Tandem mass spectrometry systems based on time-of-flight analyzer

A tandem mass spectrometry system, capable of obtaining tandem mass spectra for each parent ion without separation of parent ions of differing mass from each other, comprising an ion source, a particle detector, two separated time-of-flight devices between the source and the detector, a control ion-excitation device between the time-of-flight devices, and means measuring a time-of-flight for particles reaching the detector, all of which lie on a common ion path, and wherein ion optics maintain ion flight from the source within the ion path and a computer control system controls the excitation device and the optics such that the parent ion of differing mass need not be separated from one another in order to obtain tandem mass spectra for each parent ion.