Development of a Missile Data Acquisition and Recorder Module

A small, data acquisition and recorder system is needed to acquire and store missile and submunition acceleration data in non-volatile memory. The device should be autonomous, withstand the harsh environments of a missile launch, and permit data downloadefficiently after ground impact. Additionally, the data acquisition and recorder system should contain a flexible sensor interface to accommodate the different gain, offset, and filtering requirements of accelerometers and other sensors if desired. Such asystem could be used to characterize missile and submunition shock and pyrotechnic shock environments during flight tests and be stored in a database for reference in future design and redesign activities. Such data would eliminate the trial and errorassociated with designing to an assumed pyrotechnic shock load and thus decrease the cost associated with those activities. Additionally, such a device could be used in a variety of applications requiring autonomous acquisition and storage of sensor datain high-g, short duration events.The MDARM will provide technology immediately applicable to programs requiring non-volatile data acquisition and recording of event data. SPEC will continue to exploit the automotive market place for use of such devices inautomotive crash safety testing, crash adaptive air bag deployment, and monitoring of critical bio dynamic parameters during automotive testing and racing. Additionally, this technology could be used to monitor athletes during sporting events and officeworkers during their normal activities to decrease injuries and fatigue.