Abstract
A network of computers is being used to support the Food and Drug Administration's Bureau of Foods mass spectrometry facility. Five mass spectrometers are each interfaced to at least 2 of the 6 dedicated minicomputers in the laboratory. This multiple interfacing provides data acquisition and processing backup, reducing the overall down-time. Selected data from all of the minicomputers can be sent to FDA's main computers via a digital cartridge tape recorder or paper tape. The digital cartridge tape recorder records data that are output from a minicomputer terminal and then plays it back on a terminal which is on-line with the main computer. This main computer stores and edits data; plots spectra for reports, data banks, and publications; and carries out some data processing. Multiple interfacing also serves to supplement the capabilities of the 8-year-old Finnigan MAT (formerly Varian MAT) SS-100 data system (Sperry-Univac/V-76) with the newer and more powerful Finnigan MAT INCOS (Data General/Nova 3) data system. The SS-100 data system is also enhanced by the substitution of the 110 baud paper tape with a 9600 baud cartridge tape recorder for I/O of system bootstraps, BASIC programs, and raw data.
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