The Mariner-Mars Data Automation System

This paper describes the Data Automation System used on board the Mariner-Mars probe. The system, which accounted for one-third of the total electronic components in the spacecraft, gathered information from six scientific experiments and a television camera and prepared the data for transmission to earth. The Mariner Mars Data Automation System is a high-density, low-power, solid-state electronic system. A description of the system operation, the data conversion techniques employed, and the circuitry used to implement the system are presented. A description of the unique hardware developed for this system is also given.