Continuous RF signal visualization with high resolution

• US 10,198,835 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2016
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tektronix Incorporated (Fortive Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Tektronix Incorporated (Fortive Corp.)
• Inventors: Bernard, Kyle L., Gee, Edward C., Eby, David H., Sessions, Julian B., Stanton, Steven W., Tracy, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bousono, Orlando
• Application Number:
  US15/354,950
• Publication Number:
  US 20170069119A1
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 13/0254 for triggering, synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 13/029 Software therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/40 Scaling of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. expanding or contracting
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/39 Control of the bit-mapped memory
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/391 Resolution modifying circuits, e.g. variable screen formats
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/393 Arrangements for updating the contents of the bit-mapped memory
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/395 Arrangements specially adapted for transferring the contents of the bit-mapped memory to the screen G09G5/399 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/397 Arrangements specially adapted for transferring the contents of two or more bit-mapped memories to the screen simultaneously, e.g. for mixing or overlay G09G5/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/70 characterised by syntax aspects related to video coding, e.g. related to compression standards

Abstract

A method and apparatus for continuous RF signal visualization with high resolution acquires RF signal data within a specified frequency bandwidth seamlessly to produce digitized time domain data. The digitized time domain data is processed in both the frequency and time domains to form high resolution spectral and time traces which are stored. To match human visualization abilities, the high resolution traces are combined to form low resolution traces which are displayed. With the spectral traces, spectrum bitmaps may be generated and stored so that the spectrum bitmap for any displayed spectral trace may be recalled and displayed. The high resolution traces for any specified low resolution trace may be recalled for display. Finally multiple trigger event types may be generated and displayed with the displayed traces.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a signal acquisition section, the signal acquisition section including;

a radio frequency (RF) input;

an RF down-converter having;

a first variable frequency oscillator;

a first digital mixer, the first digital mixer coupled with the RF input and the first variable frequency oscillator; and

an intermediate frequency (IF) filter coupled with the first digital mixer;

an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) coupled with the IF filter; and

a digital down-conversion section having;

a second variable frequency oscillator;

a second digital mixer, the second digital mixer coupled with the ADC and the second variable frequency oscillator; and

a bandpass filter coupled with the second digital mixer;

a frequency translation and signal conditioning section including;

a fast frequency translation process;

an envelope detector coupled with the fast frequency translation process; and

a display scaling function coupled with the envelope detector; and

a display formatting section including;

a raster state machine coupled with the display scaling function; and

a raster map image memory coupled with the raster state machine.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a display device coupled with the display formatting section.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a time domain processing section coupled between the digital down-conversion section of the signal acquisition section and the frequency translation and signal conditioning section, and also coupled with the display formatting section.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the RF input is configured to receive an RF signal and provide the RF signal to the first digital mixer.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the display device is configured to receive a rasterized map image from the raster map image memory and visually present the rasterized map image to a user.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the time domain processing section is configured to receive frequency domain data from the bandpass filter, produce time domain data based on the frequency domain data, and provide the time domain data to the raster state machine.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ADC is configured to receive an output from the IF and digitize the output to produce a digitized signal.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the second digital mixer is configured to receive a variable frequency from the second variable frequency oscillator and mix the digitized signal with the variable frequency.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the bandpass filter is configured to receive a mixed signal from the second digital mixer and produce digitized time domain data.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the fast frequency translation process is configured to produce a plurality of spectral lines from a time block of the digitized time domain data.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the envelope detector is configured to determine a signal amplitude for each of the plurality of spectral lines.