Question 1

What instruments does Siroquant work with?

Accepted Answer

Siroquant natively supports scan files from most manufacturers, including Bruker, Panalytical, Shimadzu, Thermo Fischer, Stoe and more, and we are always adding new formats.
 
Please contact us with your instrument manufacturer and file type to confirm compatibility.  If we don't already support it, we will work to add it.

Question 2

Is Siroquant Free?

Accepted Answer

Siroquant is a commercial software package and is not free to use.  There is a one off fee to license a version of Siroquant, and the license is perpetual.

Question 3

What about for universities or reasearch?

Accepted Answer

As above, Siroquant is a commercial package and is requires license fee to use.  We do however offer discounts to academic institutions.

Question 4

What does the error message "Error finalizing refinement. (mu-mubar)*r too large for phase ... mean?"

Accepted Answer

This error is sometimes encountered in early versions of Siroquant if a phase is added in SiPhase and the _cell_formula_units_z entry in the CIF file has a decimal point added (i.e. 4.0 instead or 4).  Try editing the CIF file and correcting the value to make sure it is loaded properly.

Question 5

What is the Siroquant API and how does it work?

Accepted Answer

Siroquant allows users/companies to integrate the Siroquant processing engine into their own software products.  This allows automatic refinement and processing by an external system.
 
The API allows the execution of tasks based on Sirqouant Template Tasks that have been prepared in SQ, providing all of the results normally available in Siroquant.

Question 6

Do you offer discounts for educational institutions?

Accepted Answer

Yes!  We offer discounts for education institutions (typically website needs to have .edu) and can offer special license options if Siroquant is going to be used for teaching or in the classroom.

Please contact us with your details and usage requirements and we'll get back to you with a quote.

Question 7

Is the χ² variable dependant on the counts in the scan?

Accepted Answer

The χ² number is a number used to measure the goodness of fit of the measured scan against the pattern generated by Siroquant.  It is calculated by taking the difference between the measured and calculated pattern at each point in the scan. 
 
Therefore scans with higher counts will have a higher difference, and thus a higher χ² value for the same fit.

Question 8

How is Siroquant Licensed?

Accepted Answer

Siroquant is Licensed via a USB dongle (WibuKey) that must be present in the computer for the software to remain operational.
 
The Siroquant license is perpetual, and there is no expiry for the license itself.

Question 9

I'm interested in buying Siroquant software - can I try it first?

Accepted Answer

We do offer trials for qualified buyers of the Software to try it before they commit to buying.
 
Please contact us for details of our trial program and we will be happy to help.

Question 10

What happens if I lose my dongle?

Accepted Answer

Lost dongles will not be replaced free of charge.  It is important that customers keep their dongles safe and if necessary cover them with the apropriate level of insurance.

Question 11

What operating systems does Siroquant run on?

Accepted Answer

Siroquant V4 runs on all operating systems from Windows XP through to Windows 10.

Question 12

What happens if my dongle is damaged?

Accepted Answer

Damaged dongles can be replaced for a token fee, if the original dongle is returned to Sietronics first.  Please contact us for more information if you have damaged your dongle.

Question 13

What is SiPhase, and should I order it?"

Accepted Answer

SiPhase is an addon that allows users to import phases into Siroquant via CIF files.  Siroquant already has almost 2000 phases, however some customers require more phases and SiPhase allows CIFs from multiple sources to be loaded directly into Siroquant.

Question 14

Can I run Siroquant on more than one computer?

Accepted Answer

Siroquant can be installed on multiple computers, however requires the dongle to operate.  If the dongle is removed, Siroquant will notify the user that the dongle is missing and the dongle must be replaced to continue working with Siroquant.

Question 15

Do you offer training programs?

Accepted Answer

Yes!  We can offer comprehensive training programs tailored to the level of the user(s).  Given the current travel restrictions in place in most countries, our current training programs are being run over Zoom/Teams.
 
Contact us for a typical curriculum, or if you have any specific training requirements.  We can also cover general XRD training, including instrumentation, sample prep, search match etc...

Question 16

How hard is Siroquant to use?  Do I need to have mineralogical experience to use it?

Accepted Answer

Siroquant is the easiest Rietveld package on the market to use.  It was designed to be intuitive and easy for people who aren't familiar with XRD to pick up quickly.  We often have new users with no XRD or mineralogical experience up and running doing refinements wihin hours of starting to use the software.

