Test and measurement instrument having advanced triggering capability

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10094868-B2
Application number	US-201414553405-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 25, 2014
Priority date	Apr 11, 2014
Publication date	Oct 9, 2018
Grant date	Oct 9, 2018

Abstract

A test and measurement instrument, including an input configured to receive a signal-under-test, a user input configured to accept a first trigger event and a second trigger event from a user, a first trigger decoder configured to trigger on an occurrence of the first trigger event and generate a first trigger signal, a second trigger decoder configured to trigger on an occurrence of the second trigger event occurring after the first trigger event and generate a second trigger signal, and an acquisition system configured to acquire the signal-under-test in response to the first trigger signal and store the acquired signal-under-test based on whether the second trigger signal validates or invalidates the first trigger signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A test and measurement instrument, comprising:
an input configured to receive a signal-under-test;
a user input configured to accept a first trigger event and a second trigger event from a user, and further configured to accept an event validation mode from a user;
a first trigger decoder configured to trigger on an occurrence of the first trigger event and generate a first trigger signal;
a second trigger decoder configured to trigger on an occurrence of the second trigger event occurring after the first trigger event and generate a second trigger signal; and
an acquisition system configured to acquire the signal-under-test in response to the first trigger signal, and to store the acquired signal-under-test based on the event validation mode and whether the second trigger signal is generated by the second trigger decoder.

2. The test and measurement instrument of claim 1 , further comprising a timer configured to begin timing a specified time period when the first trigger signal is generated and generate an end-of-time signal when the specified time period ends,
wherein the user interface is configured to accept the specified time period from the user.

3. The test and measurement instrument of claim 2 , wherein the acquisition system is configured to store the signal-under-test when the acquisition system receives the second trigger signal before the end-of-time signal.

4. The test and measurement instrument of claim 2 , wherein the acquisition system is configured to store the signal-under-test when the acquisition system does not receive the second trigger signal before the end-of-time signal.

5. The test and measurement instrument of claim 2 , further comprising a reset circuit configured to reset the first trigger decoder when the end-of-time signal is generated.

6. The test and measurement instrument of claim 2 , further comprising a reset circuit configured to reset the first trigger decoder if the second trigger signal is generated.

7. The test and measurement instrument of claim 1 , wherein the user input further accepts a third trigger event, and the test and measurement instrument further comprises a third trigger decoder configured to trigger on an occurrence of a third trigger event and generate a third trigger signal,
wherein the acquisition system is further configured to store the acquired signal-under-test based on whether the second trigger signal is generated before the third trigger signal is generated.

8. The test and measurement instrument of claim 1 , wherein the first and second trigger decoders are hardware components.

9. The test and measurement instrument of claim 2 , wherein the first and second trigger decoders and the timer are hardware components.

10. The test and measurement instrument of claim 7 , wherein the first, second, and third trigger decoders are hardware components.

11. The test and measurement instrument of claim 1 , wherein the test and measurement instrument is an oscilloscope.

12. A method for triggering an acquisition of a signal-under-test in a test and measurement instrument, the method comprising:
receiving a signal-under-test;
receiving a first trigger event and a second trigger event, and an event validation mode;
triggering on an occurrence of the first trigger event and generating a first trigger signal;
triggering on an occurrence of the second trigger event occurring after the first trigger event and generating a second trigger signal; and
acquiring the signal-under-test in response to the first trigger signal and storing the acquired signal-under-test based on the event validation mode and whether the second trigger signal is generated.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising timing a specified time period from when the first trigger signal is generated and generating an end-of-time signal when the specified time period ends.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein storing the acquired signal-under-test further includes storing the signal-under-test when the acquisition system receives the second trigger signal before the end-of-time signal.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein storing the acquired signal-under-test further includes storing the signal-under-test when the acquisition system does not receive the second trigger signal before the end-of-time signal.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
receiving a third trigger event; and
triggering on an occurrence of the third trigger event and generating a third trigger signal,
wherein the acquired signal-under-test is stored based on whether the second trigger signal is generated before the third trigger signal is generated.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein, when the received event validation mode is a mode in which the occurrence of the second trigger event validates the occurrence of the first trigger event, the acquired signal-under-test is stored if the second trigger signal is generated, and the acquired signal-under-test is discarded if the second trigger signal is not generated.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein, when the received event validation mode is a mode in which the occurrence of the second trigger event invalidates the occurrence of the first trigger event, the acquired signal-under-test is stored if the second trigger signal is not generated, and the acquired signal-under-test is discarded if the second trigger signal is generated.

19. The test and measurement instrument of claim 1 , wherein, when the accepted event validation mode is a mode in which the occurrence of the second trigger event validates the occurrence of the first trigger event, the acquisition system stores the acquired signal-under-test if the second trigger signal is generated, and discards the acquired signal-under-test if the second trigger signal is not generated.

20. The test and measurement instrument of claim 1 , wherein, when the accepted event validation mode is a mode in which the occurrence of the second trigger event invalidates the occurrence of the first trigger event, the acquisition system stores the acquired signal-under-test if the second trigger signal is not generated, and discards the acquired signal-under-test if the second trigger signal is generated.

Assignees

• Tektronix Inc

Inventors

• Knierim Daniel G
• Kelly David L
• Andrews Jed H
• Martin Michael A
• Smith Patrick A

Classifications

• G01R13/0254 Primary

  for triggering, synchronisation · CPC title

• G01R31/28 Primary

  Testing of electronic circuits, e.g. by signal tracer ({EMC, EMP or similar testing of electronic circuits G01R31/002;} testing for short-circuits, discontinuities, leakage or incorrect line connection G01R31/50; checking computers {or computer components} G06F11/00; checking static stores for correct operation G11C29/00 {; testing receivers or transmitters of transmission systems H04B17/00}) · CPC title