System and method for enabling an operator to analyze a database of acquired signal pulse characteristics

A method for analyzing one or more pulses of an in acquired signal in a signal measurement system having a display device, wherein samples of the acquired signal are stored in an acquisition memory and wherein pulse characteristics of each of said acquired signal pulses are stored in a pulse data memory of the signal measurement system, the method comprising the steps of:

• 1) receiving a search query specifying search criteria each comprising a logical combination of one or more pulse characteristics;
• 2) searching said pulse data memory for pulses that satisfy said search criteria;
• 3) displaying on said display a waveform of a particular one or more of said selected pulses and pulse measurement results associated with said particular pulse;
• 4) generating a subset array of pulse numbers identifying said pulses that satisfy said specified search criteria;
• 5) receiving through the user interface, an operator request to display a particular one of said selected pulses;
• and
• 6) accessing said acquisition memory and said pulse data memory with an identifier of said particular pulse retrieved from said subset array to retrieve acquisition data of at least said particular pulse and pulse measurement results associated with said particular pulse.

A method for providing a graphical interactive environment to enable an operator of a signal measurement system having a display device to analyze pulses of an acquired signal, wherein samples of the acquired signal are stored in an acquisition memory and wherein pulse characteristics of each of said acquired signal pulses are stored in a pulse data memory of the signal measurement system, the method comprising the steps of:

• 1) receiving, through the user interface, operator-generated search query specifying search criteria each comprising a logical combination of one or more pulse characteristics;
• 2) displaying on said user interface an indication of a subset of pulses satisfying said search criteria;
• 3) receiving, through the user interface, operator-generated sort criteria by which said subset of pulses are logically arranged to form a sorted subset of pulse numbers;
• 4) displaying a pulse selection data field through which the operator can select a pulse from said subset or sorted subset of pulses;
• 5) receiving an operator-generated request to display a particular one of said selected pulses;
• and
• 6) displaying on said display a waveform of said particular pulse and said results of said pulse measurements of said particular pulse.

In a signal measurement system having an acquisition memory with data samples of an acquired signal stored therein, a pulse data memory having stored therein characteristics of each of a plurality of pulses of the acquired signal, said pulse characteristics comprising a plurality of pulse measurement results, a pulse analyzer configured to cause, for an operator-specified pulse, display of a waveform of said specified pulse and said associated pulse measurement results on a display device operatively coupled to the signal measurement system, wherein said pulse analyzer comprises:

• a search module to search said pulse characteristics to select a subset of said acquired signal pulses which satisfy a search criteria;
• and
• a pulse locator module configured to retrieve said pulse measurements from said pulse data memory and said acquisition data from said acquisition memory pertaining to a specific one of said selected pulses in response to an operator request to display said specific pulse,
• wherein said pulse analyzer is configured to provide a graphical interactive environment on said user interface to receive operator inputs to generate said search queries.

A signal measurement system comprising:

• an acquisition memory having stored therein data samples of an acquired signal;
• a pulse data memory having stored therein characteristics of a plurality of the pulses of the acquired signal, wherein said pulse characteristics include a plurality of pulse measurement results and a time of occurrence of said pulse relative to a trigger event that caused acquisition of said acquired signal;
• a user interface;
• and
• a pulse analyzer configured to cause, for an operator-specified pulse, display of a waveform of said specified pulse and said associated pulse measurement results,
• wherein said pulse analyzer is configured to search said pulse characteristics to select a subset of said acquired signal pulses that satisfy a search criteria that includes a logical combination of one or more pulse characteristics, and to store separately an identifier of said selected pulses.