Oscilloscope Trigger on Final Event for High-Speed Serial Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current oscilloscopes face challenges in capturing and processing the complete training sequence of high-speed serial data communication standards like PCIe and Ethernet, as they often fail to distinguish the final occurrence of a repeating event, leading to incomplete data capture and prolonged processing times that negatively impact throughput.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method to continue data storage after each event and using a timeout mechanism to identify the final occurrence of a repeating pattern, allowing for accurate marking and retrieval of data related to the final event, thereby enabling efficient capture and analysis of the data of interest.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the data acquisition memory stores a long enough record to capture the entire training sequence, then the complete training sequence can be captured, but the processing time increases to many minutes which negatively impacts throughput
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the training sequence capture into two distinct phases: (1) a first data record captured during the training sequence using a first trigger mode, and (2) a second data record captured after the training sequence using a second trigger mode triggered by an end-of-training indicator. This segmentation allows the system to capture the complete training sequence while minimizing processing requirements by only analyzing the critical portion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and isolates the critical end-of-training event from the entire training sequence using a dedicated trigger mechanism. The second trigger mode is specifically designed to trigger only on the end-of-training indicator, separating the capture of the critical moment from the capture of the entire training sequence, thereby reducing processing burden while maintaining capture completeness.
2Loss of information
If the oscilloscope captures the complete training sequence with very long data record lengths, then the full sequence is recorded, but the processing delay becomes many minutes which does not satisfy user needs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary capture of the entire training sequence in the first data record without immediate processing. The actual analysis and processing are deferred until the end-of-training indicator is detected, at which point only the relevant portion needs to be processed. This preliminary capture approach preserves all information while minimizing processing time by delaying analysis until necessary.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables the system to skip extensive processing of the entire training sequence by using the second trigger mode to directly jump to capturing only the critical post-training data. The system rushes through the processing bottleneck by triggering the second record capture immediately upon detecting the end-of-training indicator, avoiding minutes of processing delay while preserving complete data.
3Measurement precision
If the scope uses present triggering techniques, then it can capture repeating events, but it cannot distinguish the final occurrence of the repeating event which is critical for determining training results
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary end-of-training indicator signal that mediates between the repeating training events and the trigger mechanism. This indicator serves as a dedicated intermediary signal that explicitly marks the final occurrence, allowing the trigger system to precisely identify the critical event without requiring complex analysis of the entire repeating sequence.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the trigger parameter from detecting generic repeating patterns to specifically detecting the end-of-training indicator parameter. This parameter change transforms the trigger condition from a complex pattern recognition task into a simpler signal detection task, improving measurement precision for identifying the final event while reducing the effective complexity of the triggering mechanism.
Data Source
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AI summary
This disclosure relates generally to test and measurement instruments structured to detect that a series of events occurred, and structured to generate a trigger signal in response to detecting that a final event in the series of events occurred. The trigger may be generated based on a timeout signal, or based on another event, trigger, or signal. Stored data in the acquisition memory may be marked relative to the detection of the final event. An external forced timeout signal may control which in a series of events is marked as a final event. The triggering on final event may be enabled after another trigger is satisfied, and may be used as one of many different types of triggers.