Multiple independent measurements of events from multiple measurement setups entered at a single time

1. A method for operating a measurement instrument to measure an input signal, comprising:

receiving N independent measurement setups to make N measurements of the input signal, where N is an integer greater than one;

dividing a memory into N partitions, each of the N partitions corresponding to one of the N measurements;

after receiving the N independent measurement setups, running a first measurement on the input signal, the first measurement selected from the N measurements; and

storing data from the first measurement in a first partition selected from the N partitions,

wherein at least of the N independent measurement setups includes a parameter that differs in one of the other (N−1) independent measurement setups.

2. A method as in claim 1 , further comprising:

running a second measurement on the input signal, the second measurement selected from the N measurements;

transitioning from the first partition to a second partition selected from the N partitions; and

storing data from the second measurement in the second partition.

3. A method as in claim 2 , wherein the first and second measurements have similar parameters.

4. A method as in claim 3 , wherein transitioning from the first partition to the second partition is immediate.

5. A method as in claim 2 , wherein the first and second measurements have different parameters.

6. A method as in claim 5 , wherein transitioning from the first partition to the second partition includes a delay to configure the measurement instrument for the second measurement.

7. A method as in claim 1 , further comprising:

configuring each partition as a circular buffer.

8. A method as in claim 7 , storing the data further comprises:

storing pre-trigger data, and

storing post-trigger data.

9. A method as in claim 1 , wherein the measurement instrument is selected from the group consisting of spectrum analyzers, oscilloscopes, network analyzers, and logic analyzers.

10. A method as in claim 1 , wherein all N measurement setups are received at substantially the same time.

11. A method as in claim 1 , wherein the N independent measurement setups include at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of: trigger event, sample rate, measurement bandwidth, detection mode, signal gain, and center frequency.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

data acquisition circuitry that receives an input signal;

a central processing unit (CPU) that receives N independent measurement setups prior to making N measurements on the input signal, where N is an integer greater than one, and where at least one of the N independent measurement setups includes a parameter that differs in one of the other (N−1) independent measurement setups;

a memory that can be divided into N partitions; and

a direct memory access (DMA) controller that runs N measurements on the input signal and stores data from each of the N measurements into a corresponding partition selected from the N partitions.

13. An apparatus as in claim 12 , wherein the DMA controller further includes N register sets, each of the N register sets describing the corresponding partition.

14. An apparatus as in claim 13 , wherein each of the N register sets further includes:

a start address register that describes location;

a segment length register that describes size;

a trigger address register;

a register that indicates if the corresponding partition is last of the N partitions;

a pre-trigger register that indicates how many pre-trigger points are required; and

a post-trigger register that indicates how many post-trigger points are required.

15. An apparatus as in claim 12 , wherein the DMA controller has chaining capability.

16. An apparatus as in claim 12 , wherein each of the N partitions is a circular buffer.

17. An apparatus as in claim 12 , wherein the DMA controller pauses after storing data to a current partition and before storing data to a next partition, to allow the CPU to implement a measurement setup corresponding to the next measurement.

18. An apparatus as in claim 12 , wherein the DMA controller transitions immediately between storing data to a current partition and storing data to a next partition.

19. An apparatus as in claim 12 , wherein the apparatus is a measurement instrument selected from the group consisting of spectrum analyzers, oscilloscopes, network analyzers, and logic analyzers.