Patent ID: 6278435
Filing Date: 2001-08-21
Classification: G01R

Abstract:
A method for maximizing the utilization of a rasterizer in a digital oscilloscope, the rasterizer performing the function of receiving one or more acquisition records, each acquisition record comprising a plurality of data-address pairs indicative of the voltage-versus-time behavior of an input signal, the rasterizer producing as its output pixel intensity data for a column of pixels, wherein the number of pixels per column is M and the average time required to update each pixel in the column is P, the method comprising the steps of:calculating a throughput rate of the rasterizer, M*P, in time/column;predetermining an average time to receive an individual data-address pair and based on the value of the data portion of that data-address pair and the value of the data portion of an immediately previously received data-address pair produce an indication of which pixels in the column of pixels are to be affected, D, in time per data-address pair;determining an appropriate compression factor, C, in data-address pairs per acquisition record affecting each column of pixels; andselecting a number N of acquisitions to be processed per column according to the relationship N=(M*P)/(C*D).