DSTG includes specific events you can use in tandem with triggers to coordinate actions across instruments.

  • Started—Emitted when the RF signal generator has received a Start Trigger and is generating a waveform.
  • Done—Indicates that the generation of the previous waveform is complete.
  • Marker—Occurs at the time that a specific location or sample n in the waveform generates on the output connector. If the waveform loops multiple times in a segment, the marker generates each time the waveform loops.

    A marker is an event that an NI RF signal generator produces in relation to a specific sample in a waveform.

    With the Digital Signal Transceiver, notice this value does not account for the delay applied over the serial communication process and the DUT features; the marker could be earlier than requested. Careful design is necessary to get the marker to synchronize with other devices.

    The marker event is a pulse of fixed width. The following figure shows a waveform generated on the output of a waveform generator. The waveform contains a pulse that represents a waveform sample n that is one Sample Clock in width. The second pulse, the marker event, represents the pulse that generates when the corresponding waveform sample n is output at the output connector.

    Figure 12. Waveform Output and Associated Marker Event


    • tm1: Duration of delay between the configured waveform sample n and generation of the associated marker event.
    • tm2: Marker event pulse duration of 300 ns.

    In addition, you can use scripts to create markers to develop complex behaviors around generated waveforms. Refer to Scripts for more information.