The design of a program for the collection of 3-dimensional ultrasonic data

This paper describes the programming mechanisms used in a program which controls the transfer of data from an ultrasonic system through a minicomputer onto a single platter disc cartridge. The system enables the collection and digitization of B scans from parallel planes. The main software design constraints in such a system are identified and discussed in general terms. The rudiments of interrupt programming necessary for such an application are described in the context of the program; and simple optimisation techniques for the bulk transfer of data onto a single platter cartridge are given. Although the particular computer used in the author's program was a Data General Nova and the language used, the corresponding assembly code, the description of the techniques used are sufficiently general to allow the methodology to be imposed upon any assembly code.