Description
NAICS Code: 9241 The United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. E.P.A.) contemplates the purchase of up to sixteen (16) Digital Gamma Spectrometer (DGS) systems for its National Atmospheric Radiation Evaluation Laboratory (NAREL) at Montgomery AL. However, the Government recognizes that current market prices for such radiation detection equipment may exceed local NAREL funds available for this acquisition. Therefore, the Government intends to purchase as many DGS systems as local NAREL funds may allow. Towards this end, the Government will conduct the competition for this acquisition at "www.FedBid.com". Interested parties are encouraged to register with FedBid.com. HPGe Detector Electronics System Specifications: Again, the Government intends to acquire 16 of these systems, subject to available funding. Systems not procured with this initial funding will be acquired upon availability of additional funding. Further, the Government requires that these systems interface properly with the detectors to which NAREL needs to apply them. NAREL has both P and N type ORTEC and P type PGT detectors. The Government will list the manufacturers and model numbers of the dectectors which NAREL requires systems at the time of purchase order contract award: 1. The system shall consist of a state-of-the-art digital gamma spectrometer which performs all the functions of a discrete and conventional analog high voltage power supply, spectroscopy amplifier, and multi-channel analyzer/buffer. The data acquisition electronics shall include digital filters with adjustable parameters capable of optimizing the performance of all types of germanium detectors. The performance of the digital filters shall exceed the performance of analog systems using Gaussian or Triangular filter shaping. 2. The successful bidder (hereinafter called the Vendor) shall be the manufacturer of the digital electronics system. Further, the Vendor shall maintain an ISO 9002 certified facility for the manufacture, test, and repair of high-quality DSP spectroscopy electronics systems. 3. The digital filters shall provide long-term stability of resolution and peak shaping superior to analog systems. The user-selectable, computer-controlled settings for the filter shall include as a minimum: a. Rise time 0.8 to 20.0 mu sec with at least 20 discrete settings spread reasonably across this range. b. Flat top width 0.5 to 2.0 mu sec with at least 10 discrete settings spread reasonably across this range. 4. The system shall include the preamplifier power supply, High Voltage bias supply, DSP circuitry, and an industry standard (RJ-45 ethernet or USB) PC (or LAN if appropriate) interface. 5. The Vendor shall supply all necessary interconnecting cables between the data acquisition unit and either a PC or LAN, as appropriate. 6. The system shall be "network ready" by having all the hardware and software (exclusive of standard PC operating system software) necessary to functionally connect to either a 10/100MS/s RJ-45 twisted pair network (or PC network card) or a PC USB port, as appropriate. 7. The electronics hardware shall provide the necessary functions required to produce a histogrammed spectrum from the preamplifier output for any HPGe detector. At a minimum, the functions shall include digital filtering, baseline restoration, pile-up rejection, pole-zero cancellation, and digital spectrum stabilization. Resolution at least up to 16384 channels shall be provided. 8. The system shall either: a. be readable/addressable by NAREL's ORTEC Maestro MCA software, and the spectral files writable in ORTEC ".CHN" or ".SPC" format, so that spectra may be analyzed using NAREL's gamma spectrometry software, Quantum Technology's GDR - or - b. include its own MCA software that writes gamma spectral files that are of a format that can be analyzed using NAREL's gamma spectrometry software, Quantum Technology's GDR. 9. The electronics shall automatically obtain the optimal match to the system's detector/preamplifier combination including pole-zero cancellation, baseline restorer, rise/fall time, and flat-top adjustments. A computer-controlled process shall accomplish the automated adjustments. Once optimized, the adjustments of the individual parameters shall still be available without having to re-optimize. A computer-controlled automatic pole-zero cancellation circuit shall be provided. Manual setting of the pole-zero shall also be provided via the computer interface. A computer-controlled automatic baseline restorer shall be provided. 10. The acquisition system shall have an industry standard extended live time correction method which allows no more than a three percent change, positive or negative (+/- 3%) in reference peak area over the range of Zero (0) to 50,000 cps. 11. The acquisition system shall store the live and the real time, the acquisition start date and time for each spectral acquisition, along with the spectrum, in non-volatile or battery backed-up memory within the digital spectrometer itself. 12. The High Voltage bias supply shall be able to provide the appropriate bias voltage, current, and polarity. It shall be possible to enable and monitor the bias from the computer. If an inadvertent detector warm-up occurs, shutdown of the bias voltage shall be controlled by the digital spectrometer's internal electronics. 13. The communication protocol between the acquisition electronics and the PC shall follow IEEE-published formats. All commands available for the use and control of the hardware shall be included in the manuals shipped with the units. No proprietary communication protocols or command structures are acceptable. 14. The acquisition electronics shall provide, as a minimum, the following data acquisition termination capabilities: a. Live Time b. Real Time c. Gross counts in a selected peak d. Gross counts in a selected region of interest. 15. The system shall have the capability to control a Gamma Products G3000 automatic sample changer as directed by controlling networked computers. This includes the capability for sequential analysis, or any desired sequence of up to 14 analyses in a row, including duplicate analyses. 16. The Vendor shall provide all communications hardware, firmware, and software for communication between the data acquisition module and the PC. The Vendor shall also guarantee that the PC properly interfaces to, and communicates with, the acquisition unit as designed. The Ethernet/USB interface cable for the acquisition unit shall be provided by the Vendor, along with all necessary interconnection cabling to comprise a complete, functional Gamma Spectra Acquisition System.