Complete system for recording on to magnetic tape

One of the NP electronics group's latest creations is a complete system for recording directly on to magnetic tape, ready for transfer to the computer, the data collected from an array of sonic (or acoustic) spark chambers. With this type of spark chamber the position of the spark in each gap is computed from measurements of the time taken for the sound of the spark to reach each of four microphones placed at the edge s of the gap. On the right of this photograph, which shows the first part of the system being prepared for tests in the PS South hall, Arne Lang inspects one of a row of four scalers used in the measurements of the time intervals. (These scalers are counting instruments which can each register up to a million counts at a maximum rate of about 25 million per second.) The central rack contains ' logic units ' controlling the transfer of the data to the tape. To the left, Albert Maurer is seated inside the air-conditioned cabinet specially designed to keep the tape in a controlled, dust-free atmosphere