Fast Access Data Acquisition System

174 Fast Access Data Acquisition System--Multilink Technology Corporation, 1661 Lincoln Blvd., Suite 200B, Santa Monica, CA 90404-3711; (310) 581-6444 Dr. Vladimir Katsman, Principal Investigator Dr. Richard Nottenburg, Business Official DOE Grant No. DE-FG03-97ER82435 Amount: $74,988 High energy physics experiments at leading accelerator facilities generate huge amounts of raw data that must be digitized and analyzed in a short period of time. It is necessary to reduce enormous amounts of ¿non-interesting¿ events from these experiments while preserving meaningful physical data. Scientists are looking for innovative approaches for handling this data which will be more cost effective and less complex than current systems. This project will overcome the speed limitations that exist today by developing a unique Fast Access Data Acquisition System for the efficient handling and transfer of experimental data. The required number and length of high speed electrical interconnects will be significantly reduced dramatically reducing the hardware complexity and increasing the performance of existing systems. Moreover, this project is fully based on all off-the-shelf technologies. In Phase I, the architecture of Fast Access Data Acquisition System will be optimized. At the end of Phase I a prototype 10 channel parallel optical data link, based on Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser Diodes with an aggregate bandwidth ten times greater than current technology, will be demonstrated and preliminary tested. Phase II will focus on the development of a parallel Data Acquisition System with an aggregate bandwidth 1,000 times greater than the Phase I prototype. A prototype of this 1 terabyte per second aggregate bandwidth data acquisition system will be fabricated, fully tested and delivered at the end of Phase II. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: This project would have high commercial potential to greatly enhance SONET/SDH, and ATM networks. The basic technologies developed under this contract could be used in personal communication systems, free space laser interconnects, teleconferencing, and nuclear physics experiments.