Abstract: An electronic instrument with a housing defining a module chamber. An electronic module is removably retained within the chamber and includes indicia such as text or a distinctive color on a selected surface of the module. The housing has a window aperture into the chamber, so that the module indicia are visible through the window to permit identification of the presence and identity of the module, even when the instrument is powered off. The module contains electronic circuitry that connects to electronic contacts of the instrument in the chamber.

Abstract: An electronic instrument with a housing having a front surface and a rear surface. A user interface is located on the front surface. A movable handle having a grip portion is connected to the housing and is movable between a first carrying position in which at least a portion of the grip is forward of the rear surface and a first stabilizing position in which at least a portion of the grip is rearward of the rear surface. The handle may movable to other stabilizing positions, and the housing may include a front prop to provide additional stability and alternative viewing angles.

Abstract: A method for rasterization of a set of voltage-versus-time data-address pairs into horizontal and vertical locations of a multi-bit raster display memory of a digital oscilloscope or similar electronic data acquisition instrument is disclosed. It provides a new way of controlling digital intensity, by allowing the operator and/or a function based on the instrument's trigger rate to set the number of intensity units available for brightening the pixels affected by the rasterization of each acquisition data pair. If a vector has more pixels than there are units of intensity available, the number of pixels that are to be brightened is limited but spread out over the vector's length by an algorithm that includes at least some degree of randomization. If there are more units of intensity available than there are pixels to put them in, the extra ones can either be distributed into each pixel or randomly added along the vector or ignored.

Abstract: One or more recently acquired waveform data sets are maintained in memory after they are initially rasterized. During repeated waveform acquisitions, when the trigger and new waveform acquisition rates become so low that rasterizer time is being wasted, one or more of the most recent previously acquired waveforms are re-rasterized and displayed again to maintain the display until another newly acquired waveform becomes available. The rasterizer's readiness to re-rasterize a previously rasterized waveform data set can be qualified with a pre-determined or programmable time delay, thereby providing more flexibility for external circuitry and controllers to optimize utilization of the rasterizer's behavior. The method of this invention works especially well with rasterizers that produce some form of randomization in their outputs.

Abstract: A composite chassis for electronic apparatus incorporates a sheet metal substrate with injection-molded plastic structural members and other details added. Certain mounting details permit good mechanical and electrical connection of external frame members, circuit boards, and other parts to the chassis.

Abstract: A potentiometer which provides the function of an on/off switch includes a center conductor connected to a conductive ring and a resistive element concentrically disposed about the conductive ring. The resistive element includes a pair of termination pads and one of the pads includes a branch which is situated outside the outer periphery of the resistive element. As a wiper arm traverses the resistive element it remains in contact with the branch for a brief distance and then loses contact with it. This causes the value of the resistance in the potentiometer to make an abrupt shift in magnitude which can be used to initiate various switching functions.