Patent ID: 7430481

Claim:
A method of processing signals relating to a plurality of X-rays received in an X-ray spectrometry system, said X-ray spectrometry system including a pulse processor having a main channel and one or more fast channels, the method comprising: receiving a main channel dead time signal generated by said pulse processor, said main channel dead time signal being in a first main channel active state when at least one X-ray is being processed by said main channel; receiving one or more fast channel dead time signals, each of said one or more fast channel dead time signals being generated by said pulse processor and being in a respective first fast channel active state when at least one X-ray is being processed by a corresponding respective one of said one or more fast channels; detecting an occurrence of a plurality of piled-up X-rays in an X-ray pile-up sequence using one or more of said main channel dead time signal and said one or more fast channel dead time signals, wherein a first one of said piled-up X-rays causes said main channel dead time signal to be in said first main channel active state and wherein each of said piled-up X-rays other than said first one of said piled-up X-rays arrives while said main channel dead time signal is in said first main channel active state; and classifying an energy level of each of said piled-up X-rays using one or more of said main channel dead time signal and said one or more fast channel dead time signals.