A curve analyzer for micro-computers

A computer program is described that emulates a curve analyzer and fits a sum of up to 30 Gaussian components plus a straight background to any set of equi-spaced data points. The program allows interactive, real time curve fitting by the operator and/or objective curve fitting using a non-linear least squares fitting routine, or a combination of the two. The program is more robust in a micro-computer environment than subtractive or generalized non-linear least squares methods and faster than pattern searching methods. The program has been used over the last 4 years in my laboratory by a number of personnel without any previous experience of computers. It is written in BASIC and runs on a Hewlett-Packard series 200 model 16S (9816) computer or on a Hewlett-Packard model 9845S computer. The program is structured to allow use of any underlying curve shape with 3 parameters per component.