On-line storage of event/time data using a magnetic disc unit

A program is described which uses the Digital Equipment Corporation DF32 Magnetic Disc storage unit and LAB-8 Computer to make accurate event/time records of up to four separate spike trains simultaneously. The information is stored on the disc in blocks of 128 12-bit words as a file within the Disc Monitor System. The coding format used is variable with the number of input channels being used so that maximum efficiency is obtained with respect to available storage space. The program operates entirely within the structure of the Disc Monitor System so that it can be used while the disc is also serving as a storage medium for other programs and data. There is no danger of any previously stored material being overwritten. The file which is placed on disc containing all the information is then available for access by other software or can be transferred to other storage devices such as magnetic tape or paper tape for storage or processing. The program can store information arriving at rates up to about two thousand impulses per second continuously on four channels simultaneously. A further routine is described which makes information stored in the file generated by the above program available to the Digital interpretive language FOCAL. Using this routine the data may be processed at leisure using a full range of analytical techniques.