Adjusting Signals

In the Style column, the type of each signal is shown.

	Icon for discrete signals
	Icon for continuous signals
	Icon for Boolean signals As opposed to a discrete signal: a signal which can take any value out of a value range.
	Icon for Event A point in time at which a change or a specific situation happened. Events can be recorded in a measure file (e.g. a pause event, a comment event, a calibration activity, etc.), or are detected during analysis phase by defining a condition which turns true or false. signals

You can perform the following actions:

• To define the appearance of the signal
• To show or hide a signal curve
• To treat a signal as a Boolean or Analog signal
• To return to the default behavior for strip selection of a signal
• To change the data representation of a signal
• To delete a signal from the oscilloscope

To define the appearance of the signal

To see how you can modify in an oscilloscope signal and axes settings, watch our video Oscilloscope - Settings for Signal and Axes.

1. Within the Style column, click the colored square of the corresponding signal. You can multi-select several signals and adapt their settings at the same time. If a specific signal cannot take over the selected setting, this setting remains unchanged.

   A pop-up for the signal settings opens.

2. Do one of the following:

   • You can select a color from the default colors. To define and select another color, click More Colors.

     To know how you can assign a color to a specific file, see Defining one Color per File.

   • You can change the appearance of the symbol by which the individual samples Individual value of a signal measured at a certain time stamp. of the signal are represented. Select the preferred sample marker Graphical elements which appear when individual measured value can be differentiated in an oscilloscope. from the Marker Symbol drop-down menu. This setting is only visible after zooming in when the marker symbols are displayed.
   • For analog signals As opposed to a discrete signal: a signal which can take any value out of a value range., you can adapt the line width. Click the drop-down menu and choose from five different sizes.
   • For analog signals, you can define the connection line between the samples. The calculation of the signal is not affected by this graphical setting. In the Sample Connection drop-down menu, you can choose a direct connection line between the samples, a step-wise connection line, or no visible connection line. This last setting is only visible after zooming in when the marker symbols are displayed.
   • You can change the data representation of the signal via the Data Representation drop-down menu. For more information, see To change the data representation of a signal.
3. Click outside the pop-up to hide it again.

To show or hide a signal curve

To see how you can modify in an oscilloscope signal and axes settings, watch our video Oscilloscope - Settings for Signal and Axes.

1. To hide the signal curve of one or more signals, select the signals in the graph or in the signal list List of signals that are assigned to an oscilloscope (later on maybe also for other instruments). The signal list is a separate widget showing signal values (e.g. values at the cursors) and some meta information. It can also be used for showing/hiding the signal..

2. In the context menu, select Show/Hide Signals Curve.

   The signal curve is hidden. The name of the signal is still displayed in the signal list.

3. To show the signal curve again, repeat step 1 and 2.

To show or hide all signal curves of a measure file

To quickly achieve a clearer representation in an oscilloscope, all signals from the same measure file can be hidden.

1. To hide all signal curves of one measure file, select the signals in the graph or in the signal list List of signals that are assigned to an oscilloscope (later on maybe also for other instruments). The signal list is a separate widget showing signal values (e.g. values at the cursors) and some meta information. It can also be used for showing/hiding the signal..

2. In the context menu, select Show/Hide All Signal Curves of Measure File.

   The signal curves are hidden.

3. To show the signal curves again, repeat step 1 and 2.

This procedure has the advantage that also for hidden signals the cursor columns in the signal list will still show the signals' values.

To show a signal curve on top

1. Select the desired signal in the signal list List of signals that are assigned to an oscilloscope (later on maybe also for other instruments). The signal list is a separate widget showing signal values (e.g. values at the cursors) and some meta information. It can also be used for showing/hiding the signal..

2. In the context menu, select Enable/Disable Signal shown on top.

   The signal's curve will stand out as long as no signal is actively selected in the strip. The signal name will appear in a bolder font in the signal list. Per strip only one signal can have this property.

To treat a signal as a Boolean or Analog signal

To see how you can use strips and define the signals list settings of the oscilloscope, watch our video Oscilloscope - Defining Strips and Signal List.

1. In the signal list List of signals that are assigned to an oscilloscope (later on maybe also for other instruments). The signal list is a separate widget showing signal values (e.g. values at the cursors) and some meta information. It can also be used for showing/hiding the signal., select one or more signals in an analog strip Part within an oscilloscope which its own y axes and signal assignment. All strips of an oscilloscope share the same x axis..

2. In the context menu, select Treat As Boolean/Analog Signal.

   Each signal is moved into a new Boolean strip. The area between 0 and the signal curve is filled automatically to enable a better visibility. The icon in the column Style remains the same as before.

   By the same context menu entry, a signal in a Boolean strip can be moved to an analog strip.

To return to the default behavior for strip selection of a signal

It can happen that you assigned a signal by accident to a wrong strip. For example by selecting an Event signal and using the option Treat As Boolean/Analog Signal. To return to the default strip selection when adding the signal to an oscilloscope again, proceed as follows:

• Select the signal in the signal list of the oscilloscope

• Shift the signal per drag & drop into an anolog strip

  or

• Select the option “Treat as boolean/analog signal” in the signal context menu.

• Remove the signal from the analog strip

These steps cause that MDA deletes its wrong default strip setting for this signal. The next time the signal is added again to an oscilloscope, MDA adds it to the default strip defined by the data type of the signal.

To change the data representation of a signal

1. In the signal list, select the signals for which you want to change the data representation.
2. In the toolbar, click .
3. Select one of the following entries from the Data Representation drop-down menu:
   • Physical Values
   • Hexadecimal (memory) Values
   • Decimal (RAW) Values

   • Logarithmic view (Physical Values)

     Only value axes for physical values can be set to a logarithmic scale. The time axis remains always with the equidistant scale. Enumerations also cannot be assigned to a logarithmic scale.

   All selected signal values including cursor and axis values are shown in the selected data representation. The unit information is adapted accordingly. If the signal has been on a common axis before, it is moved to an individual axis with the respective data representation.

   For any kind of signals having float data type, a dialog appears. Select one of the following bits for the data representation:

   • 8 bit
   • 16 bit
   • 32 bit

   • Do not cast

     In this case, the shown hexadecimal or binary representation is for the Float value according to the IEEE-754 standard.

To delete a signal from the oscilloscope

1. In the signal list, select one or more signals.

2. In the context menu, select Remove Signal(s).