EG&G Princeton Applied Research 1460 Optical Multichannel Analyzer OMA

EG&G Princeton Applied Research 1460 Optical Multichannel Analyzer OMA

The EG&G Princeton Applied Research Model 1460 is a self-contained Optical Multichannel Analyzer (OMA) system — an integrated instrument for acquiring, displaying, and processing spectral data from array-detector-based spectrometer systems. It combines a controller/processor, a green phosphor CRT display, dual 5.25-inch floppy disk drives, and a modular card cage in a single benchtop console. The 1460 serves as the controller and display unit for EG&G PARC's OMA detector and spectrograph systems, handling real-time data acquisition, waveform display, and storage.

Specifications & What's Included

• Manufacturer: EG&G Princeton Applied Research Corp, Princeton, NJ, USA
• Model: 1460 Optical Multichannel Analyzer (OMA)
• Manufacture date: February 23, 1988
• Display: Integrated green phosphor CRT with front-panel keypad
• Storage: Dual 5.25-inch floppy disk drives (front-mounted)
• A/D resolution: 14-bit (M1463 14-Bit A/D module)
• Installed modules — CPU card (EG&G PARC CPU)
• Installed modules — I/O-A card
• Installed modules — CRT CONT (CRT controller)
• Installed modules — M1460 DMA
• Installed modules — M1460 Shield (×2)
• Installed modules — M1303 Gate Pulse Interface
• Installed modules — M1462 Shield
• Installed modules — M1462 Analog
• Installed modules — M1463 Analog
• Installed modules — M1463 14-Bit A/D
• Installed modules — M1463 Scan Control
• Interfaces: PARC Parallel Interface (DB-25 blue), Serial Interface
• Video outputs: BNC — Red, Green, Blue, M'Chrome
• Additional rear connectors: DB-15, Trigger Output (BNC), Bias, Internal Analog connectors
• Power: IEC AC inlet with fuse block (rear panel)
• Form factor: Benchtop integrated console
• Country of manufacture: USA
• Included: Controller unit only — no external OMA detector, array head, or spectrograph included

Applications

The EG&G Princeton Applied Research OMA system was a leading platform for multichannel optical spectroscopy from the late 1970s through the 1990s. The Model 1460 controller is used with EG&G PARC array detector heads (such as the 1420, 1421, 1453, and 1461 series) and optical spectrographs to perform time-resolved and steady-state emission, absorption, and Raman spectroscopy. It replaced the laborious process of scanning a single-point detector across a spectrum by acquiring an entire spectral range simultaneously on a photodiode array or intensified diode array. Applications included fluorescence lifetime measurements, laser-induced emission spectroscopy, plasma diagnostics, photoluminescence, and low-light-level spectroscopy in physics, chemistry, and materials research labs. The PARC Parallel Interface and serial port allow connection to host computers for data transfer and remote control, and the integrated floppy drives allow on-board data storage. The M1303 Gate Pulse Interface module supports gated/time-resolved detection modes used in pulsed laser experiments. The 14-bit A/D resolution of the M1463 module provides high dynamic range for accurate spectral measurements. This platform dates from the late 1980s and represents the generation of OMA instrumentation that defined quantitative multichannel spectroscopy in academic and government research settings before PC-based acquisition systems became dominant in the mid-1990s.