National Instruments Corporation

Alain G Moriat

Christopher G Cifra

John Pasquarette

Philippe G Joffrain

J Clinton Fletcher

Michael L Santori

Christophe A Restat

Richard Keene

Patrick J Christmas

Christohpe A Restat

System and method implementing an integrated interface for multiple instruments for signal analysis, including two or more virtual instruments. The method includes a) receiving user input specifying an operation implementing at least a portion of a signal analysis function; b) performing the operation utilizing at least one of the instruments to perform the operation; c) displaying an icon comprising a graphical representation of the operation in response to the specifying; d) storing information specifying the operation; and repeating a)-d) multiple times to specify the function, thereby producing stored information representing the operations in the function, and after which multiple icons are displayed representing the operations and visually indicating the function. The operations in the function include 1) generating signals displayed in a graph, and/or 2) modifying one or more signals displayed in the graph. After each respective operation is specified, the operation is performed substantially continuously during said repeating.

Mixed signal analysis

System and method for creating a measurement application. User input specifying a sequence of functions implementing a measurement application is received, where the sequence of functions are executable to perform a specified task utilizing one or more hardware devices, and where the user input further specifies the hardware devices. Configuration of the measurement application is automatically analyzed according to rules specifying operation of the sequence of functions and the hardware devices. One or more errors in the measurement application are automatically determined based on the analyzing, and error information regarding the errors is displayed on a computer display, where the error information is usable to modify the measurement application to correct the one or more errors. In response to the error information, user input modifying the measurement application to correct the one or more errors may be received and/or the measurement application may be automatically modified to correct the errors.

Measurement project analyzer

Mixed signal analysis system and method of use

Various embodiments of systems and methods are described in which system simulation techniques are combined with graphical programming techniques in a common environment. For example, various embodiments of the methods comprise displaying a graphical data flow diagram connected to a system diagram, e.g., where the graphical data flow diagram and the system diagram are displayed together in a compound diagram. In the displayed compound diagram, the graphical data flow diagram may be connected to the system diagram, e.g., by a line or wire. In one embodiment the wire may visually indicate that the graphical data flow diagram is executable to produce a value that is provided as an input signal for a simulation performed based on the system diagram. In another embodiment the wire may visually indicate that the graphical data flow diagram receives an output value from the system simulation as input.

Graphical program with physical simulation and data flow portions

System simulation and graphical data flow programming in a common environment using wire data flow

A method for performing a simulation of a system. The system includes an FPGA that is configured to implement simulation logic, such as a generic solver. For example, the FPGA device may implement a generic time domain solver or a generic frequency domain solver. The FPGA device is also configured with information representing a system model of the system under simulation. The system also includes input hardware for providing input signals for the simulation to the FPGA device and output hardware for receiving output signals computed by the simulation from the FPGA device. The system may be reconfigured to simulate different systems by changing the system model, without requiring the simulation logic (e.g., the generic solver) to be changed.

Solver for simulating a system in real time on a programmable hardware element

System and method for specifying a signal analysis function. First user input is received, e.g., to a graphical user interface (GUI), indicating a parameter for a first operation implementing at least a portion of the function. The first operation is programmatically included in a sweep loop. Second user input is received specifying a sweep configuration for a sweep on the parameter. The signal includes signal data, e.g., signal plot data or tabular data. The sweep configuration includes: a range of values for the indicated parameter, a number of iterations for the sweep, an interpolation type, step size for the sweep on the indicated parameter, specific values in the range of values for the parameter, source for at least some of the sweep configuration, and/or resultant data. The sweep is performed on the parameter per the sweep configuration, generating resultant data which is stored, and optionally displayed, e.g., in the GUI.

Sweep manager for signal analysis

System and method for displaying signals. First user input requesting display of a first signal is received, e.g., to a graphical user interface (GUI) comprised in a signal analysis function development environment, and the first signal programmatically analyzed in response to the first user input. A display tool operable to display the first signal is programmatically determined based on said analyzing, and the first signal displayed in the display tool, e.g., a data type of the first signal is determined, e.g., integer, floating point, Boolean, or user-defined data in a time-domain, frequency-domain, or spatial-domain, and the display tool programmatically determined based on the determined data type, e.g., via a loop-up table, where the display tool comprises an indicator operable to display the signal data. The signal comprises signal data, e.g., signal plot data, where the display tool comprises a graph, or tabular data, where the display tool comprises a table.

Automatic graph display

System and method for specifying a signal analysis function. User input is received specifying a first operation implementing at least a portion of a signal analysis function. Prior operations input by the user are programmatically analyzed to determine and assign an input source for the first operation that provides a first input signal, e.g., based on inputs and their signal or data types required for the first operation, one or more prior operations are determined that provide respective output signals of the respective signal or data types, where the one or more prior operations comprise the input source, and where the respective output signals comprise the first input signal. The first operation is performed on the first input signal, producing an output signal which is then displayed on a display. The programmatically analyzing, performing, and displaying are performed for each of a plurality of first operations input by the user.

Automatic configuration of function blocks in a signal analysis system

A system and method for analyzing an input signal comprising one or more sinusoidal tones. A processor of the system receives samples of an input signal and operates on the samples to generate a transform array. The processor identifies positive frequency peaks of the transform array, and estimates a set of signal parameters (e.g. tone frequency and complex amplitude) for each of the positive frequency peaks. Each tone is represented in the transform array as a positive frequency image and a corresponding negative frequency image. Using the parameter sets, the processor may estimate the amount of cross-interaction between the images, i.e., may compute the amounts by which each positive frequency peak is effected by the negative frequency images and other positive frequency images. These amounts may be subtracted from each positive frequency peak to generate improved peak values. The processor may use the improved peak values to compute improved estimates for the signal parameters. The operations of (a) estimating the cross-interaction amounts based on current parameter estimates for the multiple tones, (b) subtracting the cross-interaction amounts from the current peak values to generate improved peak values for each tone, and (c) computing improved parameter estimates for the multiple tones from the improved peak values may be repeated a predefined number of time or until a termination criteria is achieved.

Growing community of inventors

Copenhagen, Denmark

Alain G Moriat