Methods and apparatus are provided for hot swapping a portable detector to an imaging system. A portable detector having a unique identifier and calibration data is detected by an imaging system. The imaging system selects the calibration data for the detected portable detector. The imaging system uses the calibration data in the imaging process. In some embodiments, the selected calibration data can be stored in the portable detector or in the imaging system. In some embodiments, the calibration data is organized as both imaging system dependent and imaging system independent. In some embodiments, the imaging system integrates the portable detector and the associated calibration data into the operation of the imaging system.