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Logic Sniffer - LA

Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2012 12:10 am
by Preston
I'm looking at buying this Logic Analyzer http://dangerousprototypes.com/open-logic-sniffer/

To make up the full kit the following is needed:
  • 1 x Open Workbench Logic Sniffer
  • 1 x Logic Sniffer 16-bit Input Buffer Wing
  • 4 x Open logic sniffer probe cable
With all the accessories it comes to a grand total of $89 USD inc shipping, surprisingly good price!

Has anyone else brought or used one?

Pro's and con's let me know!

Preston.

Re: Logic Sniffer - LA

Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2012 12:29 am
by Fred
I want one too, and am therefore keen to hear of anyone's experiences with these! Hook us up! :-)

Fred.

Re: Logic Sniffer - LA

Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2012 2:33 am
by Spudmn
I use the open Workbench Logic Sniffer at work and it has been very useful. In fact we just bought another one for my work mate.

I haven’t used the 16-bit Input Buffer Wing as so far I haven’t needed more than 8 inputs. The probe cable arrived today and my first thoughts are that the clips look ok but the cables will need to be soldered again. They look like dry joints.

When you first get it you may need to update the Loader and the FPGA. This can be a pain to work out because the instructions are spread across the internet. But once you get the latest code in the device you don’t need to do it again.

The Java app that shows the wave forms is good. Sometimes it crashes or you lose the comport connection. The GUI could do with some more features but I think the developer is work on a new one.

There are some decoder plug-ins for IIC , SPI, UART etc. I have been using the IIC one a lot and it can be a bit hit and miss on it being able to decode the waveform. When it is successful it is very handy.

I have only done simple triggering so far but I believe that it can do complex triggers.

The big plus for me is that is all open source and if I want to fix or add something I can. One feature I might add soon is to have the LA send a trigger output to a scope. That way I can have a complex trigger and use the scope to look at the wave form.

For the price I would recommended it. It has paid for itself here at work with time it has saved.

It is also what I used to help Fred debug the missing tooth code.

Re: Logic Sniffer - LA

Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2012 11:26 am
by Fred
Cool :-) Thanks for the write up!

Re: Logic Sniffer - LA

Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 7:59 pm
by Fred
I assembled my sniffer today, complete with wing and 32 clips; it looks ridiculous! I can't wait to use it :-)

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Re: Logic Sniffer - LA

Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 9:30 pm
by Preston
Oh, that looks like a whole bundle of fun!

Re: Logic Sniffer - LA

Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2012 4:44 am
by ToxicGumbo
While not a replacement for the Open Bench Logic Sniffer, the project below (which favors that data format) might be of interest to those wanting to get their feet wet and play around with sampling:

http://www.alfersoft.com.ar/blog/2012/0 ... for-linux/


-Jeff

Re: Logic Sniffer - LA

Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2012 7:09 pm
by AbeFM
Ooooh, I like the leads.

FYI, you can pull pins, it's cleaner than cutting them. In the past, I've taken a narrow dremel cut off wheel, and put a slit in a pair of pliers. Then you can push the pins out the back pretty easily.

Re: Logic Sniffer - LA

Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 12:57 am
by Compassion
I was looking up various information last night about the Open Logic Sniffer, along with operating it with the wing and an external clock, and came up with http://www.hp9845.net/9845/tutorials/an ... x.html#ols, which is reasonably in-depth. I was seeing some mention of pairing the OLS with an old HP 9845, for a triggering device, since I wasn't quite sure which piece of HP kit it was, and now I know.

On the upside, despite being catered for the HP 9845, it is a decent primer on working with a logic analyzer and also covers the wing in operation too.

Re: Logic Sniffer - LA

Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2013 7:38 pm
by Fred
It's worth noting that this unit is NOT streaming. You get a trigger and a buffer full before you have to stop and start recording again. At higher frequencies that means you end your recording in just a few seconds. Still a cool unit, but that limits the use in some ways. The saleae can record indefinitely if you have the USB bandwidth to cope with it.