Guide
Strip chart examples
A strip chart is most valuable when you can quickly recognize patterns. Here are the shapes operators learn to spot.
Patterns to recognize
Drift
Slow movement away from baseline that often signals calibration or load changes.
Oscillation
Repeating waves that can indicate control loop instability or resonance.
Step change
A sudden level shift after a valve change, deployment, or configuration update.
Noise increase
Higher jitter that can point to sensor issues or unstable sampling.
Intermittent faults
Brief spikes or dropouts that require the right cadence and window to be visible.
Next steps
If you are building dashboards, use these patterns as test cases. If you are monitoring live systems, tune update cadence so short-lived spikes cannot hide.
Recommended reading: real-time strip chart monitoring.