Multi-Processor Data and Control System

This consultant was approached to assist in the design and production of a very large data acquisition and control system to be used by a military sub-contractor as a tool during the prototype phase of a new weapons system. The requirements of this system were far beyond anything that could be done using current off-the-shelf technology.

We performed an on-site evaluation and analysis of the customer's prototype system and requirements and proposed an approach to meet their needs. Several other companies also bid on the project. This consultant's design was chosen and was awarded the sub-contract. The design was to develop a distributed multi-processor data and control system spanning a very large area and controlling a large number of operational parameters and data collection sensors.

Expert Analysis

Though this system is somewhat complicated, basically, it involved the development of multi-channel high-speed A/D and D/A circuit boards as well as a dense lower speed A/D and D/A with all converters performing coherent sampling system wide using a novel high-speed clock distribution system. Additionally, we developed distributed digital signal processing network that used high-speed gigabit communications patterned after the optical Fiber Channel Arbitrated Loop architecture as the communications mechanism. It is the belief of this consultant that it was among the first companies to implement a gigabit Fiber Channel interfaces and to use it in a distributed processor network.

The data system developed was a great success and has been expanded several times since the original deployment and is still in use today over fifteen years later.

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