Method and apparatus for enhancing microchannel plate data

A method and apparatus for determining centroid channel locations are disclosed for use in a system activated by one or more multichannel plates and including a linear diode array providing channels of information 1, 2, ...,n, .... N containing signal amplitudes A sub n. A source of analog A sub n signals, and a source of digital clock signals n, are provided. Non-zero A sub n values are detected in a discriminator. A digtial signal representing p, the value of n immediately preceding that whereat A sub n takes its first non-zero value, is generated in a scaler. The analog A sub n signals are converted to digital in an analog to digital converter. The digital A sub n signals are added to produce a digital (SIGMA) A sub n signal in a full adder. Digital 1, 2, ..., m signals representing the number of non-zero A sub n are produced by a discriminator pulse counter. Digital signals representing 1 A sub p+1, 2 A sub p+2, ..., m A sub p+m are produced by pairwise multiplication in multiplier. These signal are added in multiplier summer to produce a digital (SIGMA)nA sub n - p(SIGMA)A sub n signal. This signal is divided by the digital (SIGMA) A sub n signal in a divider to provide a digital (SIGMA)nA sub n /(SIGMA)A sub n) -p signal. Finally, this last signal is added to the digital p signal in an offset summer to provide (SIGMA)nA sub n /(SIGMA)A sub n, the centroid channel locations.