Temporal Resolution
Frequency at which an analog signal is converted into digital data points by an acquisition system. A sufficient sampling rate ensures that the reconstructed waveform accurately represents the original physical event without losing high-frequency detail. It is measured in hertz or samples per second.
Nyquist Criterion
Theoretical minimum for data capture is twice the highest frequency present in the input signal. If the sampling rate falls below this threshold, a phenomenon known as aliasing occurs where high-frequency noise appears as low-frequency data. Engineers typically select a rate five to ten times higher than the signal of interest to improve the fidelity of the results.
Data Volume
Data volume increases when the speed of acquisition is elevated. Increasing the speed of acquisition creates larger files that require more storage and processing power. While a high sampling rate provides better resolution for transient events like mechanical shock, it can also capture unwanted electrical interference that complicates the analysis.
Balancing the need for detail against the practical limits of the hardware and the storage media is a standard step in test planning for high-density environments.
System Bandwidth
Total throughput of the measurement chain must support the chosen settings for all active channels. A bottleneck in the bus or the memory controller will cause dropped packets when the sampling rate is set too high. Verification of the system timing ensures that the timestamps for each data point remain accurate over long durations.
