Method of controlling a sparse vector rasterizer
AssigneeTektronix, Inc.
InventorsJEFF W. YOST, PAUL M. GERLACH
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Abstract
A signal acquisition instrument acquires a succession of waveform records and sequentially transfers the waveform records to a rasterizer for rasterizing the waveform records to generate respective rasterized records each composed of a set of vectors, but inhibits transfer of a current waveform record to the rasterizer until a previous waveform record has been rasterized. The maximum number of dots (M) in each vector is made as large as possible provided that the rasterizer does not complete rasterization of the previous waveform record after acquisition of the current waveform record is complete.
Claims19
An improved method of operating a signal acquisition instrument of the kind that acquires a succession of waveform records and sequentially transfers the waveform records to a rasterizer for rasterizing the waveform records to generate respective rasterized records each composed of a set of vectors, each vector being expressed by a selected maximum number of dots (M) greater than a minimum value Mmin, wherein the instrument inhibits transfer of a current waveform record to the rasterizer until a previous waveform record has been rasterized, and the improvement comprises:
- making M as large as possible provided that the rasterizer does not complete rasterization of the previous waveform record after acquisition of the current waveform record is complete.
An improved method of operating a signal acquisition instrument of the kind that executes a succession of cycles, in each of which the instrument acquires a current waveform record and rasterizes a previous waveform record to generate a rasterized record composed of a set of vectors, each vector being expressed by a selected maximum number of dots (M) greater than a minimum value Mmin, and the cycle is not complete until acquisition of the current waveform record is complete and rasterization of the previous waveform record is complete, and the improvement comprises:
- (a) choosing a variable representative of whether completion of a given cycle is being delayed by rasterization of the previous waveform record of the given cycle, wherein an increase in the value of the variable is associated with a increase in acquisition rate,
- (b) in a first cycle of operation, calculating the value of said variable,
- (c) if said value exceeds a threshold value, increasing M for a second cycle of operation, and
- (d) in the second cycle of operation, calculating the value of said variable and determining whether the value of said variable exceeds said threshold value.
A signal acquisition instrument of the kind that acquires a succession of waveform records and sequentially transfers the waveform records to a rasterizer for rasterizing the waveform records to generate respective rasterized records each composed of a set of vectors, each vector being expressed by a selected maximum number of dots (M) greater than a minimum value Mmin, wherein the instrument inhibits transfer of a current waveform record to the rasterizer until the next previous waveform record has been rasterized, the signal acquisition instrument including a controller programmed to make M as large as possible provided that the rasterizer does not complete rasterization of the previous waveform record after acquisition of the current waveform record is complete.
A signal acquisition instrument of the kind that executes a succession of cycles, in each of which the instrument acquires a current waveform record and rasterizes a previous waveform record to generate a rasterized record composed of a set of vectors, each vector being expressed by a selected maximum number of dots (M) greater than a minimum value Mmin, and the cycle is not complete until acquisition of the current waveform record is complete and rasterization of the previous waveform record is complete, wherein the instrument includes a controller for and the improvement comprises a controller programmed to choose a variable representative of whether completion of a given cycle is being delayed by rasterization of the previous waveform record of the given cycle, wherein an increase in the value of the variable is associated with a reduction in acquisition rate;
- in a first cycle of operation, calculate the value of said variable;
- if said value exceeds a threshold value, increase M for a second cycle of operation;
- and in the second cycle of operation, calculate the value of said variable and determine whether the value of said variable exceeds said threshold value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.