MAX-MIN DETECTOR  10/10/73

	THE DETECTOR HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED AS A HARDWARE DEVICE
USING STANDARD OPERATIONAL AMPLIFIERS, FET SWITCHES, AND LOGIC
ELEMENTS. IT ALSO EXISTS AS A FOCAL 12 PROGRAM THAT OPERATES 
ON STORED DIGITAL DATA.

	A MAXIMUM IS DEFINED AS THE LARGEST VALUE PRECEDED BY
A VALID MINIMUM AND FOLLOWED BY A DESIGNATED DROP. SIMILARLY
A MINIMUM MUST BE PRECEEDED BY A VALID MAXIMUM AND FOLLOWED
BY A DESIGNATED RISE. A DESIGNATED DROP IS A FUNCTION OF THE 
SIZE OF A POTENTIAL MAXIMUM PLUS SOME CONSTANT PLUS
ANY OTHER PARAMETER THAT IS CONVENIENT.

THE INFLUENCE OF THE DESIGNATED DROP
	MODIFYING THE RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF COMPONENTS OF THE 
DESIGNATED DROP ADAPTS THE DETECTOR FOR THE SPECIAL CHARACTERISTICS
OF THE DATA.
	1. A SMALL CONSTANT PLUS 80% OF THE POTENTIAL MAXIMUM-THE
DETECTOR IS NOW MORE SENSITIVE OT SMALL PEAKS NEAR THE BASELINE
THAN LARGE PEAKS. THIS IS A CHARACTERISTIC SUITABLE FOR ANALOG
OUTPUT FROM SCANNING MASS SPECTROMETERS. IF THE CONSTANT
WERE NOT PRESENT THE SYSTEM WOULD BBECOME TOO SENSITIVE
AND BEGIN TRIGGERING ON BASELINE NOISE.

	2. A CONSTANT ALONE -THE DETECTOR IS NOW INDEPENDENT OF
ANY FIXED BASELINE.EVERY MINIMUM IS THE REFERNCE LEVEL FOR A 
POTENTIAL MAXIMUM AND VICE VERSA. THIS CHARACTERISTIC IS 
SUITABLE FOR USE WITH ANALOGS OF BLOOD PRESSURE AND THE 
ELECTROCARDIOGRAM.