Large distributed data acquisition system at the Z facility

Experiments at the Z machine generate over four hundred channels of waveform data on each accelerator shot. Most experiments require timing accuracy to better than one nanosecond between multiple distributed recording locations throughout the facility. Experimental diagnostics and high speed data recording equipment are typically located within a few meters of the 200 to 300 terawatt X-ray source produced during Z-pinch experiments. This paper discusses techniques used to resolve the timing of the several hundred data channels acquired on each shot event and system features which allow viewing of waveforms within a few minutes after a shot. Methods for acquiring high bandwidth signals in a severe noise environment are also discussed.