Question 17

What phases are included in the Siroquant database?

Accepted Answer

Siroquant has built in database of over 1800 phases, ranging from minerals, to cements to clays and ceramics.  The full list of phases can be downloaded from here:
 
Please see the Siroquant V4 product page for the complete list of phases:
 
https://www.siroquant.com/siroquant-v4

Question 18

Is Siroquant a search/match program?

Accepted Answer

No, Siroquant is a Rietveld package for phase quantification.  Users will typically use a separate program for performing the search/match function, and then the phases identified are then loaded into Siroquant for quantification.

Question 19

How can I add compounds/phases to Siroquant for analysis?

Accepted Answer

The easiest way to add phases to Siroquant is using the SiPhase tool, which allows users to load crystallographic information files (CIF) directly into Siroquant.  These files contain all of the information that makes up a phase, and can be obtained from various sources including the ICSD, COD and AMCSD database.
 
If you don't have a license for SiPhase and would like to add phases please contact us for a quote.

Question 20

What instruments/data files does Siroquant work with?

Accepted Answer

Siroquant natively supports scan files from most manufacturers, including:
 
- Bruker 
- Panalytical
- Shimadzu
- Thermo Fisher 
- Rigaku
- Stoe
- and more...
 
and we are always adding new formats.
 
Please contact us with your instrument manufacturer and file type to confirm compatibility.  If we don't already support it, we will work to add it.

Question 21

What is the Siroquant API and how does it work?

Accepted Answer

Siroquant allows users/companies to integrate the Siroquant processing engine into their own software products.  This allows automatic refinement and processing by an external system.
The API allows the execution of tasks based on Sirqouant Template Tasks that have been prepared in SQ, providing all of the results normally available in Siroquant.

Question 22

What is a good χ² value, is it dependant on the counts in the scan?"

Accepted Answer

The χ² number is a number used to measure the goodness of fit of the measured scan against the pattern generated by Siroquant.  It is calculated by taking the difference between the measured and calculated pattern at each point in the scan. 
 
Therefore scans with higher counts will have a higher difference, and thus a higher χ² value for the same fit.  
 
Because of this, there is no 1 value that can be considered a good χ², however the lower the number, the closer the fit is to the measured scan.

Question 23

What does the error message "Error finalizing refinement. (mu-mubar)*r too large for phase ... mean?"

Accepted Answer

This error is sometimes encountered in early versions of Siroquant if a phase is added in SiPhase and the _cell_formula_units_z entry in the CIF file has a decimal point added (i.e. 4.0 instead or 4).  Try editing the CIF file and correcting the value to make sure it is loaded properly.

Question 24

Why is the preferred orientation option disabled when the phase is oriented?

Accepted Answer

The preferred orientation option needs to be enabled when the phase is added to the task.  Please ensure that the preferred orientation option selected and try again.

Question 25

I'm getting the error 'Error finalizing refinement (mu-mubar)*r too large for phase..." what does it mean?

Accepted Answer

This is usually related to having issues with particle size of the sample.  Ensure that the sample is ground to a small enough particle size, and check that the particle size in Siroquant is set the correct size.

Siroquant Frequently Asked Questions

What instruments does Siroquant work with?

Is Siroquant Free?

What about for universities or reasearch?

What does the error message "Error finalizing refinement. (mu-mubar)*r too large for phase ... mean?"

What is the Siroquant API and how does it work?

Do you offer discounts for educational institutions?

Is the χ² variable dependant on the counts in the scan?

How is Siroquant Licensed?

I'm interested in buying Siroquant software - can I try it first?

What happens if I lose my dongle?

What operating systems does Siroquant run on?

What happens if my dongle is damaged?

What is SiPhase, and should I order it?"

Can I run Siroquant on more than one computer?

Do you offer training programs?

How hard is Siroquant to use? Do I need to have mineralogical experience to use it?

What phases are included in the Siroquant database?

Is Siroquant a search/match program?

How can I add compounds/phases to Siroquant for analysis?

What instruments/data files does Siroquant work with?

What is the Siroquant API and how does it work?

What is a good χ² value, is it dependant on the counts in the scan?"

What does the error message "Error finalizing refinement. (mu-mubar)*r too large for phase ... mean?"

Why is the preferred orientation option disabled when the phase is oriented?

I'm getting the error 'Error finalizing refinement (mu-mubar)*r too large for phase..." what does it mean?