Telemetry - Past, Present, Future

Abstract

On the assumption that "the past is prologue", this paper presents an interesting and revealing look at the telemetry technology of twenty years ago, a comparison of that with the technology of today, and an extrapolation into the future of telemetry. Factors which are examined include the characteristics of telemetry systems, the price per unit of performance, and the applications in which telemetry has been, is being, and likely will be used. The key word in the paper is "choice". A user or prospective user had little choice in equipment or techniques twenty years ago; the present day technology offers a wide range of choices; indications are that the future will offer even greater choices in characteristics and price - and consequently, in the applications for which telemetry is a viable tool for data acquisition and processing.