Multi-channel Digital Trigger FSM Pattern Matching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional measurement instruments face challenges with complex triggers, particularly in oscilloscopes, where real-time triggers offer high bandwidth but limited complexity, while software triggers provide richer functionality but result in 'blind time' and missed events due to hardware limitations, and the integration of analog trigger circuitry is costly and difficult.
Innovation Solution
A method using a multi-channel digital trigger device with a Finite State Machine (FSM) to convert analog signals into digital signals, compare them to thresholds, combine levels across channels, and detect patterns using regular expressions to generate triggers, eliminating the need for a correlator and reducing complexity and cost.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If software triggers are used to support complex trigger patterns, then trigger functionality and complexity are improved, but blind time increases and trigger events may be missed
Solution Approach 1:
The trigger system is segmented into multiple independent Finite State Machines (FSMs), each responsible for specific trigger pattern recognition tasks. This segmentation allows parallel processing of different trigger conditions simultaneously, eliminating the sequential processing bottleneck that causes blind time in software triggers while maintaining complex trigger functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the software-based trigger processing system with a hardware-based FSM system. This substitution transitions the trigger mechanism from a software execution model (which requires sequential processing and creates blind time) to a hardware parallel processing model that can evaluate multiple trigger conditions simultaneously without missing events.
2Reliability
If real-time triggers are used to reduce blind time, then event capture reliability is improved, but trigger pattern complexity is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the advantages of real-time triggers (fast event detection) with complex trigger pattern recognition by combining multiple FSMs that operate in parallel. Each FSM handles specific patterns in real-time, and their outputs are combined to achieve complex trigger functionality while maintaining real-time performance and high event capture reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The FSM-based trigger system is designed to be universal and configurable, capable of handling both simple real-time trigger patterns and complex multi-channel trigger sequences. The system can be programmed to recognize various trigger patterns (edges, pulses, sequences, correlations) making it adaptable to different application requirements while maintaining real-time operation.
3Speed
If analog trigger circuitry is used to achieve real-time triggering, then bandwidth is maintained, but manufacturing cost and integration difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces analog trigger circuitry with a digital FSM-based system that operates on digitized signal inputs. This substitution eliminates the need for complex analog comparator circuits and timing hardware, reducing manufacturing cost and integration difficulty while maintaining real-time bandwidth performance through efficient digital logic implementation.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of operating a measurement instrument, such as a digital oscilloscope, includes receiving multiple analog input signals from a measurement target over respective channels, converting the analog input signal on each channel into a respective digital signal, and comparing signal values of the digital signal on each channel to at least one threshold to generate a stream of levels for each channel. The method includes combining the stream of levels for each channel into a combined stream of levels that reflects combined features of the multiple analog input signals, detecting a pattern in the combined stream of levels using a combined-feature matching procedure implemented by hardware, such as a Finite State Machine (FSM), and triggering the measurement instrument according to a result of the combined-feature matching procedure.