ABSTRACT
The problems encountered in x-ray fluorescence spectrometry are well suited to the use of digital computers. Many of the quantitative models used to convert measured intensities to concentrations are mathematically complicated and difficult to solve by hand. In energy-dispersive spectrometers peak overlaps often require mathematical fitting techniques to separate the elemental intensities. Digital computers provide the computational power to make these tasks manageable. In many applications the fluorescence spectrometer is required to measure the composition of a large number of specimens of the same type on a repetitive basis. For such applications computer automation provides efficient control of calibration procedures, specimen presentation, and selection of excitation and measurement conditions.
