Upgrade of detectors of neutron instruments at Neutron Physics Laboratory in Řež

Three neutron instruments at the Neutron Physics Laboratory (NPL) in Řež near Prague — small-angle scattering (SANS) MAUD, strain scanner SPN-100 and strain diffractometer TKSN-400 — have been modernized recently with new 2D position-sensitive detectors (PSDs) from JINR, Dubna. Here we report on the progress made in relation to the possibilities of the diffractometers due to the improved performance of the detectors. The first part of the paper is dedicated to a detailed description of the hardware and software of the PSDs, as well as its integration with the in-house experimental control software. Then practical examples of neutron scattering experiments for each of the upgraded facilities are presented.