Applying a transfer function to a signal for determining compliance to a specification

1. A signal modeling apparatus for analyzing operation of a transmitting device comprising:

an input coupled to receive a captured real-time signal of a real-time signal outputted by said transmitting device;

a signal modification module that applies a transmitter compliant transfer function, wherein includes specifications describing both transmitter characteristics of the transmitting device and signal quality at a receiver, to said captured real-time signal to create a modified signal, said transmitter compliant transfer function being a transfer function defined by at least one protocol specification that characterizes modifications to a signal that passes through a communications medium that complies with said at least one protocol specification, said modified signal being a model of said real-time signal as received at the receiver device after passing through said communications medium that complies with said at least one protocol specification, said signal modification module being implemented in computer readable instruction code operating on a device capable of running said computer readable instruction code; and

an output coupled to transmit said modified signal to a display device in order to permit analysis of said transmitting device operation relative to said at least one protocol specification.

2. The signal modeling apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a transfer function module, coupled to said signal modification module, that stores at least one transfer function to apply to said captured real-time signal.

3. The signal modeling apparatus of claim 2 wherein said transfer function module provides an interface that allows a user to select a transfer function to be applied to said captured real-time signal.

4. The signal modeling apparatus of claim 2 wherein said transfer function module provides a plurality of transfer functions corresponding to a plurality of protocol specifications to said signal modification module such that said signal modification module creates a plurality of modified signals corresponding to said plurality of transfer functions in order to permit analysis of said transmitting device operation relative to said plurality of protocol specifications.

5. The signal modeling apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a signal analysis module, coupled to said signal modification module, to automatically analyze said modified signal.

6. The signal modeling apparatus of claim 5 wherein said signal analysis module provides feedback information used to adjust at least one setting on said transmitting device.

7. The signal modeling apparatus of claim 5 wherein said signal analysis module compares said modified signal to said at least one protocol specification.

8. The signal modeling apparatus of claim 7 wherein said signal analysis module adjusts at least one setting of said transmitting device in response to said comparison of said modified signal to said at least one protocol specification.

9. The signal modeling of claim 1 wherein said display device is an oscilloscope screen.

10. The signal modeling of claim 9 wherein said signal modification module is integrated within an oscilloscope operating as said device capable of running said computer readable instruction code.

11. The signal modeling of claim 1 wherein said display device is a computer screen.

12. The signal modeling of claim 11 wherein said signal modification module is integrated within a computer device operating as said device capable of running said computer readable instruction code.

13. A computerized method operating according to computer readable instruction code on a device capable of running said computer readable instruction code for modeling a signal in order to analyze operation of a transmitting device comprising:

receiving a captured real-time signal of a real-time signal outputted by said transmitting device;

applying a transmitter compliant transfer function, wherein includes specifications describing both transmitter characteristics of the transmitting device and signal quality at a receiver, that modifies at least one characteristic of said captured real-time signal to create a modified signal, said transmitter compliant transfer function being a transfer function defined by at least one protocol specification that characterizes characterizing modifications to a signal that passes through a communications medium that complies with at said least one protocol specification, said modified signal being a model of said real-time signal as received at the receiver device after passing through said communications medium that complies with said at least one protocol specification; and

displaying said modified signal in order to permit analysis of said transmitting device operation relative to said at least one protocol specification.

14. The computerized method of claim 13 further comprising the step of comparing said modified signal to said at least one protocol specification to determine whether said modified signal is compliant with said at least one protocol specification.

15. The computerized method of claim 14 wherein said transmitter compliant transfer function is derived from said at least one protocol specification.

16. The computerized method of claim 14 further comprising the step of providing a feedback signal to said transmitting device in response to said comparison of said modified signal and said at least one protocol specification.

17. The computerized method of claim 16 wherein said feedback signal adjusts at least one setting of said transmitting device.

18. The computerized method of claim 13 wherein said modified signal is displayed on an oscilloscope.

19. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, said computer program product containing computer instructions that perform processes to model a signal in order to analyze operation of a transmitting device, said processes comprising:

receiving a captured real-time signal of a real-time signal outputted by said transmitting device;

applying a transmitter compliant transfer function, wherein includes specifications describing both transmitter characteristics of the transmitting device and signal quality at a receiver, that modifies at least one characteristic of said the captured real-time signal to create a modified signal, said transmitter compliant transfer function being a transfer function defined by at least one protocol specification that characterizes characterizing modifications to a signal that passes through a communications medium that complies with said at least one protocol specification, said modified signal being a model of said real-time signal as received at a receiver device after passing through said communications medium that complies with said at least one protocol specification; and

displaying said modified signal in order to permit analysis of said transmitting device operation relative to said at least one protocol specification.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 further comprising computer instructions for comparing said modified signal to at said at least one protocol specification to determine whether said modified signal is compliant with said at least one protocol specification.

21. The computer program product of claim 20 further comprising computer instructions for providing a feedback signal to said transmitting device in response to said comparison of said modified signal and said at least one protocol specification.

22. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein said feedback signal adjusts at least one setting of said transmitting device.

23. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein said computer instructions are located within an oscilloscope operating as said device capable of running said computer readable instruction code.