Data management in long record length memory

A data management method for a long record length memory that is used for data acquisition writes data samples into an initial circular buffer within the memory having a size equal to a pre-trigger time. When a first trigger event occurs, the data samples are then written into a linear region after the circular buffer within the memory. The data sample acquisition in the linear region continues until a post-trigger and new pre-trigger time have elapsed after a last trigger event, at which point the acquisition terminates and the new pre-trigger time becomes a new circular buffer for a next trigger event. In this way all trigger events are captured with associated pre-trigger and post-trigger data.