Signal Pattern Triggering for Low-Dead-Time Digital Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional digital measurement instruments face limitations in triggering mechanisms, particularly with hardware-based triggers being inflexible and prone to significant dead-time, making it difficult to detect rare events in short periods, while software triggers offer more flexibility but are slower and less effective.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a flexible matching procedure using hardware to scan digital signals in real-time or stored data, comparing them against pattern signatures defined by regular expressions or alignment algorithms like Smith-Waterman, to arm triggers based on precise pattern recognition, reducing dead-time and enhancing detection capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If hardware-based triggers are used, then triggering speed is fast, but flexibility is limited and dead-time is significant
Solution Approach 1:
The trigger system is segmented into multiple independent components: a hardware trigger engine for fast triggering, a software pattern matcher for flexibility, and a controller that coordinates them. This segmentation allows each component to specialize in its strength while working together to overcome individual limitations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges hardware triggering and software pattern matching into a unified hybrid trigger system. The hardware engine provides fast initial detection, while the software component adds flexible pattern recognition, combining the advantages of both approaches to achieve both speed and flexibility.
2Adaptability or versatility
If software triggers are used, then trigger flexibility is improved, but triggering speed decreases and dead-time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hardware trigger engine performs preliminary detection and pre-processing of trigger conditions before software pattern matching is applied. This preliminary action filters obvious triggers quickly in hardware, allowing software to focus only on complex pattern recognition, thereby maintaining speed while achieving flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
A controller acts as an intermediary between the hardware trigger engine and software pattern matcher, coordinating their operations. The intermediary manages the workflow, directing signals appropriately and synchronizing operations to minimize dead-time while maximizing both speed and flexibility.
3Reliability
If conventional triggering is used, then simple events are detected, but rare events in short periods are missed due to dead-time
Solution Approach 1:
The hybrid trigger system maintains continuous operation with minimized dead-time by overlapping hardware and software processing. While the hardware engine operates continuously for fast detection, the software component processes patterns in parallel, ensuring that useful detection action continues without interruption and rare events are not missed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies partial pattern matching in hardware for quick filtering, then applies full software pattern matching only when needed. This partial action approach in hardware reduces the overall processing burden and dead-time, while still achieving reliable detection of rare events through the combined system.
Data Source
AI summary
A measurement instrument receives an analog input signal from a measurement target, converts the input signal into a digital signal, scans the digital signal and comparing the scanned digital signal with a pattern signature using a flexible matching procedure implemented by hardware, and triggers the measurement instrument according to a result of the flexible matching procedure.