Tactical Disk Recording System (TDRS)

The reliability and cost of wide bandwidth digital recorders represent the seak link in the ability to field operational airborne tactical reconnaissance systems. Magnetic tape technology is generally used as the storage media for tactical reconnaissance sytems because it provides that data capacity required by modern Electro-Optical (EOO) sensors. Developmental tactical reconnaissance sytems (ATARS and EO LORPOS) use the same wide band digital tape recorder with represents a significant protion of the overall cost of the equipemtn suite. Even with significant evnironmental condisitoning, including heating, cooling, tape preconditioning and humidity restriction, the digital tape recorder is still one of the least reliable, yet critical components of a tactial EO reconnaissance system. Other media provide greater benefits in regards to size, weight,power, cost, reliability and operational performance. Autometric, Incorporated, Computing Devices International (CDI), and key expert consultants have joined to investigae advancements in commercial storage media and data processing to offer an innovation approach to solving the tactical reconnaissance recording dilemma. Preliminary investigation indictes that current magnetic disk media can be integrated with on-board, real=time, variable compressionalgorithms to provide high performance recording solutions for a variety of DOD and commercial users.