Methods and apparatus of adaptive and automatic adjusting and controlling for optimized electrometer analog signal linearity, sensitivity, and range

A method of adapting an output signal range of a signal processing assembly of a measurement apparatus, comprising:

• generating a signal in response to particles detected during a scan;
• acquiring a first data point from the generated signal;
• determining if the first data point is within a threshold signal range;
• and
• when the first data point that is near, at, or outside of the threshold signal range, adjusting an input offset to thereby adjust a magnitude of the generated signal relative to a magnitude of the particles detected during the scan.

A signal processing assembly, comprising:

• an ion detector assembly configured to detect one or more ions to generate an input signal;
• a signal amplifier configured to receive the input signal from the ion detector and to provide an output signal;
• a control unit configured to compare a first data point from the output signal with a signal range, wherein the control unit is configured to generate an input offset command based upon the comparison;
• and
• an offset control module coupled with the control unit and configured to receive the input offset command, wherein the input offset command includes at least one of a first command to increase an input offset bias signal for application to the input of the signal amplifier, or a second command to decrease the input offset bias signal for application to the input of the signal amplifier, wherein the offset control module is configured to adjust the input offset bias signal applied at the input of the signal amplifier based upon the receiving of the at least one of the first command or the second command.