Patterns, created with the Pulse Building application, are automatically stored in the Pattern Library. The Pulse Building application's Pattern Library form displays a list of available patterns in the Patterns section of the form. There is also a Pattern Details section that allows you to edit existing patterns and create new patterns. The Pattern Details section has parameters such as Index, Start Time, Duration, Repetition Interval, Repeats, Freq Offset, Edge Jitter Type, and so forth, that are associated with a pattern.
The Pulse Building application supports cut and paste operations between two projects. You can cut and paste pulses, patterns, and off times between projects only when two instances of the Pulse Building application are running. To generate two instances, the Pulse Building executable (.exe) is run twice. Patterns of patterns cannot be copied between projects.
In its simplest form, a pattern consists of a series or sequence of pulses. A pattern describes how the pulses are combined and played back by the signal generator. The Pulse Building application allows creation of patterns consisting of items such as off-times, pulses, patterns, or patterns within patterns. Each of the off-times, pulses, or patterns within a pattern are called pattern items.
A pattern item can be repeated sequentially or repeated after other items have played. For example, suppose you want to create a pattern consisting of two different pulses, Pulse 1 and Pulse 2, along with another, previously created pattern, Pattern 3. Using the Pulse Building application you can create a pattern that repeats Pulse 1 ten times, plays Pulse 2 once, repeats Pattern 3 twice, and repeats Pulse 1 five times. Any combination of repeats or sequences of patterns and pulses can be created restricted only by the limits of the signal generator's baseband memory.
Pattern items are played out consecutively in time. Each pattern item is played according to the configuration parameters such as repeats and then the next item in the pattern is played.
Only patterns can be downloaded and played back; individual pulses cannot.