Patent ID: 7741609

Claim:
A method of generating an input signal for an existing pulse processor of an energy-dispersive radiation spectrometry system, said existing pulse processor having a first dead time per pulse associated therewith, the method comprising: receiving a preamplifier signal in an additional pulse processor separate from said existing pulse processor, said additional pulse processor having a second dead time per pulse associated therewith, said second dead time per pulse being shorter than said first dead time per pulse, said preamplifier signal being generated in response to a detector detecting a plurality of photons; detecting in said additional pulse processor a plurality of edges in said preamplifier signal due to said plurality of photons, said edges being separated in time and being in an order, wherein each of said edges is determined to not be associated with a pileup; generating an analog signal having lower noise than said preamplifier signal and having a plurality of steps, wherein each of said steps in said analog signal corresponds to and has a magnitude proportional to a respective one of the detected edges in said order, and wherein each adjacent pair of said steps is separated by at least said first dead time per pulse; providing said analog signal to said existing pulse processor as an input to said existing pulse processor.