Dead Time and EDS– Oxford Instruments Bitesized Learning
Learn about the concept of dead time in Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and the important role of the pulse processor. Using animated sketches, we demonstrate how a pulse processor removes noise from each step on the voltage ramp to measure the energy per X-ray. We also introduce the concept of process time, the period when the pulse processor averages the signal before and after each step on the voltage ramp. We then define two terms, Input count rate (ICR) and output count rate (OCR) and the role they play in the calculation of dead time. Finally we explain how to choose a process time and dead time based on your application.
Watch the previous videos in the 'Learn about EDS series.