A digital pulse processor for high-rate high-resolution X and gamma-ray spectroscopy

A new Digital Pulse Processor (DPP), which is developed for radiation detectors especially suitable in applications where high rate and high-resolution spectroscopy are mandatory, is presented. An outstanding feature of the system is the fast peaking time (less than 0.1 usec) that allows processing an Input Count Rate (ICR) of 1Mcps with throughput of about 90% and a 2Mcps ICR with 70% live time, thanks to a high performances pile-up rejection and to the feature of automatic and adaptive filtering. Moreover, the system can synthesize and implement a class of optimum filters with arbitrary noise and constraints, both in time and in frequency domain. The DPP is suitable in spectrometers based on last generation Silicon Drift Detectors (SDD) used in very high count-rates and high-resolution regime. Characterization of the processor in different operative conditions is shown.