Acquisition System for Digital Data Recording.

This report describes the development of a multi-channel data acquisition system for the digital recording of analog signals using charge-coupled-device CCD technology. The original brassboard design provides eight channels of fully independent analog recording at 160 MHz input sampling rate in a single 8-34-inch-high rack-mount chassis. Included in this report are evaluations of the general technological problems directly associated with fast data-acquisition systems using CCDs and also with items such as clock driver technology, triggering and control techniques, digitizing techniques, and output data-handling procedures. A secondary goal was to generate a working eight channel DAS capable of sufficiently high performance. Because of problems encountered in the actual layout and construction, this was not realized. However, the workability of the basic DAS design and its compatibility with future ultra-fast CCD development was indicated.