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VAMAS Surface chemical analysis standard data transfer format with skeleton decoding programs
Author(s) -
Dench W. A.,
Hazell L. B.,
Seah M. P.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
surface and interface analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.52
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1096-9918
pISSN - 0142-2421
DOI - 10.1002/sia.740130202
Subject(s) - computer science , transfer (computing) , smoothing , data transmission , set (abstract data type) , computer hardware , programming language , parallel computing , computer vision
In surface analysis today many commercial instruments are operated through a computer. This computer is also used for processing the captured data, using routines from a built‐in set of options for peak synthesis, peak deconvolution, background subtraction, peak area measurement, quantification in various levels of sophistication, mapping, depth profile presentation, smoothing, differentiation and a host of other functions. However, many analysts wish to process their data on another computer in their own particular way using programs written to their specification and under their full control. They need to encode the data in the data‐capture computer into a form suitable for transmission then decode it into the form required in the receiving computer. A standard format for the transferred data would clearly lead to economies in the number of programs required to effect the encoding and decoding. To meet the above requirement, as a result of a series of iterative discussions over the last three years, first within the UKESCA Users Group and then with the VAMAS National Representatives and users and manufacturers within the VAMAS Community as well as the ASTM Committee E‐42.11, we have produced a Surface Chemical Analysis Standard Data Transfer Format defined in a standard metalanguage. This Format is intended to be used by those wishing to transfer data from computer to computer via parallel interfaces or via serial interfaces over direct wire, telephone line, local area network or other communications link. It is suitable for AES, EDX, FABMS, ISS, SIMS, SNMS, UPS, XPS, XRF and similar analytical methods. It covers elemental maps, depth profiles and sequences of data resulting from a variety of experiments. Thus the application of the Format is very general.