Interpolation in Your DSO

Interpolation is an important feature in today's digital oscilloscopes. The main purpose of a DSO is to analyze and view analog waveforms. To do this, the DSO samples a waveform at some finite sample rate, generating a vector of voltages with respect to time.
Interpolation in Your DSO
Peter J. Pupalaikis, Product Marketing Manager
WaveMaster Oscilloscopes
LeCroy Corporation

Introduction
Interpolation is
an important
feature in today's
digital
oscilloscopes.
The main
purpose of a
DSO is to
analyze and view
analog
waveforms. To
do this, the DSO
samples a
waveform at
some finite
sample rate, generating a vector of voltages with respect to time. Since this vector
represents a set of points (not the actual smooth analog waveform), it is often desirable to
modify the acquired waveform by generating samples that are predicted between the
actual acquired points. The generation of samples that occur in between actual waveform
samples is called interpolation. When done properly, this results in a wavefor