System and method for displaying simultaneously a main waveform display and a magnified waveform display in a signal measurement system

A method for magnifying a selected region of a main waveform display in a signal measuring system having a display device and a graphical user interface that controls a waveform display region on the display device, comprising the step of:

• (a) displaying a main view window including a main waveform display adapted to have displayed therein one or more waveforms and associated data on a first graticule, and one or more main waveform control displays, displayed on said display device, for enabling an operator to adjust through direct graphical inputs horizontal scale and offset of said main waveform display;
• and
• (b) displaying a magnified view window concurrently with said main view window, said magnified view window including a magnified waveform display adapted to have displayed therein a magnified view of selected region of said main waveform displayed on a second graticule, said selected region being that portion of said main waveform display within a boundary of a selection window positioned over said main waveform display, and selection window control displays, displayed on said display device, for enabling an operator to adjust through direct graphical inputs a horizontal scale and offset of said selection window on said main waveform display;
• and
• (c) graphically associating said magnified waveform display and said selected region of said main waveform display;
• wherein said step (c) comprises the step of:
• (1) rendering a background of said main waveform graticules within said selection window in a first color;
• (2) rendering a main waveform background not within said selection window in a second color not substantially the same as said first color;
• and
• (3) rendering a background of said magnified view window in said first color.

An apparatus for use in a signal measurement system, said apparatus constructed and arranged to display simultaneously, on a display of pixels operationally coupled to the signal measurement system, a main waveform display comprising a first graticule rendered with a first background and a magnified waveform display comprising a second graticule rendered with a second background,

• wherein said main waveform display is adapted to have displayed therein one or more waveforms, and said magnified waveform display is adapted to have displayed therein a magnified view of a selected region of said main waveform display,
• wherein said selected region of said main waveform display is defined by a graphically-controllable selection window positioned over said main waveform display to encompass said selected region, said selection window having a size and a position on said main waveform display, and
• wherein scaling and offset of said magnified waveform display is configured to be altered by graphically manipulating said size of said selection window and said position of said selection window on said main waveform display, respectively
• wherein graphical selection of a pixel within a predetermined region of pixels surrounding said selection window is interpreted as a scaling adjustment operation.

An apparatus for use in a signal measurement system, said apparatus constructed and arranged to display simultaneously on a display of pixels a main waveform display and a magnified waveform display,

• wherein said main waveform display is adapted to have displayed therein one or more waveforms and associated data on a first graticule, and
• wherein said magnified waveform display is adapted to have displayed therein a magnified view of a selected region of said main waveform display on a second graticule,
• wherein said selected region of said main waveform display is defined by a graphically-controllable selection window positioned over said main waveform display to encompass said selected region
• wherein said first graticule is rendered with a first background and said second graticule is rendered with a second background, and
• wherein said first background includes a first background region within said selection window that is rendered in a first color, and a second background region not within said selection window is rendered in a second color not equal to said first color, and wherein said second background is rendered in said first color.

A method for magnifying a selected region of a main waveform display in a signal measuring system having a display device and a graphical user interface that controls a waveform display region on the display device, comprising the steps of:

• (a) displaying simultaneously a main waveform display and a magnified waveform display in said waveform display region, wherein said main waveform display includes a first graticule on which one more waveforms are displayed and said magnified waveform display includes a second graticule on which a magnified view of said selected region of said main waveform display is displayed;
• (b) displaying a graphically controllable selection window over said main waveform, wherein said selection window encompasses said selected region of said main waveform display, the magnified view of which appears in said magnified waveform display;
• and
• (c) graphically associating said magnified waveform display and said selected region of said main waveform display, comprising the steps of:
• (1) rendering a background of said main waveform graticule within said selection window in a first color;
• (2) rendering a main waveform background not within said selection window in a second color not substantially the same as said first color;
• and
• (3) rendering a background of said magnified view window in said first color.