Scientific instrument emulator having a computer and an analog signal interface for real-time signal processing

A method for determining execution order of predefined signal processing elements in a computer having a central processing unit and electronic memory to implement in real time a mathematical/signal processing function of an emulated instrument having at least one repetitively sampled signal input to form a signal output thereof, said method comprising the steps of:

• applying a set-up program stored in said memory and carried out be said central processing unit to allow an operator to interconnect selected instrumentation units to form an array of interconnected instrumentation units, wherein a sampling frequency for a multifunctional input/output signal module is specified, said set-up program enables contiguous signal feedback interconnection in said array, said array having an output being provided to at least one of the following:
• a video display, said multifunctional input/output signal module and said memory, each of said instrumentation units having a mathematical/signal processing function;
• creating a scientific instrument emulation program using a graphic compiler program stored in said memory and executable by said central processing unit on completion of said set-up program, said scientific instrument emulation program carrying out said overall signal processing function of said array of selected interconnected instrumentation units;
• determining an execution order of said mathematical/signal processing function including the steps of:
• representing said function as a sequence of elemental mathematical steps in turn representable using predefined signal processing elements, and
• arranging the predefined signal processing elements in said sequence for sequential execution within the time between successive samples and commencing with said at least one sampled signal input,
• wherein said determining step thereby forms an array of instrumentation units having said overall circuit mathematical/signal processing function;
• continuously carrying out said overall signal processing function so that each sample of said contiguous data stream is processed during a single sample time to produce an array output of said overall mathematical signal processing function before a successive sample of said input signal is obtained by said multifunctional input/output signal module;
• representing said overall circuit mathematical/signal processing function as a sequence of events representable as predefined signal processing element events;
• arranging said predefined signal processing element events in said sequence for sequential execution commencing with said at least one sampled array signal input, whereby a determinate computation time of the predefined signal precessing elements is ensured by executing every one of said predefined signal processing elements once between successive samples, whereby said method is capable of resolving data signal feedback in said array of instrumentation units;
• displaying said array output on said video display in real time;
• storing said array output in the memory;
• and
• providing said array output to said signal output of said multifunctional input/output signal module in real time.

A scientific instrument for precessing electrical waveforms, said instrument comprising:

• a computer having a central processing unit and electronic memory positioned within a housing for said computer, said housing including at least one floppy disc nacelle;
• a video display coupled to said central processing unit;
• an analogue signal processing module mounted in said floppy disc nacelle to enable access to an analogue input connector to an analogue output connector of said analogue signal processing module from the front of said computer;
• an analogue-to-digital converter connected to said analogue input connector and to said central processing unit for converting an analogue input signal from said analogue input connector to a digital input signal for processing by said central processing unit, and a digital-to-analogue converter connected to said central processing unit and to said analogue output connector for converting a digital output signal from said central processing unit to an analogue output signal applied to said analogue output connector;
• a library program stored in said memory, said library program including a plurality of instrumentation units each being able to be displayed on said video display and each having a predetermined signal processing function;
• a set-up program stored in said memory and carried out be said central processing unit to allow an operator to interconnect selected instrumentation units to form an array of interconnected instrumentation units, wherein a sampling frequency for said converter is specified, said set-up program enables contiguous signal feedback interconnection in said array, said array having an output being provided to at least one of the following:
• said video display, said converter and said memory;
• a graphic compiler program stored in said memory and executable by said central processing unit on completion of said set-up program to create a scientific instrument emulation program to carry out an overall signal processing function of said array of selected interconnected instrumentation units, said graphic compiler program being capable of resolving contiguous signal feedback in said array and to form an ordered list in said emulation program of said predetermined signal processing functions of said instrument units, which are each to be carried out once between successive samples of an input signal obtained using said converter, said emulation program containing operations for configuring said sampling frequency of said converter for sampling said input signal to provide a contiguous data stream;
• and
• an instrument emulation sub-assembly coupled to said central processing unit, said memory, and said video display generator, wherein said instrument emulation sub-assembly is directly connected to said converter, said instrument emulation sub-assembly having;
• a second processing unit for executing said scientific instrument emulation program to continuously carry out said overall signal processing function so that each sample of said contiguous data stream is processed during a single sample time to produce an array output of said scientific instrument before a successive sample of said input signal is obtained by said converter;
• wherein at least one of a plurality of operations is performed, said plurality of operations including each of displaying said array output on said video display in real time, storing said array output in the memory, and providing said array output to a digital to analog converter in real time.