that permits sequential dual trigger event acquisition as one of ordinary skill in the art appreciates the teachings herein may be applied to other digital oscilloscopes with architectures that differ from the one illustrated in fig1 while the description is discussed relative to the architecture in the illustration in the new method first and second trigger events are established 301 by the user the cpu 120 programs 311 the trigger system 110 with the first trigger event and acquisition begins 302 on one or both measurement channels in an oscilloscope with additional measurement channels because each measurement channel has an independent adc and memory block circuit i e 107 108 acquisition can occur on all available measurement channels as directed by the user after a pre trigger event portion is digitized and stored the timebase control 109 arms 303 the trigger system for the first trigger event and acquisition continues 304 as the oscilloscope waits for the first trigger event to occur as previously described the memory blocks are circular memories so that a desired amount of pre trigger event data is always available upon detection of the first trigger event 305 two processes occur in parallel the adc 107 captures and stores 306 the post trigger event portion of the signal present on measurement channel one the cpu 120 intervenes to program 312 the trigger system 110 to recognize the second trigger event the timebase control 109 then arms.