  MCP-based detectors are widely used in the ultraviolet (UV) region due to
their low noise levels, high sensitivity and good spatial and temporal
resolution. We have developed a compact near-UV (NUV) detector for
high-altitude balloon and space flights, using off-the-shelf MCP, CMOS sensor,
and optics. The detector is designed to be capable of working in the direct
frame transfer mode as well in the photon-counting mode for single photon event
detection. The identification and centroiding of each photon event are done
using an FPGA-based data acquisition and real-time processing system. In this
paper, we discuss various algorithms and methods used in both operating modes,
as well as their implementation on the hardware.
