The scope of this memo is to describe the BTS, Binary Timed Signal. A format for compact storage of binary signals in computer memory. Binary signals are signal that can have only two logic levels/states, zero or one, true or false.
The BTS format is composed by 5 signal elements.
Start time
The start time of the signal. Before this time, the signal is not defined. When it is none, the signal is considered void.
Edges times
This sequence stores all the times where the signal changes its level from 0 to 1 or viceversa. The edge times sequence may be empty: in this case the signal is constant. The sequence must be sorted in ascending order. All elements must have different times. The first element must be greater or equal to the start time. The last element must be lower or equal to the end time.
End time
The end time of the signal. After this time, the signal is not defined. The end time must be greater than the start time. May be none when start is none.
Start level
If the edges times sequence has 1 or more items, the start level value specifies the signal level from the signal start time to the first edge time. If the edges times sequence is empty, the signal has a constant level that is equal to the start level value.
Time scale
An arbitrary unit of time can be chosen to express the values of times. The time scale value is the ratio: 1 second / arbitrary time unit.
BITIS implements the BTS format with the Signal class. Each BTS signal is an instance of this class. The five elements of the BTS format are the five attributes (start, edges, end, slevel, tscale) of the Signal class. The sequence edges is realized as list of integers or floats.
The BTS format is composed by 3 elements.
Change times
This sequence stores all the times where the signal changes its level from 0 to 1 or viceversa. The first and the last sequence items have a different meaning: they are respectively the start time and the end time of the signal. The signal start and end are the boundaries of the signal domain. Outside this interval, the signal is to be itended as not defined. The change times sequence may be empty: in this case the signal must be threated as empty or null. The sequence may have 2 items: in this case the signal has a constant level along all its domain and there are no level changes. The sequence may have 3 or more items: in this case the signal has 1 or more level changes. A sequence with only one item is not allowed. The sequence must be sorted in ascending order.
Start level
If the change times sequence has 3 or more items, the start level value specifies the signal level from the signal start time to the first change time. If the change times sequence has 2 items, the signal has a constant level that is equal to the start level value.
Time scale
An arbitrary unit of time can be chosen to express the values of change times. The time scale value is the ratio: 1 second / arbitrary time unit.
BITIS implements the BTS format with the Signal class. Each BTS signal is an instance of this class. The three elements of the BTS format are the three attributes (times, slevel, tscale) of the Signal class. The sequence times is realized as list of integers or floats.