PULSE An event/time histogramming program for the Digital Equipment Corporation LAB-8 computer and FNEW-PULSE A function producing routine for use with PULSE and FOCAL

A program written in PAL-D assembly language for the Digital Equipment Corporation LAB-8 Computer is described which performs the on-line assimilation, storage and display of a wide range of event/time histograms; a simple interrogation allowing the user to define the experimental parameters required. Input frequencies of 10 000 events per second and sweeps of up to 50 sec duration are possible while a delay of 0 to 1600 sec is available between the triggering impulse and the start of the timing sweep. The display, which is presented at the end of the experiment and during the data assimilation process, includes alphanumeric headings showing the parameters being used. All interaction between the program and the user is conducted in decimal arithmetic. The program also contains an option which allows a bulk-storage device (either a DF32 Decdisc or a Dectape) to be used for the storing of experimental parameters, facilitating the processing of a number of similar experiments:. A further, short, program is described which makes the data stored in a histogram available to the higher level interpretive language designed for the Digital family-of-eight computers FOCAL. Using this routine histogram data is received in response to defined functions during a FOCAL program greatly simplifying the further analysis of the data.