acoustic delay line

A device that introduces a delay in the propagation of an electrical signal by (a) employing a transducer to convert the signal into an acoustic wave, (b) propagating the acoustic wave through a medium such as a column of mercury or a carbon or ferrite rod, and (c) by means of another transducer, converting the acoustic wave back to an electrical signal. Note: An acoustic delay line may be used for temporary storage of information, e.g., a digital data stream.