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An overview of how to interpret nCS1TM raw data files

(including how the files should look on a good run)

…and here’s a transcript for your reading pleasure!

An overview of how to interpret nCS1TM raw data files

Hi, I’m Ngoc Do, Application Scientist at Spectradyne! In this video I will show you an example of a typical raw data output from the nCS1, and what to expect in good quality data.

Here I have a sample composed of a mixture of polystyrene beads of three different particle sizes. Let’s start acquiring data. Once the acquisition has completed, the raw data should appear as a plot of the voltage signal versus acquire time.

Let’s look at the characteristics of a good quality data: The baseline should be smooth. Any particle event shows up as a downward spike in the baseline. The amplitude of the signal spike is proportional to the particle size.

Here you can see three different signal amplitudes representing three different particle sizes in the mix. If we zoom in closer to look at the detected event, you can see that the spikes are symmetrical and are fully resolved. The thickness of the baseline should generally be less than 10 millivolts. You may find occasional drift to the baseline. This is normal and should not affect the quality of the data.

As you can see by examining the raw data in real time, you can get quite useful information about a sample. A more diluted sample will show less downward spikes for acquisition.

We can also tell if the sample is too high in concentration. We have a separate video discussing if that is the case, which you can find on our website.

Please contact us at support@spectradynellc.com if you have any questions.

Thank you for watching!