Support

SCOUT: Program modifications and bugfixes

 

November 2005

2005-11-21 / SCOUT 2.55: The import routine for xy-format used in the batch control window has been updated. It scans the file for valid lines, and takes pairs of x- and y-values only from valid data lines. All other lines like comments and headers are ignored.

The Actions submenu now has commands to start and stop a batch fit.

October 2005

2005-10-11 / SCOUT 2.52: Material objects can now export their optical constants in NanoCalc format.

September 2005

2005-9-19: SCOUT 2.51 supports 16-Bit spectrometers from Eta-Optik connected to a serial or USB port

2005-9-15: SCOUT 2.50 has some bugfixes and smaller improvements, for example

• Print and page setup commands in the workbook and the batch control window

• Print command in all lists

• Fit parameters can now be displayed in a view. Parameters with a finite range of values are automatically displayed with a slider which can be used to graphically change the current value of the parameter.

• New spectrometer type: 'File scan' reads a spectrum from a file in the network.This can be used to establish a simple spectrum transfer mechanism: A spectrometer system permanently writes the current spectrum to a temporary file, the SCOUT spectrometer object reads the file when the 'Acquire' command is activated.

• New spectrometer type: Some Avantes spectrometers are now supported.

• New spectrometer type: 'Double spectrometer' objects are used to merge spectra of two other spectrometer objects with small spectral ranges to a combined spectrum with a larger spectral range. Typical application: Merge the spectra of two array spectrometers in the visible and NIR to a single Vis/NIR spectrum.

• New spectrometer type: A 'Virtual array spectrometer' can be used to simulate spectra with typical measurement errors like noise or drifts due to light source instability. Analyzing a large series of such spectra can give an impression of the variation of the fit parameter values due to measurement errors. This can be conveniently done using the batch control window and the new statistical analysis of the results (see below).

• The batch control window now has a menu command (Actions|Statistics) to compute the average and the standard deviation of the fit parameters obtained in the batch fit.

• The optical constants of materials in the database can be exported to simple text files. You can export the currently selected item or all items in one step.

• Enhanced optical functions for retrieving results for spectrum objects: You can now compute average and integral values of spectral ranges, color coordinates and thickness values obtained by the FFT method.

• Colorbox objects in the new list 'Special computations' compute the variation of colors of coatings for the case of fluctuating thickness values of the individual layers.

 

June 2005

2005-6-2: After some smaller bugfixes and new features we have arrived at object version 2.45. New features are, for example,

• Import routines for Hitachi ASCII files and Woollam WVASE32 ASCII files

• Re-arranged File|Options submenu

• Some new or improved view objects (e.g. display text with multiple lines, display of colors improved)

• Improved batch control window

• Enhanced commands for presentations

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November 2004

After long silence, here is SCOUT version 2.34:

• More elegant layer stack definition

  Layer stack definition windows now have 2 treeviews: One showing pre-defined layer stacks on the left side and one that displays available materials on the right. Just drag one of the items to the desired position in the layer stack and drop it there.

• In the batch control window you can now start a fit for a single sample, including the pre-fit. The batch control window can be set to 'Always on top' in the program options. This can simplify interactive work involving the main window and the batch control. There are also options to synchronize the size and the position of the batch control window to the main window: With activated synchronization the batch control windows follows a re-sizing of the main window.

• Every SCOUT program delivered to a customer has a licence identification which is displayed in the 'About ...' box. When you save a configuration the licence identification is stored.

• Unfortunately, we were forced to introduce a hardware protection key (dongle) for SCOUT. We hope that our legal customers won't be disturbed too much by the small USB stick that keeps SCOUT running.

 

2004-11-18: Bugfix in SCOUT version 2.34: Unfortunately the content of the workbook and the batch control window was not loaded when you imported a configuration. This is fixed in version 2.35.

 

April 2004

SCOUT version 2.30:

• Layer stack definition by OLE automation

  You can now define layer stacks by OLE automation. There are commands to clear the list of fit parameters, clear layer stacks and the list of materials. The new commands add_layer_on_top and add_layer_definition_on_top are used to build up new layer stacks, using materials from the database.

• New import filter: SCOUT now imports *.CSV files created by the HunterLab UltraScan spectrophotometer

 

March 2004

SCOUT version 2.29 has the following new features:

• Flexible computation of incoherent superposition

  For thick layers with incoherent superposition of partial waves the user can now control the way the individual terms are added: All waves can be superimposed (like it was done up to now), or individual terms can be added with individual weights. This way you can investigate separately the frontside or the backside reflection of a glass plate, for example. The experimental setups must match the settings for the simulated spectra, of course.

• Graphics: Autoscale function and logarithmic plots improved

  The autoscale function did not work properly in the past. It has been re-worked now and leads to reasonable axis scaling and unique tick marks. Logarithmic axis scaling has been improved as well.

 

February 2004

In SCOUT version 2.26, the following new features are implemented:

• Colored lists

  You can now assign colors to list objects like materials, susceptibilities, layer stacks or spectra. The consequent use of colors can make lists more readable, finding wanted objects intuitively. Whenever possible, the assigned colors are used to display object relations: Materials in layer stacks or susceptibilities in the fit parameter list will be drawn in their colors.

• Layer stacks in views

  Layer stacks can now be drawn in views. This is the first time that you can get a graphical presentation of a layer stack in SCOUT. This new feature should be quite useful writing reports about SCOUT methods. Since the handling of layer stack view objects is somewhat unusual you should read the new section about layer stack view objects in the help.

• Shared layer stacks

  You can now include a whole layer stack into the definition of another layer stack. This way you can easily describe identical coatings on various substrates. Up to now, these cases could only be handled with (more or less complicated) connections by master parameters.

January 2004

After a lot of smaller changes we have arrived at version 2.2 now:

• Hardware support

  SCOUT now directly supports spectrometers. Spectrometer objects are managed in the list of spectrometers. Each object can acquire a single or several spectra. Measured spectra can be assigned to the spectra in the spectra list. After the Acquire command each spectrometer records data which are then distributed to the spectrum objects.

  The spectrometer settings are part of a SCOUT configuration. After a configuration is loaded all spectrometers are initialized and you can instantly start to acquire spectra.

• View news

  Some new objects like Polygon, Ellipse, Plateau, Background and Video view have been added. For some SCOUT actions (like acquire, next view, previous view, next configuration in presentations, ...) there are now view buttons which initialize the corresponding action when clicked.

  The results in the batch control window can now be graphically displayed in views.

  Spectrometer objects are accessible via corresponding View objects.

• New action: Parameter animation

  This action varies one parameter of the optical model and shows as a sequence of view pictures the response of the system. This mechanism is made for demonstrations, mostly in combination with illustrative views shown in SCOUT presentations.

• SCOUT presentations

  Views of several SCOUT configurations can be combined to presentations. A presentation is simply a sequence of SCOUT configurations. SCOUT will load one after the other and display the views in its main window. Since you are loading fully functional SCOUT configurations, you can demonstrate live slider motions, parameter fits, batch fits, parameter fluctuations and animations, ...

• Various small changes and improvements

  • New layer type 'Thickness average' (like 'Variable thickness', but values specified in nm instead of microns)

  • New spectrum type 'Ellipsometry stack average' (like 'Layer mix' objects for reflectance and transmittance)

  • Compute spectra with finite resolution

  • Select for each spectrum individually, if it imports data when the global Import command is executed

  • Batch control command for adding many spectra in one action.

  • Batch control fits with individual start values for every sample

  • Access object information by so-called 'Optical functions'. Use these to create user-defined tables in the workbook or the batch control window.

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