Abstract
Described in this paper, is a semi-automatic data processing method for curves drawn by strip chart recorders. The main parts of this system is a curve following and transforming mechanism which uses both manual tracing device and photo-diode array sensor with a fiber image guide. A long strip chart, on which an experimental recorded curve is drawn, is fed continuously through a guide bar which is placed vertically to the direction of the chart feeding. A cursor unit equipped with one end of a set of image and light guide fibers is fixed on a slider which can move smoothly on the bar. The slider is connected to a potentiometric voltage generator and another end of the set of the fibers is connected to photo-diode array sensor; the output of the following mechanism is given as the sum of the output of the voltage generator and that of the photo-diode array sensor.
Controlling the slider position as to contain the curve into the range bounded with two markes, the curve drawn on the strip chart is transformed to time varring analogue voltage.
Dependence of both the chart speed and the spatial frequency of the curve on the system performance are discussed by experiments using test pattern data, compared to the pure manual operating system.
The error accompanied with the manual operation system is rejected by the semi-automatic system and the processing speed increased approximately four times as much as that of the manual operation.
