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Logic Analyzer

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Hi there

I found a cheap and high speed logic analyzer from Acute Technology (TL2036), but I can't figure out, if it is fast enough for even low-speed circuits. For example the data memory at a 200 MHz timing analysis is 4Kbits per channel if I use all 36 channels.

How do I interpret this result? The sample resolution is 250ps, but how much memory does it require to save one sample? Is it possible to sample like 50 clock pulses on a 20MHz PIC circuit?

The datasheet
https://www.acute.com.tw/software/Spec/esptla2k.pdf
 
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Seem to recall that the clock frequency on a PIC is the oscillator frequency divided by 4.
If this is correct, then the instruction clock frequency on your PIC would be 20 MHz/4, or 5 Mhz.

Maybe you should verify this .....
 
That's not a lot of memory. It doesn't mention if it does any on the fly compression or not, so otherwise, it's 1 bit, one sample. For simple microcontroller work, 200Mhz is far and away fast enough sampling rate.

If you want more memory you have to jump up to the higher models.
 
Why is't is memory enough. I think to remember that the popular Ant16 has 2048 bit memory on each channel
 
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I have the Saleae and it's great. It uses burst mode over USB 2.0, so it can sample its max 26Mhz all day long. Software is nice and clean. I like it.

It's limited, 8 leads, and 26Mhz. I've never had any need to go over that, but if you are trying to directly sample USB or something like that you'll get over. Mostly I use it for debugging interfaces with new IC's. SPI, I2C, One Wire, UART...

As for the memory. I'm usually trying to get a decent sample of data for analysis so I can see what's going on. If you think about it, 2Mhz sampling for 2 seconds is 4Mbits. 4Kbits is such a small sample even at a minor 2Mhz sampling rate it's hardly worth it. I'm assuming they have some kind of compression scheme and they only log sample changes, if that's the case, I have no idea how long you could sample for and it would change depending on your rate of change.
 
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