METHOD FOR ANALYZING A SIGNAL AS WELL AS MEASUREMENT AND ANALYZING DEVICE

Abstract

A method for analyzing at least one signal by using a measurement and analyzing device is described. At least one measurement on said signal to be analyzed is conducted in order to obtain at least one measurement value. A diagram comprising said at least one measurement value over the time is provided. A curve of said at least one measurement value over the time is derived from said diagram. At least one trigger function is applied to said derived curve such that a trigger event is generated in case said at least one trigger function is triggered by said derived curve. Further, a measurement and analyzing device is described.

Claims

1. A method for analyzing at least one signal by using a measurement and analyzing device, the method comprising: conducting at least one measurement on said signal to be analyzed in order to obtain at least one measurement value; providing a diagram comprising said at least one measurement value over the time; deriving a curve of said at least one measurement value over the time from said diagram; and applying at least one trigger function to said derived curve such that a trigger event is generated in case said at least one trigger function is triggered by said derived curve.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said measurement is conducted on an acquired waveform of said signal and/or decoded values.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said trigger event is automatically generated by said device.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said trigger event is displayed on a display of said device.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said at least one trigger function is a mask trigger, a zone trigger, an edge trigger, a threshold trigger, an analog edge trigger, a glitch trigger, a width trigger, a runt trigger, a window trigger a timeout trigger, an interval trigger, a slew rate trigger, a data2clock trigger, a state trigger, a pattern trigger, a serial pattern trigger, a NFC trigger, a TV/Video Trigger, a CDR Trigger, a hold-off trigger, a pulse width trigger, a windows pulse width trigger, a level dropout trigger, logical trigger or a digital trigger.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein multiple trigger functions are applied successively.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein multiple trigger functions are applied simultaneously.

8. A measurement and analyzing device for analyzing at least one signal, said measurement and analyzing device comprising: a display; and a processing unit configured to: conduct at least one measurement on said at least one signal to be analyzed in order to obtain at least one measurement value; provide a diagram comprising said at least one measurement value over the time; derive a curve of said at least one measurement value over the time from said diagram; and apply at least one trigger function to said derived curve such that a trigger event is generated in case said at least one trigger function is triggered by said derived curve.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein said measurement and analyzing device is an oscilloscope.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein said oscilloscope is a digital oscilloscope.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein said digital oscilloscope has a data storage for storing data obtained and/or processed.

12. The device according to claim 8, wherein said device is a handheld device.

13. The device according to claim 8, wherein said at least one trigger function is a mask trigger, a zone trigger, an edge trigger, a threshold trigger, an analog edge trigger, a glitch trigger, a width trigger, a runt trigger, a window trigger a timeout trigger, an interval trigger, a slew rate trigger, a data2clock trigger, a state trigger, a pattern trigger, a serial pattern trigger, a NFC trigger, a TV/Video Trigger, a CDR Trigger, a hold-off trigger, a pulse width trigger, a windows pulse width trigger, a level dropout trigger, logical trigger or a digital trigger.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0030] The invention will now be described with reference to an exemplary embodiment which is shown in the enclosed drawings. In the drawings,

[0031] FIG. 1 schematically shows a measurement and analyzing device according to the invention,

[0032] FIG. 2 shows a diagram comprising a signal to be analyzed based on decoded values,

[0033] FIG. 3 shows a diagram illustrating the curve derived from the signal shown in FIG. 2 with a certain trigger function applied and triggered by the curve derived,

[0034] FIG. 4 shows a diagram comprising a signal to be analyzed,

[0035] FIG. 5 shows a diagram illustrating the curve derived from the signal shown in FIG. 4 based on a frequency measurement without a trigger function being applied, and

[0036] FIG. 6 shows the diagram of FIG. 5 with a certain trigger function being applied and triggered by the curve derived.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] In FIG. 1, a measurement and analysis device 10 for analyzing at least one signal is schematically shown, in particular a handheld digital oscilloscope.

