Patent ID: 8793536

Claim:
A method for automatically identifying a synchronization sub-pattern associated with a test pattern having a predefined length, the method comprising: receiving, by an input of a test and measurement instrument, a data stream including the test pattern from a device under test; reading from a memory, contents of a memory word associated with a memory address; setting the contents of the memory word as a trigger pattern; loading the trigger pattern to a trigger; triggering the test and measurement instrument in response to detecting a first instance of the trigger pattern in the data stream; beginning a count, by a trigger-to-trigger counter, in response to detecting the first instance of the trigger pattern; triggering the test and measurement instrument in response to detecting a second instance of the trigger pattern in the data stream; ending the count, by the trigger-to-trigger counter, in response to detecting the second instance of the trigger pattern; and comparing the count to the predefined length of the test pattern.