Analog Transitional Storage for Oscilloscope Signal Capture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Oscilloscopes face challenges in observing and recording signal faults where the cause and effect are separated by significant periods of time, requiring excessive memory and processing time, and reducing sample rates can miss important events or narrow glitches.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a digital trigger system that dynamically manages storage of analog signal data by using comparators to detect transitions within a defined vertical range, temporarily storing data in a buffer and flushing it when the signal stabilizes, and resuming storage when the signal exceeds the range, allowing for increased storage time without prior knowledge of the signal characteristics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If the memory size is increased to capture events separated by significant periods of time, then the storage time is improved, but the amount of data to be processed becomes unpractical
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the relevant portions of the signal data for storage. By using a trigger system that detects transitions and a buffer that holds data only around these transition events, the system stores only the necessary data segments rather than continuously recording all signal data, thus reducing the total data quantity while maintaining adequate storage time for capturing separated cause and effect events
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs periodic sampling at maximum rate but only activates full storage during transition events detected by the trigger system. Between transitions, the buffer holds data temporarily without committing to main memory, creating a periodic storage pattern that reduces overall data volume while ensuring critical events are captured with sufficient time span
2Duration of action of stationary object
If the sample rate is decreased to capture a longer time period, then the storage time is improved, but the ability to observe narrow glitches and important events deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the effective sampling behavior by using a trigger mechanism that activates high-rate sampling only when transition events are detected. The trigger system monitors the signal continuously and triggers maximum-rate sampling around event occurrences, allowing the system to maintain high measurement precision for narrow glitches while effectively extending the observable time period through selective triggering
Solution Approach 2:
The trigger system performs preliminary detection of transition events before full storage is activated. By预先 detecting signal transitions and then activating the buffer and storage system accordingly, the system ensures that important events are captured at maximum sample rate while avoiding continuous high-rate sampling, thus extending effective storage time without sacrificing event detection accuracy
3Loss of information
If continuous storage of all sample data is implemented, then the completeness of data capture is improved, but the processing time and computational resources worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and stores only the data segments that contain meaningful information. The trigger system identifies transition events, and the buffer captures data around these events, storing only these extracted segments in main memory rather than all continuous sample data. This extraction approach maintains data completeness for relevant events while dramatically reducing the total data volume requiring processing
Solution Approach 2:
The system discards redundant data by not storing continuous samples during non-event periods. The buffer temporarily holds data during transitions, and only the relevant portions around triggered events are committed to main memory. This selective discarding of unnecessary data reduces processing time while the trigger and buffer mechanism ensure recovery and preservation of all critical event data
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables efficient storage of analog signal data only during transitions, drastically increasing storage time without needing detailed signal knowledge, reducing unnecessary data processing and memory requirements.
Implementation Method 1
a comparator circuit configured to detect transitions of the analog signal by comparing the signal level against reference thresholds, generate a trigger output when the signal exceeds the defined vertical range
Data Source
AI summary
A test and measurement instrument can include an input to receive an analog signal, a sampler to produce digital sample data corresponding to the analog signal, a buffer to store a portion of the sample data, a memory to store sample data from the buffer, a plurality of comparators to establish a vertical range, and a controller configured to configure the plurality of comparators to establish a first vertical range based on sample data in the buffer, and determine whether any of the sample data in the buffer transitions outside the first vertical range during a period of time.