May 22, 1961

Dr. G. Neugebauer

Jet Propulsion Laboratory
California institute of Technolagy
4800 Oak Grove Drive

Pasadena, California

Dear Gerry:
We are fast approaching the need for digitizing video Information

at a fairly,stage of our work on the fast scanning mi crospectrophotometer.
This requirement partly stems from the limitations of storage tubes which

are much more linear and reliable for digitals than for analogue information.

In any case It seemed to me that the final output signal would almost
certainly be coded for telemetry.

What | am now writing to ask for Is Information on the techniques
of digital coding as envisaged for the Meriner 8 telemetry. The particular
points | am concerned about [Is the Intended circultry for the Initial
conversion of video analogue to digital representation.

As a possibly related question, can you dig up a description of the
Tyros video system, which, | should suppose, could give us some good
leads on a workable video telemetry.

Bell Labs published a paper on digite!l television In the Proceedings
of the IRE about two years ago, but | would suppose that thelr system Is too
complex for space craft application and Is a better match to the band width
requirements of commercial television.

Yours sincerely,

Joshua Lederberg
Professor of Genetics

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