Hybrid charge preamplifiers—Design methodology and performance limits

The hybrid charge preamplifiers and pulse shapers, although technologically mature, are not yet obsolete. In this paper, the design methodology of preamplifiers and shapers is formalized and key design constraints are defined and discussed. Further, considering that components used in such designs have also reached their technological maturity, it is possible to predict performance limits with a high degree of accuracy. The design of pulse shapers is briefly discussed, focusing mainly on the translation of the key performance requirements into parameters needed for the formal design of active filters. Most of the existing literature deals separately with the performance and the design issues, while our objective is to merge those two processes into a single practical method.