Machine and method for measuring a characteristic of an optical signal

A machine for measuring an unknown characteristic of an optical signal incident upon a detector characterized by one or more dynamic response parameters, the detector producing an output signal in response to the optical signal being incident upon the detector, the machine comprising:

• an interface to the detector for receipt of the output signal;
• a memory in which are stored data related to said one or more dynamic response parameters;
• and
• a processor connected to the memory and to the interface, the processor being configured to compare the output signal from the detector to a calculated response of the detector to a known signal, the processor further being configured to determine, on the basis of the comparison, the unknown characteristic.

A system for measuring an unknown characteristic of an optical signal incident upon a detector characterized by one or more dynamic response parameters, the system comprising:

• a means for receiving an output signal from the detector;
• a means for comparing the output signal and a computationally determined response of the detector to a known optical signal incident upon the detector, wherein the response is based on said one or more dynamic response parameters, the means for comparing thereby producing a comparison;
• and
• a means for determining the unknown characteristic based on the comparison.

A method comprising:

• receiving an output signal from an optical detector detecting one or more optical signals;
• accessing a predetermined characteristic curve of detector response;
• comparing the output signal from the detector to the predetermined characteristic curve of detector response;
• and
• calculating at least one unknown characteristic of one or more optical signals based on results of the comparing step.

A machine for measuring an unknown characteristic of one or more optical pulses incident upon an optical detector characterized by one or more dynamic response parameters, the pulses having a known pulse repetition rate, the machine comprising:

• an input connection for receiving an output signal from the detector, the output signal resulting from the pulses being incident upon the detector;
• a memory in which are stored data related to said one or more dynamic response parameters;
• and
• a processor operatively connected to the memory and to the input connection, the processor being configured to calculate, on the basis of the stored data, a response of the detector to a train of optical pulses having the known pulse repetition rate and a known energy, the processor being further configured to compare the output signal from the detector to the calculated response and to measure the unknown characteristic on the basis of that comparison.