Electronics of the mass spectrometer

The value of the mass spectrometer as an instrument for the quantitative and qualitative measurement of the components of gaseous mixtures is enhanced by a recording system which combines speed of response, accuracy, and extensive range. These have been attained by incorporating an automatic speed-up between peaks, an amplifier for currents as low as 10⁻¹⁴ ampere, an automatic range changer for off-scale peaks, and a nonlinear scale to overcome the limitations of a ten-inch chart.