Controlled display of waveforms

Claim 2

Apparatus for selectively representing the waveforms of a plurality of applied inputs, which comprises: an output device including means for producing at least one sweep with respect to a display surface during each cycle of operation; means responsive to at least one of the inputs for generating a first control signal for said output device in accordance with a first characteristic of said inputs; means independently responsive to at least one of said inputs for generating a second signal to represent a second characteristic of said inputs and control said sweep; and means for selectively controlling the operation of the first generating means and the second generating means; whereby the first and second control signals act upon said output device to produce the desired representation of said inputs.

Claim 3

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein: said output device is a cathode-ray tube producing at least one electron beam for the display of said waveforms; said first generating means includes multichannel vertical deflection circuitry for said electron beam; said second generating means includes multichannel horizontal deflection circuitry for sweeping said electron beam; and the controlling means includes means for establishing prescribed intervals and operating sequences for the channels of said vertical deflection circuitry and said horizontal deflection circuitry; thereby to achieve flexibility in the display of said waveforms.

Claim 4

A multichannel cathode-ray oscilloscope in accordance with claim 2 wherein: said vertical deflection circuitry includes means in said channels for controlling the positions of the traces produced by said electron beam on the face of said cathode-ray tube; and said horizontal deflection circuitry includes means for triggering the sweep of said electron beam with respect to a prescribed level of at least one of said inputs.

Claim 5

A multichannel cathode-raY oscilloscope in accordance with claim 3 wherein: said vertical deflection circuitry includes a switchable, vertical deflection modulator for said channels; said horizontal deflection circuitry includes a switchable trigger modulator for said channels; and said controlling means includes means for selectively operating the switches of the modulators for said channels.

Claim 6

A multichannel cathode-ray oscilloscope in accordance with claim 4 wherein: said vertical deflection modulator comprises a separate amplifier for each of said channels, a separate position control associated with the amplifier and a switch for each channel beyond the amplifier and position control thereof.

Claim 7

A multichannel cathode-ray oscilloscope in accordance with claim 5 wherein: said amplifier is of balanced design and has first and second output leads; and said switch includes a routing diode in each of said leads, a pair of oppositely poled diodes bridging from one lead to the other, and a control lead from said controlling means connected to the common point of said oppositely poled diodes.

Claim 8

A multichannel cathode-ray oscilloscope in accordance with claim 4 wherein: said trigger modulator comprises a separate amplifier for each of said channels, and a switch for each channel beyond the amplifier thereof.

Claim 9

A multichannel cathode-ray oscilloscope in accordance with claim 7 wherein: said amplifier is of balanced design and has first and second output leads; said switch includes a routing diode in each of said leads, a pair of oppositely poled diodes bridging from one lead to the other, and a control lead from said controlling means connected to the common point of said oppositely poled diodes.

Claim 10

A multichannel cathode-ray oscilloscope in accordance with claim 4 wherein: said vertical deflection modulator includes a switch for each channel; said trigger modulator includes a switch for each channel; and said controlling means comprises means for (1) operating the switches of said vertical deflection modulator with respect to the particular input to be displayed during each sweep cycle and (2) operating the switches of said trigger modulator according to the input to be displayed, or another prescribed input.

Claim 11

A multichannel cathode-ray oscilloscope in accordance with claim 9 wherein said controlling means comprises: a flip-flop having principal and complementary outputs and regular, direct-set and direct-clear inputs; said principal output being connectable to control the switches of one channel; said complementary output being connectable to control the switches of another channel; said regular input being connectable to a cyclically operating source to cause a cyclic interchange of the principal and complementary output signals; and said direct-set input and said direct-clear input being selectively connectable to respectively set and clear said flip-flop.

Claim 12

A multichannel cathode-ray oscilloscope in accordance with claim 10 wherein: said controlling means includes first and second control units connected to respective outputs of said flip-flop; each control unit containing an auxiliary switch for selectively controlling the switches of said trigger modulator to operate with respect to a prescribed channel of said flip-flop.

Claim 13

A multichannel cathode-ray oscilloscope in accordance with claim 10 wherein: said controlling means further includes means for selectively generating a cyclic signal for the regular input of said flip-flop at the sweep rate of said oscilloscope or at a higher rate.

Claim 14

Apparatus for representing the waveform of an applied input which comprises: an output device; means responsive to the input for generating a first control signal for said output device in accordance with a first characteristic of said input; means independently responsive to said input for generating a second control signal for said output device to represent, wiTh reference to a prescribed value of said first characteristics, a second characteristic of said input; whereby the first and second control signals act upon said output device to produce the desired representation of said input; said output device produces a two-dimensional representation; said first control signal governs the vertical dimension of said waveform in accordance with the amplitude characteristic of said input; and said second control signal governs the horizontal dimension of said waveform to represent, in accordance with a prescribed value of input amplitude, the time characteristic of said input; said output device is a cathode-ray tube; the first mentioned generating means includes vertical deflection circuitry for said cathode-ray tube; and the second mentioned generating means includes horizontal deflection circuitry for said cathode-ray tube; said vertical deflection circuitry includes a means for controlling the position of said waveform on the face of said cathode-ray tube; and said horizontal deflection circuitry includes means for controlling the triggering thereof with respect to a prescribed amplitude level of said input; said cathode-ray tube has vertical and horizontal deflection plates therein; said vertical deflection circuitry includes an amplifier associated with the position control means and interconnecting the input with the vertical deflection plates; and said horizontal deflection circuitry includes a comparator associated with the trigger level control means and interconnecting said input with the horizontal deflection plates; said vertical deflection circuitry includes first and second channels and means for selectively switching therebetween, and said horizontal means includes first and second channels and means for selectively switching therebetween; and further including means for controlling the switching of said channels.

Claim 15

Apparatus for representing the waveform of an applied input which comprises: an output device; means responsive to the input for generating a first control signal for said output device in accordance with a first characteristic of said input; means independently responsive to said input for generating a second control signal for said output device to represent, wiTh reference to a prescribed value of said first characteristics, a second characteristic of said input; whereby the first and second control signals act upon said output device to produce the desired representation of said input; said output device produces a two-dimensional representation; said first control signal governs the vertical dimension of said waveform in accordance with the amplitude characteristic of said input; and said second control signal governs the horizontal dimension of said waveform to represent, in accordance with a prescribed value of input amplitude, the time characteristic of said input; said output device is a cathode-ray tube; the first mentioned generating means includes vertical deflection circuitry for said cathode-ray tube; and the second mentioned generating means includes horizontal deflection circuitry for said cathode-ray tube; said vertical deflection circuitry includes a means for controlling the position of said waveform on the face of said cathode-ray tube; and said horizontal deflection circuitry includes means for controlling the triggering thereof with respect to a prescribed amplitude level of said input; said cathode-ray tube has vertical and horizontal deflection plates therein; said vertical deflection circuitry includes an amplifier associated with the position control means and interconnecting the input with the vertical deflection plates; and said horizontal deflection circuitry includes a comparator associated with the trigger level control means and interconnecting said input with the horizontal deflection plates; said vertical deflection circuitry includes first and second channels and means for selectively switching therebetween, and said horizontal means includes first and second channels and means for selectively switching therebetween; and further including means for controlling the switching of said channels.