D&TT: White Papers

D&TT White Papers

Results of on-going research and product development

The white papers and specifications presented here highlight some of the capabilities of recently produced instrumentation. First, the "LTO Tape Head/Tape MediaTest System" specification is for a MeasureBoard1 based system; it is included because it describes the Gauss Tape Transport, which we use for lab based instruments. See Applications. Second, the specifications for MeasureBoard2 and for MeasureBoard3 are available. Third, the "Theory of Operation" of a MeasureBoard2 tester is also included.

These documents are presented in Adobe Acrobat format. You will need the Acrobat Reader 5.0 (or later) to view them. Select the Get Acrobat button to download the free Reader directly from Adobe's website.

Then, click on the Get PDF button for the document that interests you.

Specification Document for the LTO Gen1 Tape Head/Tape Media Test System
Explains general capabilities, system outline, description of key modules, head parametric tests, and full specifications for the instrument. This document covers the original test instrument which was based on the first generation of the measurement electronics, MeasureBoard1.

Measurement Board 2 Specification
This is the full specification for the second generation of the Measurement Electronics, MeasureBoard2.
It includes a short white paper at the end, "Minimum Sampling Rate Requirements". It presents the theory behind the ability to capture waveforms to the full 12bit accuracy of the Analog/Digital converter if the maximum frequency to be sampled is limited to one-half the nyquist frequency.

Measurement Board 3 Specification
This is the full specification for the third generation of the Measurement Electronics, MeasureBoard3.
It also includes an updated version of the short white paper, "Minimum Sampling Rate Requirements".

MeasureBoard2 Theory of Operation
This paper describes a Test Instrument based on the MeasureBoard2 Electronics. It divides the Tester into three parts. The first is the preamp/buffer which conditions the signal to be measured. The second is the MeasureBoard2 Electronics drawer. Some detail is provided about cabling, the various sub-modules on the PCBAs, and the mounting hardware. The third part is the software, which is outlined by program. Finally, the Test Instrument is described interfaced to a test stand, here a Tape Transport.