Serial analyzers (was Re: VAX 11/730 quickie)

[jwsmobile]

On 2/23/2016 7:11 PM, Curious Marc wrote:
> I was wondering if I should add a 4952 to my HP collection. It's tempting, these are cute machines. But except if I am using synchronous RS232, I was not sure what I would getting that a laptop with a good terminal emulator and a serial port would give me. Can you convince me otherwise? What do you guys use it for?
> Marc
>
>> On Feb 22, 2016, at 3:58 PM, Jay West <jwest at classiccmp.org> wrote:
>>
>>
>> I've always eyed the 4952... being as my penchant is HP and much of my test
>> equipment is same-vintage HP gear (I'll give a vote for the 1631D logic
>> analyzer, combo LA and digital scope - the scope is sorta poor, but handy -
>> the LA is great for what I work on).
>>
>> However, I spent a significant portion of my career in front of a serial
>> analyzer so I'm pretty familiar with them [...]
>>
>> J
For serial I use a Saleae 8 bit analyzer.  It is an 8 bit logic 
analyzer, but that just means you get 8 capture channels.

It will do any combination of serial, I2C, and SPI out of the box. CAN 
bus is extra.  Recording capacity is till the disk fills up.

You can export traces to files of text.

You do have to use a level shifter with the thing because it is designed 
for 3.3v logic and needs to be adjusted accordingly.

A note on knockoffs.  Please buy the original if you can, as the company 
has not cut off the use of their software with knockoffs of the 
analyzer.  (Off topic of this thread, open new thread if it is something 
to reply to, please)

Thanks
jim