Sweep Integration Research Articles

Recording-Reproducing System Using a Dielectric Storage Medium

A method of short-term storage of an electrical signal as a surface charge on a dielectric drum is described. An ionization recording head is used to produce a localized surface charge on a rotating plastic-coated drum, and a capacitive pickup probe is used to reproduce the signal. Basic design considerations and operating characteristics of the recording and reproducing heads are presented along with over-all response curves for an experimental recorder. A comparison with magnetic drum recording illustrates the advantages of the dielectric recorder to be found in the simplicity of probe and recording head design and the appreciably lower machining precision required. The finite life-time of the recording head appears to be long enough to be unimportant for most applications. The symmetrical recording and erasing characteristics of the recording head which are linearly proportional to potential difference between the surface charge and the applied recording voltage permit cumulative recording to be carried out for hundreds of drum revolution periods. This property of the dielectric recorder makes it uniquely suited for multiple sweep integration applications. (This work was sponsored by Bureau of Ships contract NObsr 43356 NE-120221-5.)