Markers

This topic discusses all aspects of PLTS makers:

• Markers Overview

• Creating a Marker

• Selecting a Marker

• Moving a Marker

• Delta Markers

• Coupled Markers

• Marker Search

• Frequency Domain Polar and Smith Chart Markers

• Eye Diagram Markers

• Deleting a Marker

• Save and Recall Markers

• Export Marker Data

• Marker Math

• Marker Table

• Show LC Values

Other Data Analysis Topics

Markers Overview

Markers are applied to plots. Marker readout information for each trace in the plot is displayed along the right edge.

Refer to the following image to learn to create, select, move, save, recall, and delete markers.

Creating a Marker

There are two ways to create a marker:

1. From the Marker bar on the PLTS display, select a marker, then click ON.

2. Right-click a plot, then click Marker, then Insert (not available in Smith Chart or Polar formats).

Selecting a Marker

There are two ways to select a marker:

1. From the Marker bar on the PLTS display.

2. Click a marker. The Marker Bar at the bottom of the display reflects the currently selected marker.

Moving a Marker

There are four ways to move a marker:

1. From the Marker Bar on the PLTS display, select a marker and drag the slider. With the slider selected, the marker may be moved one measurement point at a time by pressing the keyboard left and right arrows.

2. Drag the Mx marker label at the top of each marker.

3. Select the marker to move in the Marker bar, right-click in the plot, select Marker -> Set At..., select MHz or GHz, then type the X-axis value in which to move the marker (not available with Smith Chart,  Polar, or Eye Diagrams).
   

4. Search for a specific Y-axis value on the trace. Learn more about Marker Search.

Marker Readout

Change marker readout resolution (number of significant digits) from the User Preferences Plot tab. Learn more.

Use the marker table to select which markers to include in the readout area.

Delta Markers

A delta marker displays data that is relative to another reference marker.  Only markers #1 and #2 can be used as delta markers.  

To create Delta markers, select Tools, then User Preference. On the Plot tab, check Add Delta Markers for First Added 2 Markers.  When checked, as markers #1 and #2 are created, a third marker readout (shown below) displays the difference in both the X and Y axis values between these two markers.  

Delta markers can also be implemented using Marker Math.

Coupled Markers

Coupled markers allow you to drag the X-axis location of one marker, and the other coupled markers move also. By coupling markers, you can view the marker readout of various formats at the same time as in the following image.

How to Couple Markers

1. Create a marker on one plot. Learn how.

2. Right-click the plot, then click Marker Coupling to launch the following dialog.

3. Of the currently-displayed plots, check the plots to be coupled.

4. To create more than one group of coupled markers, click Add New (Coupling Group).

5. Again, of the currently-displayed plots, check those to couple. Each plot can be checked for only one Coupling Group.

6. Click Clear All to clear currently selected plots.

7. Click Select All to select all plots for the group.

Marker Search

You can use a marker to search a trace for the minimum, maximum, Target Y-axis value, or 3 dB point.

To start the Marker Search dialog, right-click on a plot, then click Marker, then Search

Marker

Select a marker with which the search is to be performed. If no marker is present, one will be created.

Search Domain

Select the area over which the search is to be performed.

• Full Span - The entire displayed X-axis.

• User Span - Select, then enter the X-axis range over which the search is to be performed. Both the Start and Stop values must be a subset of the Full Span. This same User Span is used as the default setting when using a User Span for Trace Statistics.

Search Type

Find the Min or Max value.

1. Select a marker to perform the search.

2. Click Minimum or Maximum.

3. Click Execute.

4. The specified marker moves to the min or max value.

Find a Target value.

1. Select a marker to perform the search.

2. Select Target Value.

3. Enter a Target Value to find.

4. Click Execute.

5. The specified marker moves to the min or max value.

• The marker will search for the first occurrence of the target value to the right of its current position.

• If the target value is above the max value or below the min value, then the target value will not be found and the marker will not move.

• If a target value is present, it will likely fall between two adjacent data points. The specified marker moves to the data point closest to the target value.

• Subsequent presses of the Execute button cause the marker to move to the right to search for another target value data point.

• When the marker reaches the upper end of the stimulus range, it will "wrap around" and continue the search from the lower end of the stimulus range.

Find Half-Power (3 dB) Point

Available ONLY on transmission parameters.

1. Select a marker to perform the search.

2. Select Half-Power (3 dB) Point.

3. Click Execute.

4. The marker will find the maximum value, then search for the first occurrence of the (maximum value minus 3 dB) to the right of its current position.

Frequency Domain Polar and Smith Chart Markers

When a marker is used in a Polar or Smith Chart format, it is essentially a point that follows the displayed trace around the chart. With a Polar or Smith Chart, select either Mag + Phase or Impedance (Real and Imaginary) on the Marker Bar.

Eye Diagram Markers

Learn about Eye Diagram markers.

Deleting a Marker

There are two ways to delete a marker:

1. From the Marker Bar on the PLTS display, select a marker, then click OFF.

2. Right-click a plot, then click Marker, then Delete. Not available in Smith Chart or Polar formats.

Save and Recall Markers

An entire marker set can be saved, then recalled and applied to a trace. Markers can only be recalled to the same Domain (Frequency or Time) in which they were saved.

1. Create Markers for a plot window.

2. To Save a set of markers, right-click a plot, then click Marker, then Save State. Type a name for the marker set.

3. To Recall a set of markers, select a saved marker name from the Plot bar.

4. Click on the Plot bar.

Export Marker Data

Exported marker data provides an easy method to compare PLTS data in an external program. Marker data contains the number of significant digits that are specified in the User Preferences - Plot tab. Learn more.

1. Right-click a plot, then click Marker, then Export Data.... Selecting Marker then Export Data to Clipboard copies the data to the clipboard.

2. Marker data is saved to a comma-separated *.txt file.

3. This data can then be opened in a spreadsheet program.

Marker Math Definition

This tab on the PLTS screen is used to add or change marker readouts and apply marker math.

Important: First create standard markers by right-clicking in the plot, then Marker, then Insert, or using the marker bar at the bottom of the screen.

1. Select a Marker  Select a marker. Add markers if not already present.

2. Select a Trace  Choose either the X axis readout or the Y axis  readout.

3. Select Operator  Select math operation to be performed on the selected markers.

4. Select 2nd Marker  Choose a second marker to be used in the math operation.

5. Select 2nd Trace  Choose either the X axis readout or the Y axis readout. This choice must be consistent with the step 2 selection.

6. Click Add to add the marker math to the marker table and to the readout.

Marker Table

The Marker Table filters the marker readouts that appear on the plot window.

• In the following image, the Marker Math area has been hidden by clicking .

• Rows with Show/Hide checked appear on the marker readout area of the plot.

• Filter rows that appear in the table by entering text or numbers in the search bar. For example, in the following image, only rows with 'm1' will appear in the table.

Show LC Values

Beginning with PLTS2019, when using one of the power integrity formats, LC values at the marker position can be displayed.

Beginning with PLTS2020, LC lines can be drawn at the points where the Y-axis values are positive if the Y-axis unit is Ohms. Supported plot formats include Zr, Zi, |Z|, |Zi|. In addition, if Show LC Values is turned on, Log X-Axis and Log Y-Axis are automatically turned on. If Log X-Axis and Log Y-Axis are turned off, then Show LC Values is also turned off.

1. Right click in the plot then select Marker > Insert.

2. Right click in the plot then select Show LC Values.
   
   
   

3. The LC values are shown in the marker.
   
   

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