Pulse Width Modulation for High Energy Photon Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
High energy photon detection systems face challenges in efficiently processing and transmitting analog signals, particularly in environments with magnetic interference and multiplexing, which degrades signal quality and increases the number of required signal lines, limiting the scalability of high channel count applications.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of pulse width modulation (PWM) to encode the time and energy of high energy photon interactions using digital edges and delays, allowing for a purely digital high-density back-end system without the need for analog-to-digital converters, enabling efficient multiplexing and reducing the number of readout channels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If analog signals are used to carry encoded signals from multiple detectors, then the number of signal lines increases, but the device complexity and difficulty of signal transmission increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple detector signals into a single analog signal by spatially overlapping their light paths through optical elements (beam splitters, mirrors). This merging allows multiple detectors to share common readout electronics and signal transmission lines, dramatically reducing the number of separate signal lines required while maintaining the ability to distinguish and process individual detector outputs through the shared analog signal.
2Device complexity
If detectors are multiplexed to reduce the number of readout channels, then the number of signal lines decreases, but the signal quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the analog signal into distinct temporal or spatial components that correspond to individual detector outputs. By using rapid sequential readout or spatial separation of light paths, the system maintains signal quality and distinguishes between multiple detectors while using a reduced number of readout channels. The segmentation allows the shared analog signal to be decomposed back into individual detector signals for processing.
3Ease of operation
If analog signals are transmitted in magnetic environments, then signal transmission is possible, but magnetic interference degrades signal quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses optical elements (light paths, beam splitters, mirrors) as an intermediary medium to transmit detector signals. By converting electrical detector outputs to optical signals and back to electrical signals at the readout electronics, the system isolates the signal transmission path from magnetic interference. The optical intermediary carries the signal information without being affected by magnetic fields, protecting the signal quality in magnetic environments such as MRI scanners.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for processing an analog signal that is generated by a high energy photon detector in response to a high energy photon interaction. A digital edge is generated representing the time of the interaction along a first path, and the energy of the interaction is encoded as a delay from the digital edge along a second path. The generated digital edge and the delay encode the time and energy of the analog signal using pulse width modulation.