An instrument capable of handling all the above signal processing tasks in real time for the various types of observations mentioned in the previous chapter is bound to be complex. During the design of such a system many practical limitations in implementation aspects will decide the performance of the instrument.
In general, the design should maximize the following performance factors :
1.Speed of operation
2.Flexibility to choose the appropriate signal processing algorithm for different types of pulsar observations.
3.Ease in reproduction, upgradation and diagnostics of the system
4.Long term reliability
5.User friendly controls and messages
At the same time the design should minimize the following factors :
1.Power consumptions
2.Quanatization error
3.Development, reproduction and trouble shooting time
4.Physical size of the instrument
5.Cost of implementation
6.Electrical Interference from the instrumentation
What can be achieved for most of these factors depends on the availability of technology and market trends. The state of the art and cost may change significantly from the time of freezing the design to the full implementation of the system. To gain advantage of these market trends, components are purchased in several instalments.