Signal handling and processing

1. An event monitoring system, the events being neutrons, the event monitoring system comprising:

a plurality of detector units, at least one of the detector units comprising a detector for the events to be monitored and an amplifier to amplify signals generated by the detector;

a signal handler, the signal handler receiving the amplified signals from the detectors, an adder to add to the signals an indication of the detector unit from which the signals originated and a combiner to combine the signals after the addition of the indication;

a serial link for conveying the combined signals from the signal handler to a signal processor; and

a signal processor, the signal processor including a signal receiver for the combined signals which include the indication of the detector unit, a time stamper for applying to the signal an indication of time of the generation of the signal by the detector unit, and a computer for processing the signals using software to produce information on the signals or events they represent, the processing of the signals using the time and detector unit indications possessed by those signals.

2. A system according to claim 1 in which the signal amplifier is mounted on the detector.

3. A system according to claim 1 in which a neutron energy indication is added to the signals from the detectors.

4. A system according to claim 3 in which the neutron energy indication is added by the signal handler.

5. A system according to claim 3 in which the neutron energy indication is added prior to combining the signals to form the combined signals.

6. An event monitoring system in which the events arise as a result of an emission by a radioactive material, the event monitoring system comprising:

a plurality of detector units for the events, each detector unit generating an output signal in response to an event detected by that detector;

a signal handler which receives as signal inputs, the signal outputs of the detector units and generates signal handler signal outputs; and

a signal processor which receives as signal inputs the signal outputs of the signal handler, the signal processor processing the signals and generating an output indicative of the characteristic of the events being monitored;

wherein the signal handler includes an indication adder to add to the signal outputs of the detector units an indication of the detector unit from which the signal output originated, the combined signal forming the signal handler signal output.

7. A system according to claim 6 in which the signal handler comprises: a plurality of ports for receiving signals to be handled; an indication adder for adding an address to received signals, the address defining the port receiving the signal to which the address is added; and one or more ports through which the addressed signals are outputted.

8. A system according to claim 6 in which the signal handler adds an address indicative of the detector with which the signal originates and an address indicative of the signal handler which handles that signal.

9. A system according to claim 8 in which the detector address and the signal handler address are added by the same adder.

10. A system according to claim 6 in which a combiner is provided for combining the outputs of one or more of the detectors, the combined signal being conveyed to the signal processor by a serial link.

11. A system according to claim 6 wherein the signal processor comprises:

one or more ports for receiving input signals, the input signals including an indication of origin of the signals;

a time stamper for adding an indication of time to the input signals;

an interface for supplying said input signals to a computer, said input signals including said indication of time and said indication of origin;

said computer processing the input signals to produce information on the input signals or events they represent, the processing of the input signals accounting for the time and origin indications possessed by those input signals.

12. A method of monitoring events in which an event arises as a result of an emission by a radioactive material, the method comprising providing a plurality of detector units in detecting range of the events, each detector unit generating an output signal in response to an event detected by that detector unit;

feeding the signal outputs of the detector units as signal inputs to signal handler, the signal handler generating signal outputs; and

feeding the signal outputs of the signal handler as signal inputs to a signal processor, the signal processor processing the signals and generating an output indicative of a characteristic of the events being monitored;

wherein the signal handler adds to the signal outputs of the detectors a signal component indicative of the detector from which the signal arose, the detector signals being combined, the combined signal forming the signal handler signal output.

13. An event monitoring system according to claim 6 in which the signal handler includes one or more discriminators.

14. An event monitoring system according to claim 6 in which the signal handler is provided with one or more output ports and each output port is provided with parallel outputs.

15. An event monitoring system according to claim 14 in which the one or more of the parallel outputs are used for system diagnostic purposes.

16. An event monitoring system according to claim 14 in which the one or more of the parallel outputs are used for safeguard verification.

17. An event monitoring system according to claim 13 in which the discriminator(s) have a threshold parameter which is adjustable and the parameter is adjusted using control signals inputted through the signal handler.

18. An event monitoring system according to claim 13 in which the discriminator(s) have a pulse shaping parameter which is adjustable and the parameter is adjusted using control signals inputted through the signal handler.

19. An event monitoring system according to claim 6 in which the events are gamma rays.

20. An event monitoring system according to claim 6 in which the events are neutrons.

21. A radiation event monitoring system, the radiation event monitoring system comprising:

a plurality of detector units, at least one of the detector units comprising a detector for the events to be monitored and an amplifier to amplify signals generated by the detector, the amplifier being provided within 50 cm of the detector;

a link for conveying the amplified signals to the signal handler, the link being at least 25 meters long;

a signal handler, the signal handler receiving the amplified signals from the detectors, the signal handler including an adder to add to the signals an indication of the detector unit from which the signals originated, a combiner to combine the signals after the addition of the indication and a discriminator for determining which parts of the amplified signals correspond to genuine signals and which parts of the received signals correspond to noise or interference;

a serial link for conveying the combined signals from the signal handler to a signal processor, the serial link being at least 50 meters long; and

a signal processor, the signal processor including a signal receiver for the combined signals which include the indication of the detector unit and a computer for processing the signals using software to produce information on the signals or the events they represent, the processing of the signals using the detector unit indications possessed by those signals.