Abstract: A system and method for use in signal measurement systems that acquire and store signal data in accordance with a trigger specification. The present invention stores and displays operator-generated annotations with each trigger branch of a trigger specification. The annotations, referred to herein as trigger branch comments, can provide meaningful information about, for example, the trigger branch condition, occurrence specification or resulting action, as well as any other aspect of the trigger specification. The branch comments are stored with the associated trigger branch as part of the instrument configuration, and are automatically restored when the configuration data is loaded into the instrument, and printed with the associated trigger branch. The display of the trigger branch comments for each trigger branch may be controlled individually or collectively to enable the operator to configure the display of the trigger specification as needed.

Abstract: An integrated trigger function display system and methodology for trigger definition development in a signal measurement system having a graphical user interface. The system contemporaneously displays one or more trigger function names and an associated trigger function descriptor describing a trigger function identified by the associated trigger function name. The trigger name is displayed in a trigger name display region of a display window that concurrently displays a plurality of trigger function names. The descriptor is displayed in a trigger descriptor region of the display window so as to be visually-associated by the operator. A trigger definition is comprised of one or more trigger functions. Each trigger function is a graphical representation of an one or more underlying trigger primitives. A trigger primitive is a computer program statement that is translated into a form suitable for controlling the signal measurement system.