An array of soft x‐ray diodes has been used to obtain central nickel densities for discharges in the Doublet III tokamak, during operation with an inconel primary limiter, in which nickelL‐line radiation dominated the diode signals. The nature of the diode signals is determined primarily by comparison with soft x‐ray spectra. The contribution of the continuum portion of the spectra to the central diode signal can be calculated and compared to the observed signal. When the diode signal is dominated by nickelL‐line emission, the observed signal is considerably larger than the calculated continuum contribution. Chordal data from the array of diodes are inverted to provide the spatial profile of soft x‐ray emission. Because the diodes are absolute detectors of radiation, the soft x‐ray emission profile is used to obtain the absolute nickel concentration and density profile in the center of the plasma. A computer code, including over 100 nickelL‐line transitions, has been developed to obtain the nickel density. The nickelL‐line cooling rate, calculated with the code, is presented. The nickel density obtained by this technique agrees well with that obtained from theK&agr;line intensity measured with a soft x‐ray spectrometer and that obtained from a bolometric measurement of central radiated power coupled with a coronal equilibrium model of the radiation.