We describe a rapid digital system for X-ray diffraction imaging and demonstrate its application to the real-time identification of edge defects in a silicon wafer that had been subjected to rapid thermal annealing. The application of the system to the in situ study of slip nucleation at the location of mechanical wafer defects, indents and a thermocouple, and the subsequent dislocation dynamics is presented. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.