System for digitizing transient signals with waveform accumulator

A method for capturing and digitizing a signal derived from an event, comprising:

• storing at about a 0.5 gigahertz or higher rate in a memory analog waveform samples of the signal derived from the event;
• selectively initiating the read out of the analog samples in the memory;
• receiving at an array of analog to digital converters analog samples read out from the memory and producing for the analog samples in the memory a corresponding vector of digitized sample values;
• controlling a waveform accumulator integrated with the array of analog to digital converters to receive a vector of digitized sample values from a new waveform and to combine the vector of digitized sample values from the new waveform with a vector of digitized sample values from at least one prior waveform;
• and
• outputting the combined vector of digitized sample values from the waveform accumulator.

An apparatus for capturing and digitizing analog samples derived from a waveform representing an event, comprising:

• a memory capable of storing a vector of analog samples from the waveform, sampled at approximately a 0.5 gigahertz or higher rate;
• a digital signal processor;
• control means associated with the digital signal processor for communicating with the memory and for selectively initiating the read out of the vector of analog samples in the memory;
• an array of analog to digital converters for receiving the vector of analog samples read out from the memory and producing a corresponding vector of digitized sample values;
• a waveform accumulator under control of the digital signal processor and coupled to the array of analog to digital converters for receiving a vector of digitized sample values from a new waveform and combining these with a vector of digitized sample values of at least one prior waveform;
• and
• an output stage under control of the digital signal processor for controlling the waveform combining and outputting the digitized sample values combined in the waveform accumulator after a specified accumulation level is reached.