Diagnostic Instrument Merging Oscilloscope and Multi-Meter Functions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Digital oscilloscopes and graphing multi-meters face challenges in identifying transient anomalies, as oscilloscopes struggle to capture intermittent anomalies, while graphing multi-meters cannot visually display the signal causing the anomaly.
Innovation Solution
An instrument with an input port, display, and processors generates datasets for signal voltages and derived characteristics over time, allowing graphical display of both, with adjustable time resolutions to highlight anomalies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If an oscilloscope is used to capture transient anomalies, then the ability to visually display signal voltage is improved, but the ability to identify intermittent anomalies deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the oscilloscope's voltage display capability with the multi-meter's derived characteristic monitoring capability into a single instrument. The system simultaneously displays voltage waveforms and calculated characteristics (frequency, duty cycle, RMS) on the same screen, allowing users to identify transient anomalies in derived characteristics while maintaining the ability to visually inspect the corresponding voltage signal that caused the anomaly.
Solution Approach 2:
The instrument performs multiple functions: it operates as both an oscilloscope (displaying voltage vs. time) and a graphing multi-meter (displaying derived characteristics vs. time). This multi-functionality allows the device to reliably capture intermittent anomalies by monitoring derived characteristics continuously while maintaining visual display capabilities for signal verification.
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If a graphing multi-meter is used to identify transient anomalies in derived characteristics, then the anomaly detection capability is improved, but the ability to visually display the source signal deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the multi-meter's anomaly detection in derived characteristics with the oscilloscope's signal display capability. When a transient anomaly is detected in a derived characteristic (such as frequency or duty cycle), the corresponding voltage signal is simultaneously displayed, providing contextual information about the source of the anomaly without losing signal details.
3Loss of information
If the instrument displays both voltage signal and derived characteristics simultaneously, then the information completeness is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple measurement and display functions into a single unified instrument. The system calculates derived characteristics from the input signal and displays both the original voltage waveform and the calculated characteristics (frequency, duty cycle, RMS, peak-to-peak) simultaneously on one screen, eliminating the need for separate oscilloscope and multi-meter devices.
Data Source
AI summary
An instrument includes an input port, a display, one or more processors, and a computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the instrument to perform functions. The functions include generating a first dataset indicating voltages of a signal detected at the input port over a time period and displaying the first dataset graphically on the display. The functions also include generating a second dataset indicating values of a derived characteristic of the signal over the time period and displaying the second dataset graphically on the display.