Signature Analysis
What is Signature Analysis?
Signature analysis is similar to a “fingerprint test” for electronic circuits. While a circuit operates, it generates a long sequence of signals. Handling this amount of information directly would be difficult. A mathematical method – often using special shift registers – compresses the data into a short key value. This value, the signature, represents a compact image of the circuit’s normal behavior.
With a reference signature of a functioning circuit, subsequent measurements can be compared against it. If the new “fingerprint” deviates from the reference, it indicates a fault or an internal deviation in the circuit.
A comparable principle is used in analog measurement technology, for example when evaluating current-voltage curves. Signature analysis is also applied in cryptography, where digital signatures ensure that data remains verifiable and unchanged – as reliable as a real fingerprint.