Very-Long-Baseline-Array Recorder Applied to High-Resolution Nicrowave Survey Data

The magnetic tape recorder developed by NASA for Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VREC) can record at 500 Mbyte/sec and store 700 Gigabytes of data on one reel. It is commercially available at moderate cost but does not include application-specific formatting and error correction. The innovation we propose is to investigate the development of a flexibly configurable user-to-storage interface for the VREC for use in the High Resolution Microwave Survey (HRMS). This interface will perform all formatting, error correction, modulation, recording interface, and user interface functions. The resulting system will satisfy the need of the HRMS for high-speed, wide-bandwidth, high-density storage media capable of handling 100 to 1000 Mbyte/sec to be used for recording and archiving large volumes of data at minimal cost. Phase I will evaluate the means by which the desired interface can be developed, how it will interface to the user, and how much it will cost. The final product will be a realistic preliminary design. NASA will benefit from satisfying the recording needs of the HRMS and possibly other projects with similar needs. Commercial applications include use as a high-speed computer network and supercomputer peripheral, and high-energy physics data acquisition.