I would have replied to the original message, but it didn't show up on my server. Life without giganews sucks.
Anyways.
You may be interested in something I threw together last year because I was shopping for one too.
It's a comparison of logic analyzers under $1000 for hobbyists. It's just springboard for research with links, basic info.
I personally own a LogicPort and it's actually pretty nice. The price point was right. I liked the fact that it does 32-channels, out of the box, without expansion, extra cabling, etc. 500mhz is nice although I normally run it around 100mhz. The software is very very intuitive, and I was up and running in minutes. The different triggers are nice for capturing just the right signal --- there really hasn't been anything I can't get a good look at. Software is stable.... and is freely redistributable. It's nice for having other people who don't own the hardware download and be able to look at your timing diagrams....
It does data compression (check the link above for description), which is indeed very helpful for slow bursty signals. Like capturing rs-232 traffic where you might have seocnds between transmissions. It helps with the capture depth.
Lesse..... Also, it exports the data, in .csv or whatever, which is nice to process outside the program. It also includes decoders for the various serial protocols. So like you can see "HEX 55" fly across instead of just the waveforms. And you can adjust how much pre-trigger data vs post-trigger data you capture. Are you just interested in the events before the trigger? Or only after? Adjustable by percentage
1%/99% 50%/50% etc.THE ONLY GOTCHA IS THE MEMORY DEPTH. It only captures 1023 transitions across all 32-channels. It can capture these over any length of time.
While 1K sounds pitiful, in my limited hobby experience, by utilizing the data compression & triggers, I've always been able to get the data I wanted to look at. So, while it feels like a limitation I'd run into, I just haven't hit it yet. Oh yeah, you can do recurring-sampling where it will go out and do multiple-samples repeatedly, so you can extend how much you sample....
And if you order the logicport, make sure to get those XKM grabbers. They are tiny tweezer type things to grab onto chip legs, wires, etc. They are really nice. I've got to order some more of those.
A lot of the other PC-based LA's don't include the serial decoders for free, only do 8-channels (or less), are slower, and are often priced above the LogicPort.
I'm pretty happy with the purchase, and I've had a year or two decide that..... It would be closer to perfect if only that damn memory depth was larger. The only other complaint is that the software feels like it was upgraded from like a windows 3.1 interface. It's intuitive, clean, and doesn't do anything goofy --- I just wish it was updated to be prettier and maybe a little friendlier.
Feel free to email me any questions etc.
Keith