Gate Style (Input)

If a particular trigger style is not available in the dropdown menu, it is because the measurement hardware or the trigger mode does not support that trigger style.

Unavailable trigger styles are greyed in the menu and cannot be selected.

Gated triggering is used in segmented capture (Segmented Capture = Enabled) and variable length segmented capture (Segmented Capture = Enabled and Segment Type = Variable) measurements. The available trigger gate styles are described in the following list.

For more details, click the name of the trigger type:

Free Run: The VSA will process time records (input data) as quickly as possible with no waiting for a trigger signal (some instruments call this continuous triggering).
Channel: Level-based trigger used with baseband signals only.
Magnitude†: Magnitude level-based trigger used for baseband signals with varying magnitudes.
Channel Mag†: For use with I+jQ or baseband I+jQ measurements where a magnitude level-based trigger is used on either the I or Q part of the signal, depending on which input (I or Q) is chosen as the trigger signal.
IF Mag†: Used with Zoomed signals (complex time data). Selects the IF signal as the trigger signal. The Input Trigger Channel specifies the applied trigger channel.
External: The hardware begins a measurement when the external-trigger signal meets the trigger conditions specified.
External TTL: Selects external TTL triggering.
Periodic: Periodic triggering sets triggering to occur at regularly spaced intervals when the input signal is periodic.
Frequency Mask: The Frequency Mask trigger style is a frequency-selective trigger that triggers an acquisition based on spectral events that meet particular criteria with respect to a user-defined frequency mask.

Only enabled when connected to an X-Series Analyzer with Real Time Spectrum Analyzer (RTSA) mode.
RF Radio Frequency: A generic term for radio-based technologies, operating between the Low Frequency range (30k Hz) and the Extra High Frequency range (300 GHz). Burst: Specifies the RF Burst trigger.
PXI Trigger: Specifies that a PXI backplane trigger line be used.
External 2: Selects external trigger #2.
Protocol Channel Detection: Specifies Protocol Channel Detection Trigger.
Protocol Frame Data Aligned: Specifies Protocol Frame Data Aligned Trigger.
Protocol Event: Specifies Protocol Event Trigger.

†Only one of these trigger styles is available at a time. The one that is available depends on instrument configuration, as shown in the table below.

Trigger parameters (including this one) affect the outcome of the time record capture from hardware when creating a recording as well as when making a measurement.

Only one of these trigger styles is available at a time: Channel Mag, IF Mag, and Magnitude. This table shows when each will be available.

Trigger style:	When available:
Channel Mag	When the input channel is I+jQ (ch1+j*ch2) and using two-channel hardware for which only the I or Q part of the signal can be used as a trigger.
IF Mag	When the time data is zoomed.
Magnitude	When the logical input channel is an I+jQ channel and triggering on magnitude(I+jQ) is supported, or when the time data is baseband (real).

For information on triggering for specific measurement hardware, see Available Measurement Hardware .