High repetition rate, wide bandpass, data acquisition system for high power microwave applications

Abstract

A description is given of the system architecture, digitizing hardware, data capture and archiving software, and networking of a system for transient signal capture and analysis. This system is suitable for use with the multihertz repetition rated pulsed power supplies used for high-power microwave source development and effects testing. The system is automated using a high-speed GPIF interface through a VAX 3500/3600 workstation. Each of the data acquisition stations is controlled by one of two VAX 8650 mainframes over the local area VAX cluster. Shot data are stored using the Ingres database. Data analysis is done at any of the 25 PCs acting as DECNET nodes using DADiSP analysis software. The system archives as many as two dozen channels at repetition rates of approximately 2 Hz.<>