Three Steps to Configuration

Warning

latools will not work if incorrectly configured. Follow the instructions below carefully.

Like all software, latools is stupid. It won’t be able to read your data or know the composition of your reference materials, unless you tell it how.

1. Data Format Description

Mass specs produce a baffling range of different data formats, which can also be customised by the user. Creating a built-in data reader that can handle all these formats is impossible. You’ll therefore have to write a description of your data format, which latools can understand.

The complexity of this data format description will depend on the format of your data, and can vary from a simple 3-4 line snippet, to a baffling array of heiroglyphics. We appreciate that this may be something of a barrier to the beginner.

To make this process as painless as possible, we’ve put together a step-by-step guide on how to approach this is in the Data Formats section.

If you get stuck, head on over to the mailing list, and ask for help.

2. Modify/Make a SRM database File

This contains raw compositional values for the SRMs you use in analysis, and is essential for calibrating your data. latools comes with GeoRem ‘preferred’ compositions for NIST610, NIST612 and NIST614 glasses. If you use any other standards, or are unhappy with the GeoRem ‘preferred’ values, you’ll have to create a new SRM database file.

Instructions on how to do this are in The SRM File guide. If you’re happy with the GeoRem values, and only use NIST610, NIST612 and NIST614, you can skip this step.

3. Configure LAtools

Once you’ve got a data description and SRM database that you’re happy with, you can create a configuration in latools and make it the default for your system. Every time you start a new analysis, latools will then automatically use your specific data format description and SRM file.

You can set up multiple configurations, and specify them using the config parameter when beggining to analyse a new dataset. This allows latools to easily switch between working on data from different instruments, or using different SRM sets.

Instructions on how to set up and organise configurations are in the Managing Configurations section.