The handling of data from experiments

The use of small computers in on-line experiments in high-energy physics is briefly indicated. The requirement for an above-average performance (data-handling rates up to 1.5 Mbit/sec) is described, emphasizing the problem of data acquisition; data rates and buffering, data storage, and the importance of flexibility are dealt with. The discussion of hardware solutions to the special problems posed by on- line experiments includes the use of CAMAC interfaces, systems of linked computers, and the use of special processors which perform the first steps of data analysis very rapidly. A section on the software solution to data acquisition problems treats the requirements for flexibility and ease of use, giving as an example a comparison of a manufacturer-supplied Editor and CERN's ORION Editor, and concludes with an outline of the need for direct access to more powerful computers, giving as an illustration the FOCUS and Omega/SFM networks. (0 refs).