Abstract: A first stage electronic system for receiving charge or current from voltage-controlled sensors or detectors that includes a low input impedance current receiver/converter device (for example, a transimpedance amplifier), which is directly coupled to the sensor output, a source of bias voltage, and the device's power supply (or supplies), which use the biased voltage point as a baseline.

Abstract: A method for dealing with the problem of simultaneous continuous readout of large number of data channels from the set of multiple sensors in instances where the use of multiple amplitude-to-digital converters is not practical or causes undesirable extra noise and distortion in the data. The new method uses sensor front-end s and subsequent electronics to transform the analog input signals and encode them into a series of short pulses that can be transmitted to a long distance via a high frequency transmission line without information loss. Upon arrival at a destination data decoder and analyzer device, the series of short pulses can be decoded and transformed back, to obtain, store, and utilize the sensor information with the required accuracy.

Abstract: A Photo-Multiplier Tube (PMT) base for supplying long-term stable power, gain control and output amplification to a PMT. The present PMT base integrates the circuitry required for the dynode stages of the PMT with an amplifying circuit that amplifies the PMT output signals without disturbing the stable power that is required by each of the dynode stages. In operation the PMT base is electrically and mechanically connected to a PMT. The circuits for the dynode stages primarily provide gain control for each dynode stage in the PMT. The amplifying circuit in the PMT base is electrically connected to a dynode, the anode or both a dynode and the anode of the PMT, from which the PMT output signal is received. A PMT high voltage divider supplies the power to the circuitry required for the dynode stages and the amplifying circuit in the PMT base. The PMT base can be replaceable and can replace PMT bases that do not have an integrated amplifier for the PMT output signal.

Abstract: A readout circuit for an imaging detector that improves resolution and increases field of view in a display compared to traditional readout circuits. The readout circuit comprises two or more amplifiers that receive a row or column of outputs from the imaging detector. Subtraction circuitry, included in the readout circuit, receives the signals from the amplifiers, determines a fractional value of the sum of the signals, and subtracts the fractional value from each signal thereby producing both positive and negative signals. A rail to rail amplifier operating from a signale voltage supply eliminates one polarity of the signals making the signals unipolar. A combining circuit receives the unipolar signals and combines them to produce two readout circuit outputs that are transmitted to a computer to be displayed.