[0038] The measurement and analysis device 10 comprises a housing 12, a display 14, in particular a touch display, and a processing unit 16 being housed in the housing 12.

[0039] Further, an input 18 is provided for receiving the signal to be analyzed. The input 18 may be a coaxial port or any other suitable port for receiving a signal to be analyzed. The signal to be analyzed might be a signal originated from a certain source, for instance an electromagnetic signal from a radio frequency source such as a sine wave, or several decoded values, in particular serial decoded values, which represent the signal to be analyzed.

[0040] The signal received via the input 18 is internally forwarded to the processing unit 16 which is positioned between the input 18 and the display 14. Thus, the signal to be analyzed is processed by the processing unit 16 such that the data obtained corresponding to the signal to be analyzed can be displayed on the display 14 in an accurate manner.

[0041] The processing unit 16 has several sub units for processing the signal to be analyzed such that data is gathered which can be displayed on the display 14.

[0042] In the shown embodiment, the processing unit 16 has two measurements sub units 20, 22 that are configured to measure different measurement values of the signal to be analyzed. For instance, measurement sub unit 20 is configured to measure the frequency of the signal to be analyzed which might be an electromagnetic signal received by a certain source such as a radio frequency source.

[0043] The obtained measurement values can be used in order to provide a diagram wherein the measurement values are illustrated over the time. Hence, a curve is derived by the processing unit 16 which corresponds to the measurement values obtained over the time. This derived curve is also called track. Accordingly, the derived curve (track) is different to the acquired waveform which is input directly since the derived curve (track) is a signal generated by the device 10 itself, in particular the processing unit 16, based upon the signal to be analyzed which has been input via the input 18. As already mentioned, the derived curve comprises the measurement values which has been obtained by conducting the at least first measurement, for instance via the measurement sub unit 20 of the processing unit 16.

[0044] The processing unit 16 may also have another sub unit which is a mathematics and analysis unit 24 for processing the measurement values obtained by the respective measurement sub unit 20, 22 such that the corresponding data can be displayed appropriately on the display 14.

[0045] Further, a data storage 26 may be provided which is connected to the processing unit 16 such that the data processed can be stored for further analyzing purposes. Particularly, histograms of the measurement values and/or histograms of the trigger events can be generated accordingly since the trigger events are stored at least for a certain time.

[0046] In the shown embodiment, the display 14 has at least two display regions 28, 30 which may be used to display the acquired waveform as well as the track or rather the derived curve which is generated by the processing unit 16 while conducting at least one measurement on the signal to be analyzed which has been input via the input 18 previously.

[0047] The derived curve (track) may be a signal composed of measurement parameter(s) arranged in the order the different measurements have been performed. Therefore, the derived curve may comprise several thousands single values, in particular millions of single values.

[0048] In FIG. 2, a diagram comprising a signal to be analyzed S based on decoded values is shown wherein in FIG. 3 a diagram is shown that illustrates the curve derived C from the signal S shown in FIG. 2 after at least one measurement has been conducted.

[0049] For instance, the diagram shown in FIG. 2 may be displayed in the display region 28 whereas the diagram shown in FIG. 3 may be displayed in the display region 30. Thus, both diagrams shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 can be displayed on the same display 14, simultaneously.

[0050] Further, a trigger function T is applied on the derived curve (track) C shown in the diagram in FIG. 3 wherein the selected trigger function T is an edge trigger which is triggered when the derived curve (track) C reaches a predetermined threshold being illustrated as a horizontal line. Thus, the edge trigger can also be called a threshold trigger.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 3, the trigger function T is hit by the derived curve (track) C on the rising edge of the derived curve (track) C. Thus, a trigger event TE is generated which is shown on the display 14, in particular as a triangle in the upper portion of the display region 30. This trigger event TE is automatically generated without any manual input.

[0052] Thus, the user can easily determine at which position on the derived curve (track) C, the trigger event TE takes place. As already mentioned, the threshold value is displayed as a horizontal line whereas the exact position of the trigger event TE is specified by the triangle which is displayed when the trigger function T is triggered by the derived curve (track) C.

