An x-ray spectrometer is actually a scanning monochromator because two conditions must be satisfied, namely: (1) nλ, = 2d sinθ and (2) θI{= θR to within the rocking curve of the crystal 2Δθ. Before Castaing (B.C.) there were four known types of focussing monochromators, namely: Johann, Johansson, Cauchois, and von Hamos. Castaing was fortunate in having Andre Guinier (well known for his work in x-ray crystallography) as his thesis advisor. Thus, he wisely chose to use a spectrometer of the Johansson type. Had he used a flat crystal spectrometer, the result would have been unsatisfactory and the history of microanalysis would have been significantly different. Many of the spectrometers that were used in the early instruments were either of the Johansson type, in which the crystal planes are curved to a radius of 2R and the surface has a radius of R, the focal circle radius. This is sometimes called exact focussing because rays in the plane of the focal circle converge exactly to a point focus. For simpler construction, the Johann crystal which has the surface parallel to the atomic planes (also curved to a radius of 2R) was sometimes used. While both types provide one-dimensional focussing, the Johansson type is preferred because the effective width of the crystal can be greater.

In addition to the type of geometry used, early instruments developed after Castaing (A.C) also had variations in the mechanism of the crystal movement. Many used a relatively simple mechanism with the crystal and detector moving about a fixed center for the focal circle as shown in Fig. 1A. Some later instruments used curved crystals that were fixed in position, and scanning was accomplished either by rotating the crystal as in Fig. 1B or by a mechanism that flexed the crystal and changed the radius of the focal circle as in Fig. 1C. The most satisfactory arrangement and the one subsequently adopted by most manufacturers of commercial microprobes utilized a linear motion of the crystal carriage with a provision for tilting the crystal so that the focal circle always passed though the x-ray source as shown in Fig. 1D. If the detector moves so that it remains on this focal circle, its motion is along a leaf-shaped curve. With this design it is easy to have a readout proportional to wave length.