Patent ID: 7528357

Claim:
A circuit comprising: an optical detector for detecting an optical pulse and generating therefrom a current pulse on an output; and a pulse detector circuit having an input electrically connected to the optical detector and having an output for outputting a detection pulse in response to receiving the current pulse on its input, said detection pulse characterized by a change in voltage, said pulse detector circuit including: a resettable amplifier including an input for receiving the current pulse from the optical detector, a reset terminal for resetting the amplifier after the amplifier receives the current pulse on its input, and an output for outputting a signal from which the detection pulse is derived; and a reset delay chain connected to receive the detection pulse from the output of the pulse detector circuit and to provide an electrical path over which the change in voltage that characterizes the detection pulse propagates to produce at the reset terminal of the resettable amplifier a feedback signal that is delayed relative to the detection pulse and which resets the resettable amplifier, wherein the resettable amplifier is configured to switch from a first state to a second state upon receiving the current pulse and to switch back to the first state in response to being reset by the feedback signal.