An eye diagram analyzer equips each SUT data and
clock signal input channel with individually variable delays in their respective paths. For a range of
signal delay of n-many SUT
clock cycles, the SUT
clock signal delay might be set at about n / 2. For each
data channel there is specified a point in time relative to an instance of the delayed
clock signal (
data signal delay) and a
voltage threshold. The specified combination (
data signal delay, threshold and which channel) is a location on an eye diagram, although the trace may or may not ever go through that location. A counter counts the number of SUT clock cycles used as instances of the reference for the eye diagram, and another counter counts the number of times the specified combination of conditions was met (“hits”). After watching a specified combination for the requisite length of time or number of events, the number of SUT clock cycles involved and the associated number of hits are stored in memory using a
data structure indexed by the components of the specified combination (
data signal delay, threshold). Next, a new combination of data
signal delay and threshold is specified and a measurement taken and recorded in the
data structure. The process is repeated until all possible combinations within a stated range of data
signal delay and
threshold voltage (using specified resolution / step sizes for delay and
voltage) have been investigated. As this process proceeds under the control of
firmware within the
logic analyzer, other
firmware can be examining the
data structure and generating a partial eye diagram visible on a display, and that will be complete soon after the measurement itself is finished.” has been changed to “An eye diagram analyzer equips each SUT data and
clock signal input channel with individually variable delays in their respective paths. For a range of
signal delay of n-many SUT clock cycles, the SUT
clock signal delay might be set at about n / 2. For each
data channel there is specified a point in time relative to an instance of the delayed clock signal (data signal delay) and a
voltage threshold. The specified combination (data signal delay, threshold and which channel) is a location on an eye diagram, although the trace may or may not ever go through that location.