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52 PIXIS System Manual Version 2.C
Focusing
The detector mounting hardware provides two degrees of freedom: focus and rotation.
In this context, focus means to physically move the detector back and forth through the
focal plane of the spectrograph. The approach taken is to slowly move the detector in and
out of focus and adjusting for optimum while watching a live display on the monitor,
followed by rotating the detector and again adjusting for optimum. The following
procedure, which describes the focusing operation with an Acton SP-2300i spectrograph,
can be easily adapted to other spectrographs. For IsoPlane SCT-320 related focusing
information, see “IsoPlane SCT-320 Spectrograph” on page 55.
Acton Series Spectrograph
1. Click on the View tab, just above Experiment Devices, to change to the display
area.
Figure 19. View Area
2. Mount a light source such as a mercury pen-ray type in front of the entrance slit
of the spectrograph. Any light source with line output can be used. Standard
fluorescent overhead lamps have good calibration lines as well. If there are no
"line" sources available, it is possible to use a broadband source such as tungsten
for the alignment. If this is the case, use a wavelength setting of 0.0 nm for
alignment purposes.
3. Open the Spectrometer expander, select the grating and set the center
wavelength to 500 nm if using a mercury lamp or to 0.0 nm if using a broadband
source.
Hint: Overhead fluorescent lights produce a mercury spectrum. Use a white card
tilted at 45 degrees in front of the entrance slit to reflect overhead light into the
spectrograph. Select 500 nm as the spectral line.
4. Set the slit to 10 µm. If necessary, adjust the Exposure Time to maintain optimum
(near full-scale) signal intensity.
5. Wait until the detector temperature locks at its default temperature.