The equivalence of digital rate meter algorithms

By introducing the ratio of the measurement time intervals of digital rate meter algorithms as an additional parameter, the concept of response-time equivalence for digital rate meter algorithms, linear and exponential, has been generalized to arbitrary measurement time intervals of both algorithms. From the generalized response-time-equivalence relation the bounds to values of the basic parameters of these algorithms, determining the set of parameter values where the concept of the generalized response-time equivalence applies, have been analyzed. An examination of the ratio of the steady-state statistical fluctuations of the current results of these two algorithms showed that it was possible to establish the conditions for the generalized statistical-fluctuations equivalence of the two algorithms. Finally, the conditions for equal response times and equal steady-state statistical fluctuations at arbitrary count rates, defined as the conditions of complete equivalence, have been determined. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics