Simplified radiation spectrum analyzer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9664802-B1
Application number	US-201615190410-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 23, 2016
Priority date	Jun 23, 2016
Publication date	May 30, 2017
Grant date	May 30, 2017

Abstract

A simplified device is provided for analyzing radiation spectrum. A detector absorbs radioactive particles for generating signal pulses. A signal converter is connected with the detector to discriminate and amplify the signal pulses to be converted into digital pulses. The microcomputer single-chip is connected with the signal converter to measure dual-channel pulse widths for statistical analysis and to measure pulse free count. Under a very low power mode, a pair of information comprising random physical memory spectrum and pulse count are generated. The microcomputer single-chip has a low cost and can be abundantly supplied. Thus, by using the microcomputer single-chip as a touch-driven application, a reading module replaces the high-frequency precision clock. The reading module is built-in for charging voltages with constant-current pulses. Consequently, spectrum analysis is performed for the signal pulses of gamma ray detected by the detector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A simplified analyzer for radiation spectrum, comprising:
a detector,
wherein said detector absorbs radioactive particles to generate signal pulses;

a signal converter, said signal converter being connected to said detector,
wherein said signal converter converts said signal pulses into digital pulses through a discriminating-and-amplifying circuit; and

a microcomputer single-chip, said microcomputer single-chip being connected to said signal converter,
wherein said microcomputer single-chip comprises a reading module, a statistical analysis unit and a data output unit; said reading module reads charging voltages of constant-current pulses; said statistical analysis unit is connected with said reading module; said data output unit is connected with said statistical analysis unit;
wherein, at a low power mode, said microcomputer single-chip obtains pulse widths of dual-channel signals of said digital pulses to process a statistical analysis and obtains pulse free-count; and, thus, a pair of information comprising random physical memory spectrum and pulse count are obtained.

2. The simplified analyzer according to claim 1 ,
wherein said reading module is a circuit of charge time measurement unit (CTMU).

3. The simplified analyzer according to claim 1 ,
wherein said data output unit comprises a plurality of high-speed USB transfer interfaces; a plurality of micro SD interfaces; and a plurality of RS232 interfaces.

4. The simplified analyzer according to claim 3 ,
wherein said high-speed USB interfaces are connected to an external expanded memory.

5. The simplified analyzer according to claim 3 ,
wherein said micro SD interfaces are connected to a device selected from a group consist of a built-in expanded memory, an external expanded memory and a system expanded memory.

6. The simplified analyzer according to claim 3 ,
wherein said RS232 interfaces processes debugging and transfers data through wire.

7. The simplified analyzer according to claim 1 ,
wherein said dual-channel signals are obtained by sensing different radiations through devices selected from a group consist of the same detector and different detectors.

8. The simplified analyzer according to claim 1 ,
wherein said microcomputer single-chip is operated with pulses having low frequencies less than 1 mega-hertz (MHz).

9. The simplified analyzer according to claim 1 ,
wherein said reading module comprises a capacitor, a constant-current source, and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC).

10. The simplified analyzer according to claim 9 ,
wherein said reading module starts and stops charging said capacitor located at an input end of said ADC by said constant-current source according to changes of input of digital pulses; and, after charging stops, said ADC obtains timing by obtaining a voltage of said capacitor.

Assignees

• Inst Nuclear Energy Res Atomic Energy Council Executive Yuan Roc

Inventors

• Tseng Hsun-Hua
• Liaw Tin-Yu

Classifications

• G01T1/36 Primary

  Measuring spectral distribution of X-rays or of nuclear radiation {spectrometry (pulse selection circuits per se H03K; investigation of materials by radiation diffraction G01N23/20; spectrometer tubes H01J49/00)} · CPC title