Protocol sensitive visual navigation apparatus

A method for visually navigating protocol information on a test and measurement device, the method comprising:

• simultaneously displaying first protocol information including a portion of a waveform associated with a first sub-layer of a physical layer of a protocol on a display screen, a second protocol information including a physical bitstream associated with a second sub-layer of the physical layer of the protocol and including a first protocol level event associated with the physical layer of the protocol, a third protocol information a portion of a physical wordstream associated with a third sub-layer of the physical layer of the protocol and including a second protocol level event associated with the physical layer of the protocol, a fourth protocol information including one or more Ethernet frames associated with an Ethernet layer of the protocol and including a third protocol level event associated with the physical layer of the protocol, and a fifth protocol information including one or more Internet Protocol (IP) packets associated with an Internet Protocol (IP) layer of the protocol and including a fourth protocol level event associated with the physical layer of the protocol;
• receiving input from a user;
• and
• changing the display screen of the first protocol information, second protocol information, third protocol information, fourth protocol information, and fifth protocol information responsive to the input,
• wherein the first protocol information, the second protocol information, the third protocol information, the fourth protocol information, and the fifth protocol information are each distinct , and
• wherein the first protocol information can encode the second protocol information, the second protocol information can encode the third protocol information, the third protocol information can encode the fourth protocol information, and the fourth protocol information can encode the fifth protocol information.

One or more tangible computer-readable media storing non-transitory computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, operate to:

• simultaneously display first protocol information including a portion of a waveform associated with a first sub-layer of a physical layer of a protocol on a display screen, a second protocol information including a physical bitstream associated with a second sub-layer of the physical layer of the protocol and including a first protocol level event associated with the physical layer of the protocol, a third protocol information a portion of a physical wordstream associated with a third sub-layer of the physical layer of the protocol and including a second protocol level event associated with the physical layer of the protocol, a fourth protocol information including one or more Ethernet frames associated with an Ethernet layer of the protocol and including a third protocol level event associated with the physical layer of the protocol, and a fifth protocol information including one or more Internet Protocol (IP) packets associated with an Internet Protocol (IP) layer of the protocol and including a fourth protocol level event associated with the physical layer of the protocol;
• receive input from a user;
• and
• change the display screen of the first protocol information, second protocol information, third protocol information, fourth protocol information, and fifth protocol information responsive to the input,
• wherein the first protocol information, the second protocol information, the third protocol information, the fourth protocol information, and the fifth protocol information are each distinct , and
• wherein the first protocol information can encode the second protocol information, the second protocol information can encode the third protocol information, the third protocol information can encode the fourth protocol information, and the fourth protocol information can encode the fifth protocol information.