faq_la.md

Basic notes regarding logic analyzers, its software & hardware nuances & howtos.

Projects

Saleae

Logic 1.x

Download page: https://support.saleae.com/logic-software/legacy-software/older-software-releases

Notes:

• latest version (Aug-2023): 1.2.40
• new HW rev. doesn't work with v1.X
• to unpack AppImage: ./Logic-1.2.40-Linux.AppImage --appimage-extract
• configs location is: ~/.config/Logic or ~/.local/share/Logic
• "decoded protocols panel" is removed
• for Windows:
  • install drivers (i.e., from zip or follow https://support.saleae.com/logic-software/driver-install)
  • install MSFT VS runtime: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=48145
• macOS compatibility: 10.8+

Logic 2.x

Download page: https://www.saleae.com/downloads/

Notes:

• latest version (Aug-2023): 2.4.9
• compatibility:
  • Windows: 8, 10, 11
  • GNU/Linux: Ubuntu 18.04+ 64bit
  • macOS: 10.14 Mojave+

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DSLab

DSView

Download page: https://www.dreamsourcelab.com/download/

Github pages:

• https://github.com/DreamSourceLab/
• https://github.com/DreamSourceLab/DSView

Notes:

• latest version (Aug-2023): 1.3.0
• compatibility:
  • Windows: x64
  • GNU/Linux: Ubuntu +
  • macOS: 10.13 +

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Sigrok

PulseView

Download page: https://sigrok.org/wiki/Downloads

Github page: https://github.com/sigrokproject

Notes:

• latest version (Aug-2023): sigrok_cli / PView - 0.7.2 / 0.4.2
• compatibility:
  • Windows XP +
  • GNU/Linux: Ubuntu 16.04 +
  • macOS: 10.9 +

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HOWTOs

PulseView stable release on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS

• download PulseView 0.4.2 AppImage
• extract image:
  chmod a+x PulseView-0.4.2-x86_64.AppImage && ./PulseView-0.4.2-x86_64.AppImage --appimage-extract
• patch sources - line 138 in pd.py should be look like this:
  usr/share/libsigrokdecode/decoders/signature/pd.py : 138: incoming = (bin(shiftreg & 0x0291).count('1') + data) & 1
• run PulseView application from unpacked & patched AppImage:
  ./AppRun

Fast checking logic analyzer using any USB-UART converter

• connect LA/Channel 0 to TX pin of USB-UART converter
• connect USB-UART converter to PC
• connect LA to PC
• run terminal app:
  $ picocom --baud 9600 --databits 8 --parity n --flow n --stopbits 1 --echo /dev/ttyUSB0
• setup LA software tool: max frequency, one channel, ~one minute / 100 M samples
• run capture & type any ascii text like testing testing
• once capture is stopped, configure LA SW tool to decode UART protocol using the settings based on a terminal app configuration (i.e., like from the above for picocom)
• if testing ASCII text is successfully decoded then the setup is good to go for further discovery of the unkown signals & protocols over the wires

DSLogic Plus firmware

• if there is a message like TBA then firmware is missing
• download fpga/bin & fx2/fw files
• place files to usr/share/sigrok-firmware location