1. Home
  2. Electronics Design
  3. USBEE, CleverScope Is this stuff any good?

USBEE, CleverScope Is this stuff any good?

In my ongoing quest for some new equipment, I'm also looking for a small logic analyzer of some sort. I don't really want (or have room for) a big CRT based analyzer even though the price is right on e-bay.

I'm willing to go with a USB based LA if they work as advertised. So far the USBEE looks to be pretty good if it really works. The one I'm looking at (ZX) has only 8 inputs, but captures 24Msa/s. It has a 1M buffer internally, but can rocket data to the PC at the full 24Msa/s if the machine is fast enough making for incredible capture depth ability. Anybody use one? Anybody know of something better in the $400-$500 range? I know the ZX lists for $895, but I can obtain one for about $400.

All input welcome on your favorite logic analyzers.

Also, any thoughts on PC based scopes (like CleverScope) vs. regular DSOs? CleverScope looks fairly impressive even sized up against a "real" scope. A dual channel scope and logic analyzer for less than $1200 is interesting to me. It would be a little odd at first, but the PC centric approach might not be a bad way to go. I already have one sitting near by for editing/assembling code, flashing PICs and/or displaying/sending serial data to a project. Maybe one screen is the way to go?

Reply to
Anthony Fremont
Loading thread data ...

I bought this

formatting link

Very happy.

Reply to
a7yvm109gf5d1

Nice. Now can't anyone make a spectrum analyzer like that?

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com
Reply to
Joerg

I have one too, like it very much. Not expensive:

formatting link

Reply to
sdeyoreo

I saw that early on and it really caught my eye. Incredible samble rata and nice looking display of the data. I really like the protocol decoding, but I find that others do it too though usually not as nice looking. The only thing that concerned me was the shallow capture buffer, but 2K samples would still be allot of data. Thanks for the reply.

Reply to
Anthony Fremont

Is it good at glitch detection? I really like all the capture pin capability. I was worried that the capture buffer would be too small, do you find it to be plenty large enough. Do you ever find yourself wishing it was larger?

Reply to
Anthony Fremont

I'm real happy with mine too.

It can't catch glitches like a TLA can, but it's better than the USBee. Not that the USBee is a bad gizmo, it's just that this one is a much better logic tracer.

32 @ 250 > 8 @ 24 !
Reply to
ghelbig

What kind of signals do you use it for primarily? I'm concerned about the buffer depth. That was one thing I liked about the USBEE is that even though it could only sample 24Msa/s, it could do it forever over the USB buss as long as the computer is fast enough. Outside of that, I really like the LogicPort better.

Since there hasn't been any support for the USBEE here, but three people like the LogicPort, I guess I probably know what I should get now. :-)

I downloaded the software for the LogicPort and played around in demo mode. Maybe it's me or it's the demo mode, but I tried setting up triggers and they didn't seem to be effective. Also, changing the sample rate had no effect on the buffer size, it would always represent 20.48uS of time asif the sample rate was locked. Reported frequency measurements didn't jive with what was being shown either. I assume this is all due to it being in demo mode.

Reply to
Anthony Fremont

Sorry, Tony, didn't see this till now. I have an older model USBEE, and generally like it, but I haven't used it as much as I would like to. Haven't done the design work I got it for... :-(

Charlie

Reply to
Charlie Edmondson

I'm not sure about the buffer depth. I'll look and tell you. I mainly use mine for reading a/d's and looking at bit patterns from uControllers we've programmed. If there's something you want me to check, post it. We find it very easy to use.

Reply to
sdeyoreo

The buffer depth is 2048 words (of 34 bits). A very strong argument for the Logicport is the sample compression. I use(d) it to monitor a number of relatively slow pulses (ms) going in and out of an MCU and find that for that kind of use it was perfect. I also like the clean look of the software (compared to other solutions).

Reply to
paul

So far this is the leader of all the stuff I've seen. There are things about the USBEE that are nice as well like continuous capture. Seems like you really need more than one to do it all, but I'll probably get the LogicPort first.

Thanks for all the input guys. :-)

Reply to
Anthony Fremont

ElectronDepot website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.