[en] An x-ray tube with a rotating anode target is provided with a detector of x-rays located outside a port of a housing of the tube and positioned at or near a tangent line to the radiating surface for observing variations in the radiation intensity due to rotation of the target, the variations being pronounced due to the heel effect of the radiation pattern. The x-ray detector can employ a scintillation material and be coupled by a light guide to a photodetector which is removed from the path of the radiation and detects scintillations of the x-ray detector. Alternatively, the photodetector and light pipe may be replaced by a detector of germanium, silicon or an ion chamber which converts x-ray photons directly to an electric current. An electronic unit determines the speed of rotation from the electric signal and can also, by fourier transform and signature analysis techniques, monitor the state of the radiating surface. (author)