A 48-Channel PCM Tape Data-Acquisition System

Abstract—A high-performance data-acquisition system, now operational, combining analog and digital techniques is described. Up to 48 channels of information can be digitized continuously at rates up to 240K samples per second and then divided into standard contiguous computer records by a tape shuttling method. Various input and output modes permit the tailoring of data gathering and matching of output to a number of subsequent digital processing systems. It may also be used as a "black box" analog recorder with a wide choice of bandwidth and channel capacities or as a digital recorder with transfer rates to 5 Mbaud. The uniqueness of the system lies in the use of a 33-track, 1-inch inline recording head which permits densities above 2000 bit/in, multiple A/D converters to economically match tape capacity, and a shuttling operation instead of a buffer to produce gapped output records.