Parameters of a spread spectrum clock signal in a communication signal are characterized by acquiring voltage samples of the communication signal at a nominal time location of an edge of the communication signal. The voltage samples are converted to time samples and the difference between the maximum and minimum time values is determined at the nominal time location. A spread spectrum clock magnitude number is generated by dividing the difference between the maximum and minimum time values by the nominal time location of the acquired voltage samples of the spread spectrum clock signal. A spread spectrum modulation profile of a spread spectrum clock signal is estimated by over sampling the time samples using an aliased index value to generate over sampled triangular waveforms representing the spread spectrum clock modulation profile. One of the over sampled triangular waveforms is use to generate the spread spectrum clock modulation profile.