Skip to main content

mar345=  Fast Image Plate Detector

The fastest image plate detector ever built!

Image plate

  • Image plate with 345 mm diameter active area!
  • Unlimited lifetime
  • No ghosting

LED errase lamp

  • extremely long lifetime
  • low power consumption
  • < 200 W heat generation
  • very efficient erase in image plate center and rims
  • elimination of filter glasses

Motor

  • fast spinning, up to 3800 rpm
  • very smooth and fast radial scans
  • high resolution rotation encoder

9 SECONDS SCAN TIME

WORLD RECORD!
It only takes 9 seconds to scan an area of 180 mm area. Or 23 seconds for the full plate. Unbelievable!

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 the impact in the scientific community has been extraordinary. Close to 500 instruments have been installed by beginning of 2023. 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

Scan times range from as little as 9 seconds for an area of 180 mm diameter to 30 seconds for an area of 345 mm diameter when using the new fast scan modes.

ACTIVE AREA

Huge diameter of 345 mm

DYNAMIC RANGE

Due to highly improved optics and electronics raw data can be sampled multiple times: each pixel in the output image consists of 2 digital data when using the 150 micron scan modes. This makes a dynamic range of real 17 bits, i.e. 1:131.071.

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 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 mar345s 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.

SOFTWARE

Easy-to-use and versatile. Plus state-of-the-art data processing software at no costs. Our software distribution policy really makes a difference!

CONFIGURATIONS

mardtb desktop beamline with mar345 image plate detector

mar345dtb:

The mar345s detector is mounted on a mardtb goniostat. 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), the most cost efficient combination being the marYX3G system.
marmuX2G Data Collection System

marYX3G: 

A mar345s detector with a mardtb goniostat in combination with a marµX microfocus 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 samples, but also for complete data collections of small crystals.
mar345 image plate detector

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.
Specifications
Plate Diameter 345 mm
Usable detector area 93.480 mm²
Diameter of scanned area Software selectable: 180, 240, 300 or 345mm
Pixel size  Software selectable, 3 variants available:
a) 150 µm fine and 150 µm fast
b) 100 µm fine and 150 µm fast
c) 100 µm fine and 150 µm fine
Sensitivity 1 X-ray photon per ADC-unit at 8 keV
Energy range: 4 keV to 100 keV X-ray photons
Intrinsic noise < 1 photon equivalent
Dynamic range
1 : 131.000 (17 bits)
Phosphor BaFBr:Eu2+
Communication interface Ethernet (RJ45), 10MB/s
Erase lamps 2 LED lamps built-in in reading head
Outside dimensions (H x W x L) 515 mm * 398 mm * 350 mm
Weight 53 kg
Energy consumption approx. 200 Watt
Electricity 120 / 240V (7.5 A)
Ambiental temperature 4 - 24 °
Maximum humidity: 70 %
Scan times

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.

The mar345s detector can be ordered in 3 variants, each one with a combination of 2 different scan modes:

a) 150 µm fine and 150 µm fast

b) 100 µm fine and 150 µm fast

c) 100 µm fine and 150 µm fine (standard mar345 detector)

IP Diameter [mm]
180
240
300
345
Scan mode
Fine
Fine
Fast
Fine
Fine
Fast
Fine
Fine
Fast
Fine
Fine
Fast
Pixelsize [µm]
150
100
150
150
100
150
150
100
150
150
100
150
Scan time [sec]
26
34
9
39
53
15
56
77
23
68
108
30
Cycle time [sec]
34
42
27
48
62
34
66
87
43
80
108
53
Computer requirements
CPU Pentium Pro 200Mhz or better (Intel, AMD, etc.)
Memory (RAM) >= 512 MB
Disk space >= 20 GB
Video card: Support for 24-bit colors at >= 1280x1024 pixels
Network card: Dedicated >= 10 Mbit/s with IP-address 192.0.2.2
TV-card: Optional feature for mardtb goniometer (see below)
Supported OS: Linux: Ubuntu
On request: Mac OS X, Windows, other Linux flavours
Required OS components X-windows, X11-environment, openmotif libraries

 

  • 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 mardtb desktop beamline a video frame grabber is strongly suggested. MarXperts only supports this feature on Linux.

DOWNLOADS