The proposal is to construct and test a prototype of a modular intelligent input/output system which is to provide the interface between data acquisition systems for large and complex experiments using the CAMAC Parallel Branch Highway and the new generation Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) VAXBI bus. The design which has been worked out will utilize a microprocessor-based controller, the NMOS T414, which preprocesses data prior to transmission to the VAXBI bus, thus freeing the central processor of the main computer for other tasks. The subsystems speed and local intelligence will allow a greater proportion of data processing done in real time. With the real-time processing, the data acquisition system and the experiment can be timed to maximize the experimental effectiveness. The proposed system is expected to have a significant impact on the ability to collect a large amount of data at extremely high rates, which is of importance in many areas of experimental physics, but in particular in high energy physics.
