D-CIXS is a micro-technology demonstrator of a planetary X-ray spectrometer. The accompanying X-ray Solar Monitor (XSM) will study the sun for changes in X-ray flux and X-ray spectrum emission and will be used to calibrate the D-CIXS lunar and cruise data.

The D-CIXS front end component consists of three facets, the middle with an 8 degree FOV and the outer two with a FOV of 12 degrees. Each facet consists of 8 swept charge devices (SCD's) X-ray detectors. A key feature of the D-CIXS instrument has been the development of low profile collimators, which define the instrument field of view. The collimator stacks are formed from an arrangement of ultra-thin filters and collimator components.

Two of the D-CIXS facets are mounted with Al-filter collimator stacks and the other facet has Mg-filter and Al-filter collimator stacks mounted on top of the detectors. The Al-filter attenuates all low-energy electrons from entering the detector and also blocks all optical light. The Mg-filter attenuates low-energy X-ray lines like Si and Al so that in a spectrum the Mg peak will be clear from interference: this precaution will ensure that D-CIXS maps the Moon's magnesium content.

The electronic component of D-CIXS is comprised of a Correlated Double Sampler, Field Programmable Gate Array, a FIFO and a microprocessor system which collates all of the raw data and returns it to Earth in readable science and housekeeping packets.

This detector array and the D-CIXS electronics component underwent careful testing before launch to ensure that it could cope with the stresses of take-off, exposure to radiation during transit to the Moon and thermal regime changes.