High dynamic range analog-to-digital converter
First Claim
1. A time of flight mass spectrometer, comprising:
- an accelerator that accelerates an ionized sample;
a detector that provides an analog signal in response to detection of the ionized sample;
an analog to digital converter coupled to said detector; and
, a processor connected to said analog to digital converter, said processor computes a baseline value and a threshold value of the analog signal and assigns the baseline value to the portions of the analog signal at or below the threshold value.
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Abstract
A high speed analog to digital converter (“ADC”) that can be used in a detector system. The ADC is coupled to a detector and a processor. The detector generates an analog signal in response to the detection of a trace sample, such as an ionized molecule or a beam of light. The processor determines a baseline value and threshold value. Portions of the analog signal at or below the threshold are assigned the baseline value. The threshold typically corresponds to a value above the noise level in the system. The detector thus removes undesirable noise from the readout value. The process can compensate for factors such as DC drift while providing accurate data regarding detection of the trace sample.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A time of flight mass spectrometer, comprising:
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an accelerator that accelerates an ionized sample;
a detector that provides an analog signal in response to detection of the ionized sample;
an analog to digital converter coupled to said detector; and
,a processor connected to said analog to digital converter, said processor computes a baseline value and a threshold value of the analog signal and assigns the baseline value to the portions of the analog signal at or below the threshold value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A time of flight mass spectrometer, comprising:
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accelerator means for accelerating an ionized sample;
detector means for generating an analog signal in response to detection of the ionized sample;
analog to digital means for converting the analog signal to a digital bit string; and
,processor means for computing a threshold value of the analog signal and assigning the baseline value to the portions of the analog signal at or below the threshold value. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification