A Versatile Satellite Data-Handling System for Space Radiation Measurements

A highly versatile digital data-handling system which can be utilized with any existing telemetry has been designed to specifically accept and control the output of a scintillation spectrometer. The system utilizes a 64-channel pulse-height analyzer in conjunction with a rate-accumulator for the determination of the spectrum and flux of the radiation to be measured. Random input data from the detector are sampled by the pulse-height analyzer and periodically presented to the telemetry at a rate which is consistent with the available bandwidth. Absolute counting-rate information for rates up to 106 counts/sec as measured by the rate-accumulator is merged with the spectrum data into a common serial output under the control of a master clock. Synchronization patterns are introduced periodically to make the resulting pulse-coded wavetrain recognizable to automatic computer-compatible processing equipment. Coded time information is also introduced periodically when the system is used in conjunction with a satellite tape recorder. A detailed description of the system and its operation with all of the telemetry systems in general use is presented. A description of an economical decoder for field processing of the data from the system is also given. Finally, the use of an automatic computer-oriented data-processing system for handling flight data from the digital spectrometer is described.