Signal Types

Signals may be discrete or continuous. Discrete means that each sample can be at any position of the given domain base with the restriction:

position(sample(idx)) <= position(sample(idx+1)

Continuous signal have a start, end and rate indicator. Therefor the position of each sample is definite. Discrete signal just have start and end indicators. Each sample contains the delta position to its predecessor.

impulse supports the following signal types:

• Logic (1..N bits — the bits are stored as 2-state, 4-state or 16-state data (usually nine states are used).
• Float (32-bit or 64-bit), Float arrays
• Integer (any length), Integer arrays
• Event (Enumeration), Event arrays
• Text (any length), Text arrays
• Structure (unlimited members per structure: Text/Binary/Integer/Float/Enumeration)
• Transaction Event (a group of structures — a transaction can consist of multiple events)
• Binary (can contain images,… )

Struct signals can be used for logs, transaction, chart data, gant events, and ... . A struct sample is a combination of key value pairs (members), with values of type string , integer, float and enum.

The signal descriptor contains additional information about the signal.

• Content Specifier: The 'meaning' of the data;
• Scale specifier: The scale of the signal (e.g. array size or bits of a signal);
• Format specifier: Textual representation of the data value (e.g hexadecimal).

The signal descriptor is usally given in the following form:

'content specifier'<'optional format and scale specifier'>

Optional format and scale specifier:

• df='format specifer'
• bits='bit length'
• dim='array dimension'

Examples:

• default<>
• default<df=None>
• default<bits=16,df=Binary> (for logic signal type)
• default<dim=2,df=Event>    ( for array types)
• state<df=None>
• event<df=Text>

The domain class of a signal can be time, frequency, index, etc. The domain base represents the minimum distance between two samples (e.g. ns or ps). The domain position is the product of the domain base and a 64-bit signed integer value.

• Time, frequency, etc., define the multiple domain classes used in Impulse.
• The actual domain base has an additional unit, depending on the domain class, e.g. milliseconds, seconds, nanoseconds, etc. for the time domain class.
• impulse uses 64-bit signed integer values as domain values (the multiple of its domain base).

Domain Classes:

• TimeBase
• FrequencyBase
• VoltsBase
• AmpsBase
• FloatBase
• IndexBase
• DateBase
• UnknownBase

The first four domain classes (Time,Frequency,Volts, Amps) represent physical quantities. FloatBase is similar to the first one, but does not point to a physical unit. IndexBase assumes a simple index as domain base.

DateBase represents the date as milliseconds after January 1, 1970 00:00:00 GMT. Its three domain bases (dateTime, time, timeMs) just differ in different representations.

• dateTime: Date + current time (excluding milliseconds)
• time: Current time (excluding milliseconds)
• timeMs: Current time (including milliseconds)

TimeBase:

ys, ys10, ys100, zs, zs10, zs100, as, as10, as100, fs, fs10, fs100, ps, ps10, ps100, ns, ns10, ns100, us, us10, us100, ms, ms10, ms100, s, s10, s100, ks, ks10, ks100, Ms, Ms10, Ms100, Gs, Gs10, Gs100, Ts, Ts10, Ts100, Ps, Ps10, Ps100, Es, Es10, Es100, Zs, Zs10, Zs100, Ys;

FrequencyBase:

yHz, yHz10, yHz100, zHz, zHz10, zHz100, aHz, aHz10, aHz100, fHz, fHz10, fHz100, pHz, pHz10, pHz100, nHz, nHz10, nHz100, uHz, uHz10, uHz100, mHz, mHz10, mHz100, Hz, Hz10, Hz100, kHz, kHz10, kHz100, MHz, MHz10, MHz100, GHz, GHz10, GHz100, THz, THz10, THz100, PHz, PHz10, PHz100, EHz, EHz10, EHz100, ZHz, ZHz10, ZHz100, YHz;

VoltsBase:

yV, yV10, yV100, zV, zV10, zV100, aV, aV10, aV100, fV, fV10, fV100, pV, pV10, pV100, nV, nV10, nV100, uV, uV10, uV100, mV, mV10, mV100, V, V10, V100, kV, kV10, kV100, MV, MV10, MV100, GV, GV10, GV100, TV, TV10, TV100, PV, PV10, PV100, EV, EV10, EV100, ZV, ZV10, ZV100, YV;

AmpsBase:

yA, yA10, yA100, zA, zA10, zA100, aA, aA10, aA100, fA, fA10, fA100, pA, pA10, pA100, nA, nA10, nA100, uA, uA10, uA100, mA, mA10, mA100, A, A10, A100, kA, kA10, kA100, MA, MA10, MA100, GA, GA10, GA100, TA, TA10, TA100, PA, PA10, PA100, EA, EA10, EA100, ZA, ZA10, ZA100, YA;

FloatBase:

yX, yX10, yX100, zX, zX10, zX100, aX, aX10, aX100, fX, fX10, fX100, pX, pX10, pX100, nX, nX10, nX100, uX, uX10, uX100, mX, mX10, mX100, X, X10, X100, kX, kX10, kX100, MX, MX10, MX100, GX, GX10, GX100, TX, TX10, TX100, PX, PX10, PX100, EX, EX10, EX100, ZX, ZX10, ZX100, YX;

IndexBase:

n;

DateBase:

dateTime, time, timeMs;

Each sample can be a none value or non-none value of a given signal type. Additionally each sample may have a tag.

Samples may be grouped and layered, for example, transactions where at least two samples (start and end) cover a period. Grouping means that that all events of a group have the same group id and an order descriptor (first, intermediate {multiple, optional}, last). Layering means that each group (defined in the first event) has a layer id (0..255). This layer id may be used to draw parallel transactions in raws.

Markers are a concept for user annotations. Associations and Labels on the other side, are an integral part of the signal and are bound to its samples.

• Association: Adds a curve with textual information from a given sample to any other signal at a relative position.
• Label: Adds a text and symbol relative to given sample.

The marker concept is a known feature of eclipse. impulse allows users to add markers (bookmarks, tasks and annotation) to any signal at any domain position. If you add a bookmark to a signal, you will find that bookmark in the bookmark view of eclipse. If you double-click on the bookmark in that view, eclipse will open the record that contains the bookmark and set the cursor to its position.