[0053] In FIG. 4, a diagram is shown that comprises a signal to be analyzed S based on a frequency measurement wherein FIG. 5 shows a diagram illustrating the curve derived C from the signal S shown in FIG. 4 without a trigger function being applied. In contrast thereto, FIG. 6 shows a diagram illustrating the curve derived C from the signal S shown in FIG. 4 wherein a trigger function T is applied on that derived curve (track) C.

[0054] Once again, the diagram shown in FIG. 4 may be displayed in the displayed in the display region 28 whereas the diagram shown in FIG. 5 or 6 may be displayed in the display region 30. Thus, the diagrams illustrating the acquired waveform (FIG. 4) and the derived curve C (FIG. 5 or FIG. 6) can be displayed on the same display 14, simultaneously.

[0055] The derived curve (track) C shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is derived by conducting a certain measurement, in particular a frequency measurement of the signal to be analyzed S.

[0056] The comparison of the diagrams shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 points out that the derived curve (track) C and the acquired waveform of the signal to be analyzed S are different.

[0057] The diagram shown in FIG. 6 in comparison to the diagram shown in FIG. 5 illustrates the differences displayed when a trigger function T such as an edge trigger function is applied and hit by the derived curve (track) C.

[0058] As soon as the derived curve (track) C reaches the predetermined value of the trigger function T, the trigger function T is triggered such that a trigger event TE is generated automatically. The generated trigger event TE is displayed on the display 14, in particular in the diagram shown in the display region 30 of the display 14.

[0059] Again, the threshold value of the trigger function T is displayed as a horizontal line as well as a triangle at the dedicated location on the x-axis representing the exact position of the trigger event TE. Thus, the user can easily recognize at which location the trigger event TE occurs.

[0060] Beside the shown edge trigger function, several other trigger functions can be applied such as a mask trigger, a zone trigger, an analog edge trigger, a glitch trigger, a width trigger, a runt trigger, a window trigger a timeout trigger, an interval trigger, a slew rate trigger, a data2clock trigger, a state trigger, a pattern trigger, a serial pattern trigger, a NFC trigger, a TV/Video Trigger, a CDR Trigger, a hold-off trigger, a pulse width trigger, a windows pulse width trigger, a level dropout trigger, logical trigger or a digital trigger.

[0061] These different trigger functions can be applied subsequently wherein a predetermined order of the trigger functions is applied automatically provided that preset conditions are fulfilled.

[0062] Alternatively, the user may manually select certain trigger functions which are applied one after another.

[0063] Furthermore, several trigger functions may be applied simultaneously. These trigger functions can be applied on the same derived curve (track) such that the derived curve (track) and the corresponding applied trigger function are displayed in different display regions 28, 30. Alternatively, the same derived curve (track) is displayed in a certain display region 28, 30 wherein the trigger event is generated for the trigger function of the several trigger functions which is hit first.

[0064] Moreover, different derived curves (tracks) may be obtained when different measurements are conducted. Each of the derived curves (tracks) may be displayed in a corresponding display region 28, 30 on the display 14 wherein one or more trigger function(s) may be applied on the derived curves (tracks) appropriately.

[0065] Generally, the device 10 may be a handheld device as shown in FIG. 1 such that the device 10 is mobile. Thus, the user can use the device 10 everywhere. Accordingly, the device 10 may have a battery unit ensuring the required power supply.

[0066] Alternatively, the device 10 may be a laboratory apparatus. Then, the required power supply of the device 10 can be easily ensured by a plug. However, a battery unit may also be provided in case that the laboratory apparatus is used at a place without any socket.

[0067] Moreover, the device 10 may have further analyzing functions such as a spectrum analyzing function, for instance. Hence, the device 10 may be used for further analyzing purposes. Thus, the device 10 can be a multifunctional device having a oscillation function amongst others.

[0068] In general, the analysis of a signal to be analyzed is simplified and further automated.