Post
by Mike S » 07 Jul 2025, 10:25
A note for those of you new to using CapeMCA software on Windows with a CapeSym USB MCA:
The "obvious" software download link on the CapeScint webpage is NOT (at least currently) the latest version of the MCA software, AND the latest version may not be what you need (depending on your hardware and firmware).
After a long period of being too busy to take the time to calibrate my CapeScint detector/MCA, I had worked through the temperature stabilization calibration yesterday, but despite spending most of today trying to figure out what I was doing wrong, I couldn't get Energy Correction to work no matter what I tried; it just would not do anything. I had freshly downloaded the CapeMCA software from their webpage, which gave me version 1.3.1, and everything else seemed to work but I was stumped. I wrote up my tale of woe in a message for this forum to see if anyone had any ideas, but in a last check before posting, I went through my emails from CapeScint to check if they had sent me a specific software version to use with my MCA. They hadn't, but they had sent me a link and login credentials for a page where I could download different versions of the software. Note that this was part of the pre-sale discussion so I could preview the software and manuals for various versions if I wanted; it was not something they pointed out when they shipped the MCA. This file repository (as far as I know) is not accessible via the regular website. After looking through the different version updates and the manuals, I now have a version (1.3.8) that seems to be more compatible with my MCA hardware and firmware even though it is not the newest (1.4.0) . Energy Correction works as expected now, so I've moved on, but since I wasted the better part of a day chasing it down, I thought I'd share with folks here in the hope of saving someone the same hassle. As far as I know, this is the only place on the internet where folks are discussing and actually using CapeScint detectors and MCAs.
Of course I could have called or emailed CapeScint if it hadn't been a weekend, but it didn't work out that way.
If you are wondering about my MCA Version info:
MCA Firmware shows 1.1.12 in MCA software and in the parameter file (Apparently there is a newer version (1.1.13) of the firmware for my hardware)
MCA Hardware version is 1.0.62
Aside from the challenges of getting it calibrated, the little SrI(Eu) SiPM detector with the CapeMCA is my favorite gamma spec setup. The only downside beyond the cost is the small crystal taking longer to collect enough pulses for a good spectrum. I've had the detector for a few years, but only recently purchased the MCA; much of my experience is already discussed in this thread.
Mike S.
Mike Sullivan
Central Coast of California, USA
