Using parallel processing techniques and a dedicated processor, the DPO is able to capture transient events that occur in digital systems more easily. These may include spurious pulses, glitches and transition errors. It also emulates the display attributes of an analogue oscilloscope, displaying the signal in three dimensions: time, amplitude and the distribution of amplitude over time, all in real time.
In terms of the digital phosphor oscilloscope architecture, the signal first enters an analogue vertical amplifier. This feeds into an analogue to digital converter in a similar fashion to a digital storage scope. However it is from this point that the architecture of a DPO differs from that of a DSO.