The chirp waveform, also known as a swept sine wave, is a sinusoid waveform with a frequency that varies continuously over a certain range of values ω 1 ≤ ω ≤ ω 2 for a specific period of time 0 ≤ t ≤ T.

The resulting signal has a crest factor Cf of √2 . You can modify the signal to excite specific signal spectra.

In comparison to other stimulus signals, such as white noise, a chirp waveform is easier to generate and control. You can use the Chirp Pattern VI to generate a chirp pattern. You then can use the Build Waveform (Analog Waveform) function to convert this chirp pattern to a chirp waveform.

The following figure shows an example of a chirp waveform:

Figure 173. Chirp Waveform Example