Range recognizer employing a single range internally partitioned by monotonically increasing boundary values
AssigneeTektronix, Inc.
InventorKevin C. Spisak
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A range recognizer arrangement in accordance with the subject invention, requires only five IC pins to convey an encoded signal from a group of four range recognizers, and requires only twelve IC pins to convey an encoded signal from a group of over one thousand range recognizers. The subject range recognizer arrangement includes circuitry for combining and monotonically sorting all of the predetermined range boundaries, rather than treating each range recognizer as a separate unit. A range recognizer arrangement in accordance with the subject invention is suitable for use with test and measurement instruments such as a logic analyzer or the like.
Claims6
An arrangement of range recognizers, comprising:
- a first boundary comparator preprogrammed with a first boundary value;
- a second boundary comparator preprogrammed with a second boundary value, said second boundary value being greater than said first boundary value;
- each of said first and second boundary comparators being coupled to a common input for receiving acquired data, and determining if said acquired data is greater than, less than, or equal to its respective boundary value;
- combining circuitry for combining a signal from said first boundary comparator representative of said determination that said acquired data is greater than said first boundary value, and a signal from said second boundary comparator representative of said determination that said acquired data is less than said second boundary value, and developing a combined signal indicative of a condition in which said acquired data has a value between said first and second boundary values;
- a range encoder for receiving signals from said first and second comparators and from said combining circuitry, said signals indicating only one of:
- said acquired data has a value less than said first boundary value,
- said acquired data has a value equal to said first boundary value,
- said acquired data has a value between said first and second boundary values,
- said acquired data has a value equal to said second boundary value, or
- said acquired data has a value greater than said second boundary value;
- said range encoder generating a binary word indicative of said comparison of said acquired data with said boundary values.
An arrangement of range recognizers, comprising:
- a plurality of boundary comparators each preprogrammed with a respective boundary value of a range;
- wherein said range is partitioned by a monotonically increasing series of said boundary values;
- each of said boundary comparators being coupled to a common input for receiving acquired data, and determining if said acquired data is greater than, less than, or equal to its respective boundary value;
- circuitry for combining a signal from a lower adjacent one of said boundary comparators representative of said determination that said acquired data is greater than said its respective boundary value, and a signal from said a higher adjacent boundary comparator representative of said determination that said acquired data is less than said its respective boundary value, and developing a combined signal indicative of a condition in which said acquired data has a value between said lower adjacent and higher adjacent boundary values;
- and
- a single range encoder for receiving signals from all of said comparators and from all of said combining circuitry,
- said range encoder generating a binary word indicative of said comparison of said acquired data with said boundary values.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.