The best ideas come from our users. In the past year, they have asked for the ability to use full spectra as part of peak fitting. They have also requested better tools to extract peaks from their data, better tools to set up peaks for peak fitting, and a "print" button, to make a copy of the screen for their records.

RazorTools/8 is an updated version of the well respected Razor add-on applications for GRAMS/32.  It contains all the Maximum Likelihood, Maximum Entropy and Bayesian methods for smoothing, deconvolution, derivatives and baseline removal of the preceding version, RazorTools/5. In addition, it contains all the user requested enhancements listed above. And with the new MakePk function, users may smooth and remove baselines from data peaks before saving them.

CRV lets users zoom in on difficult sections of their data while modifying a peak fitting model. It gives users the ability to link peaks by specifying amplitude ratios, width ratios, or relative positions that must be maintained during the fit. And as always, it works with all *.crv parameter files, even those created by GRAMS/32 peak fitting application.

RazorTools/8 most unusual enhancement came from a request by a university researcher. "I bought Razor for Grams/386 several years ago. At that time, it had the capability of using only a single data peak in the curve fit routine and you were working on expanding that capability to use multiple data peaks. Were you ever able to achieve that? I could sure use it if you have." This researcher needed to be able to model spectra as a sum of several data bands, plus a baseline and an additional peak. Here was a challenge that meant digging deep into Razor source code to enhance the basic capabilities of the fitting mechanism. A challenge we couldn't refuse!

The result was the addition of "Spectral Factors" to RazorTools FIT. FIT has always had the capability to take in peaks of various shapes, including a user-defined "data peak" shape, as part of the user's model. Now the user may include whole spectral files as part of the model. FIT will find the section of the "Spectral Factor File" that overlaps the frequencies or wavelengths of the data file being fit. It will add that section of the Spectral Factor File into the model.

What is the difference between a Spectral Factor File and an ordinary peak or baseline in a FIT model? Peaks, with the exception of data peaks, are shapes that can be described by a few parameters such as width, amplitude and position. FIT adjusts the parameters to obtain a best fit to the data. Spectral Factor files may contain complicated peaks, or bands, or even complete spectral FIT will only adjust the amplitude of a Spectral Factor file during the fitting process; it will not adjust the frequencies or wavelengths of the peaks or bands present in the Factor file.

When simple peak shapes are not adequate for fitting your data, when you need to use measured spectra as a components of the fit, how does it all work? Start with a data model that contains one or more peaks, and perhaps a baseline. Save that model as a *.crv file. (RazorTools applications PIC and BAS automatically create *.crv files; GRAMS peak fitting application provides an option for saving a *.crv parameter file.) Then run the CRV application to specify up to 10 Spectral Factor files to use as components (factors) in fitting your sample spectrum. CRV will write out a new *.crv parameter file that contains all the spectral factor information needed by FIT. 

RazorTools/8 does not include a printed manual, as the complete manual is now on-line and accessible through the help buttons. The cost saving has been passed directly to users.