Ultra Fast Photon Counters / Questions and Answers

What are the typical measurements or applications that MPA4 or MPA4T can do? I tried to understand MPA4 on FAST ComTec's website but the information there is not very accessible to non-experts like me. We are thinking about buying a MCS6 or MPA4T.

There are different measurement principles in basic physics.

One is pulse height measurement (mainly total charge) in order to get information about the total energy deposited. If this information is digitized and accumulated in histograms, you get something like energy spectra, e.g. radiation histograms in order to identify isotopes. If a time-to amplitude converter (TAC) is used, this information can also be time difference (resolution typical sub nanosecond, dynamic range: ~10 bit).
Typical devices:
MCA multi channel analyzer (with peak sensing ADC) (MCA4)
If time correlation of more than one detection device is needed, a data acquisition system like our MPA4 could be used (together with external ADCs (coincidence measurements).

If only time information is of interest (without pulse height information) our MCS6A or the successor model MCS8A is the right device.
Applications: LIDAR, mass spectroscopy, delay line detector readout, time-of flight TOF, life time measurements, multi scaling...
Resolution: 100ps, dynamic range: 54 bit (20 days with 100ps resolution)

If both information are of interest, the MPA4T is applicable.
It can measure both pulse amplitude and time for long ranges:
Possible application: complex decay schemes (pulse height, long life times decay schemes)
Each event is marked with a time marker @ 100ps resolution.

Multiparameter Multichannel Analyzers, Ultra Fast Multiscalers, Ultra Fast Photon Counters