Technologies Available for License

2003-021: Multi-Channel Signal Processing Device for Efficient Spectroscopy

Invention: 2003-021

Patent Status: U.S. Patent Number 7,378,637 was issued on May 27, 2008

For technical and licensing related questions, email tcp@bnl.gov.

Summary

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A block diagram of a sensor system.

This new system can detect and output critical data such as amplitude and time of arrival of analog pulses randomly striking a detector. The multi-element system for spectroscopy includes detector elements, channels, trigger comparators, peak detectors, a switch, a logic circuit with asynchronous write pointer, time-to-amplitude converters, a multiplexer, and an analog-to-digital converter.

Description

This method processes pulses arriving randomly in time on at least one channel using multiple peak detectors includes asynchronously selecting a non-busy peak detector (PD) in response to a pulse-generated trigger signal, connecting the channel to the selected PD in response to the trigger signal, and detecting a pulse peak amplitude. Amplitude and time of arrival data are output in first-in first-out (FIFO) sequence. The apparatus includes trigger comparators to generate the trigger signal for the pulse-receiving channel, PDs, a switch for connecting the channel to the selected PD, and logic circuitry which maintains the write pointer. Time-to-amplitude converters (TACs) convert time of arrival to analog voltage and an analog multiplexer provides FIFO output. A multi-element sensor system for spectroscopy includes detector elements, channels, trigger comparators, PDs, a switch, and a logic circuit with asynchronous write pointer.

Journal Publication & Intellectual Property

• Analog peak detector and derandomizer for high-rate spectroscopy (.pdf)
• US 7,378,637 B2 (.pdf)