Reducing Display Memory Bits for Accurate Signal Histograms
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern digital oscilloscopes face challenges in efficiently representing the statistical distribution of measured signals due to the large number of bits required in display memory, leading to an impractical representation of lower frequency values being weighted higher than higher frequency values, resulting in an inaccurate histogram.
Innovation Solution
The method reduces the number of bits in each memory cell by storing a sum of first frequency values and at least one compressed second frequency value, using a compression factor to adaptively generate a compressed second frequency value of one or zero, allowing for a realistic display of both statistical distributions and sporadic anomalies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the number of bits in each memory cell is reduced, then the memory capacity and chip area are reduced, but the ability to accurately represent the statistical distribution of measured signals deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the frequency value storage into multiple frequency bins, where each bin stores a portion of the statistical distribution data. This segmentation allows the system to represent the overall statistical distribution using multiple smaller storage units with fewer bits each, while maintaining accuracy through the collective representation across all bins.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from storing single frequency values to storing frequency values across multiple dimensions (frequency bins). By organizing data in a multi-dimensional histogram structure rather than a single-dimensional array, the system achieves more efficient memory utilization and accurate statistical representation with reduced bit depth per memory cell.
2Area of stationary object
If the number of bits in each memory cell is reduced, then the chip area is reduced, but the ability to display rare or singular occurrences deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different storage strategies to different frequency bins based on their local characteristics. Frequency bins representing common signal occurrences use standard storage, while bins that may capture rare anomalies are structured to preserve their visibility. This local differentiation ensures that sporadic events are not lost while optimizing overall memory efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses partial action by storing compressed or binned frequency data for common occurrences, while allocating additional storage capacity or using uncompressed storage for rare events. This selective approach ensures that rare anomalies are captured with sufficient detail while reducing overall memory requirements for the majority of common signal values.
3Measurement precision
If a large number of acquisitions are processed per update cycle, then the statistical distribution becomes more accurate, but the memory requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of data representation by transforming raw frequency counts into binned histogram data. Instead of storing each individual acquisition result, the system accumulates statistics and represents them as frequency distributions across bins. This parameter transformation allows processing of large numbers of acquisitions while using minimal memory, as the memory stores aggregated statistics rather than individual data points.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements continuous accumulation of statistical data across multiple acquisition cycles. The histogram data is continuously updated by adding new acquisition results to the existing frequency bins, allowing the statistical distribution to converge toward accuracy over time while maintaining a compact memory footprint. This continuous action enables accurate representation with limited memory resources.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for reducing a number of bits (NBits) used for a frequency value of a measuring signal stored in each memory cell of a display memory (2) in a measuring device (1) determines the frequency value in each memory cell by assigning the frequency of sampled values in several measuring portions of a measured signal within an update cycle of the display (4) to a corresponding memory cell. It then displays each pixel of the display (4) with a brightness or a color corresponding to the frequency value in the corresponding memory cell after each update cycle. The determined frequency value is a sum of a first frequency value, which is determined in a number (Nunkomp) of first measuring portions of the measured signal within the update cycle, and at least one compressed second frequency value, which is determined by compression of a corresponding compressed second frequency value with a compression factor (PKompres). Each uncompressed second frequency value can be determined in a corresponding part of a number (Nkomp) of second measuring portions of the measured signal within the update cycle.