Genix Hi-Flux small focus generator. This system is the perfect choice, when cost-of-ownership and maintenance issues come into play. Despite of the low price, the system is highly suitable for screening crystals, but also for complete data collections of small crystals. 

• Stand-alone: due to its compact design, the scanner can easily be integrated into basically any X-ray data collection setup. The scanner electronics provides a TTL-signal for operating a shutter. It also provides a source of high voltage (for feeding ionization chambers) as well as steps for driving up to 3 stepper motors. Thus, by means of the  provided software, the scanner may control an entire experiment.

 

 

The patented read-out system combines a constant movement of the scanning head (driving down from the edge to the center of the plate) with an accelerated rotation of the plate. The actual rotation speed is inverse proportional to the current distance of the collection system to the center of the plate. This unique procedure of spiral readout ensures constant pixel read-out times over a large area of the plate. The maximum rotational speed of the plate is 3800 rpm.

 

 

Important notes:

• All computer systems MUST be equipped with a dedicated Ethernet card set to address 192.0.2.2
• At installation time computers are expected to be FULLY FUNCTIONAL.
• For the desktop beamline® a video frame grabber is strongly suggested. Marresearch only supports this feature on Linux. Recommended models: Hauppauge WinTV Express or Pinnacle PCTV (PCI version). Consult the web to see wether your selected card is supported on Linux.

Downloads:

• Product brochure.pdf (2,63 MB)
• Drawing of mounting plate for foreign goniometers (71,7 KB)