AGFA ADC 5155 X-ray Scanner Teardown (4 part series)

[madsbarnkob]

Part 1: AGFA ADC 5155 System teardown
Teardown of a AGFA ADC 5155 x-ray image scanner / digitizer. Also known as Computerized Radiography (CR) it fulfills the job of scanning a x-ray exposed image plate with a laser beam and extract each pixel illumination with a photo multiplier tube setup.

This particular unit has a very interesting computer that runs on VME framework developed for the Motorola 68000 series CPUs.



Coming soon, part 2: Computer teardown and reverse engineering
Coming soon, part 3: Laser scanner module teardown
Coming soon, part 4: Photomultiplier tube teardown and reverse engineering

[madsbarnkob]

This is the reverse engineering and teardown of a very interesting computer that runs on VME framework developed for the Motorola 68000 series CPUs. It runs a custom operating system called Monitor 4.28 developed by Agfa-Gevaert NV, Belgium.

Discussion of the teardown: https://highvoltageforum.net/index.php?topic=1316.0

Teardown of a AGFA ADC 5155 x-ray image scanner / digitizer. Also known as Computerized Radiography (CR) it fulfills the job of scanning a x-ray exposed image plate with a laser beam and extract each pixel illumination with a photo multiplier tube setup.



List of commands:
ATX = Execute ASTRX shell command
BF = Block fill
BI = Block initialize
BM = Block move
BS = Block search
BT = Block test
BR = Breakpoints (BR -* clear)
BRS = Set Breakpoints cmd string
BO = Boot from disk
CPU = Set CPU parameters
CWS = Show Clock and Wait states
DA = Display or set DATE
DCP = Disk copy from 10 to 00
DI = Disassembler
DOS = Enter DOS mode
DU = Dump sector from disk
GO = Go target
GN = Go target, break at next instr
GT = Go target, set temporary break
HE = Help
fep = Show FEP info
IOP = IO disk read and write
IOT = IO teach
JSR = Jub to subroutine
LO = Load S-records
LOG = Show OS RAM logging
MAP = Select memory map
MD = Memory display
ML = Memory display link (range) == address1,address2 or address:count
MM = Memory modify
MS = Memory set
NAM = Show symbolic name
PF = Set Port format
PRJ = Select project
RAM = RAM test
RD = Register display
RDF = Display floating point regs
RDM = Display MMU regs
RES = Reset
SC = Set Control options
ST = Start clock
-swi = Switch CPU
T = Trace next (step into JSR)
TR = Trace next (skip over JSR)
TC = Trace on change of flow
TM = Transparent mode
TI = Display & Set clock time
TE = Switch to TEST menu
US = Start user program
VE = Verify S-records
VEC = Show vectors
VIC = Show VIC & hardware
VME = VME remote control
VIX = Boot from disk
X = Execute external shell command
XT = File transfer protocol

[madsbarnkob]

Teardown of the laser scanning module that feeds in the image plate and converts the irradiated plate from analog pixel values to digital bits through a photomultiplier tube.

[madsbarnkob]

Teardown of the photomultiplier tube assembly (PMT) and its high voltage power supply. The high voltage power supply and PMT is reverse-engineering to use the PMT as a cosmic ray detector with a scintillation plastic crystal in front of the PMT.



The PMT assembly contains a Burle S83021E photomultiplier tube


The Heim Electronic SNP1.5N24/176 high voltage power supply is a custom made AGFA unit that can output a maximum of -1.5kV / 6mA. It is a very nice little power supply that only takes 24VDC supply, can be controlled by 0-10V and gives a feedback at 0-10V.



The low output voltage makes a huge difference on the sensitivity of the PMT, at its -600V it is   20 times less sensitive than if it was running at -1100V.



Some examples of the detected particles resulting pulse on the oscilloscope