Patent ID: 7522661

Claim:
A method of producing a two-dimensional probability density function eye diagram array, for use in a test and measurement instrument comprising the steps of: a) acquiring a correlated waveform record of a data pattern under test containing data samples having horizontal locations and associated vertical amplitudes, said correlated waveform record being acquired via an acquisition portion of said test and measurement instrument; b) calculating a probability density function integration value for the correlated waveform record data pattern; c) dividing the correlated waveform record data pattern into unit intervals; d) defining a common array for each unit interval; e) locating each data sample of the correlated waveform record data pattern within the unit interval arrays; and f) entering the probability density function integration value at each data sample location in the unit interval arrays, g) generating a two-dimensional probability density function array of the correlated waveform record data pattern; h) acquiring an uncorrelated vertical and horizontal waveform records of the data pattern under test at respective zero slope and maximum slope locations in the correlated waveform record data pattern; i) generating a one-dimensional uncorrelated vertical probability density function array of uncorrelated vertical signal content in the uncorrelated vertical waveform record representing the noise in the data pattern under test; j) generating a one-dimensional uncorrelated horizontal probability density function array of uncorrelated horizontal signal content in the uncorrelated horizontal waveform record representing the jitter in the data pattern under test; k) multiplying the one-dimensional uncorrelated horizontal probability density function array by the one-dimensional uncorrelated vertical probability density function array to generate a two-dimensional probability density function array of the uncorrelated jitter and noise in the data pattern under test; l) convolving the two-dimensional probability density function array of the correlated waveform record data pattern with the two-dimensional probability density function array of the uncorrelated jitter and noise in the data pattern under test to generate an aggregate two-dimensional probability density function array of the correlated waveform record pattern with uncorrelated jitter and noise; and m) dividing the aggregate two-dimensional probability density function array of the correlated waveform record pattern with uncorrelated jitter and noise into unit intervals and summing the unit intervals of the aggregate two-dimensional probability density function array of the correlated waveform record pattern with uncorrelated jitter and noise to generate a two-dimensional probability density function eye diagram array.