A Low-Cost UNIX(TM) Speech Workstation

A low-cost ($15K range) UNIX(TM) speech workstation assembled from off-the-shelf components is described. The workstation allows recording and playback of continuous analog signals at data rate of up to 12,500 samples/second. (Multi-channel analog and digital I/O, timers, serial ports, and much firmware to control these are included as well.) It involves no modification of the operating system (in fact, no device driver had to be written), so the much-loved UNIX(TM) environment is extended intact into the realm of real-time data acquisition and control.