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USB Logic Analyzer
This version has been retired but we highly recommend the 4-channel or 8-channel analyzers. These two version are just as good but with better pricing and more options.
This is a powerful logic analyzer in a very small anodized aluminum package from Saleae Logic. We absolutely love the simplistic, sleek design with light-weight software and a high-quality finish. Who needs 50+ connections when you're troubleshooting I2C? With USB connectivity, you can analyze up to 8 digital waveforms and timing information on your I2C, SPI, serial, and digital IO lines with ease. Great for those reverse engineering projects as well. Works with signals 5V or lower!
Check out the video of the Logic Analyzer in action here.
Includes everything you need in a compact carrying case. Test leads are disconnectable from the Logic unit. This makes it easy to remove the expensive portion of Logic from a board when you've got lots of hooks in place.
Software is available for Mac, Windows, and Linux.
- USB 2.0 Cable (5')
- Sampling rates up to 24MHz @8 bits
- 9 ultra-flexible test lead set
- 9 E-Z Hook XKM Micro-Hook
- -0.5V to 5.25V operating voltage
- Input low voltage: -0.5 to 0.8V
- Input high voltage: 2 to 5.25V
- 24MHz maximum sample rate
- 200M samples* 1.6x1.6x0.36"
- 16g (0.5 oz)
- User's Guide
- Software download
- Illumitune Project (tutorial) (video)
USB Logic Analyzer Product Help and Resources
Core Skill: Electrical Prototyping
If it requires power, you need to know how much, what all the pins do, and how to hook it up. You may need to reference datasheets, schematics, and know the ins and outs of electronics.
Skill Level: Experienced - You will need to consult a datasheet for calculations to determine a components output format, linearity, and do a little math to get what you need. You will be using a datasheet or schematic beyond basic pinouts.
See all skill levels
Comments
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Customer Reviews
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I love this product!
I bought it to debug an SPI problem. Within 30 mins of receiving the package, I was using it to decode SPI bus transactions on my board.
Software setup was easy and quick (on Vista Ultimate 32b). The hardware build quality is exceptional. Everything about it is very high quality: The software, the (very tiny) logic pod, the wires & clips, even the zipper case it comes in is top quality.
An added bonus is that the designer has a very "open" mindset. His site has a blog that describes elements of the design and build process. There is an SDK to build new protocol analyzer plugins (currently a beta feature), and the connectors are all industry standard types.
Enjoy,
- Dean
Even though this is $10 more than the USBee, I'm guessing that the difference is all in the software. The guts seem to be pretty much exactly the same. I like the idea that USBee has a complete product line (but same max speed, which seems kinda lame for products up to $1200), but it's not clear to me from the website how the software compares. I'm encouraged that the software is more open with this guy than the USBee, and that there's a chance that this'll work on Linux.
I'm bummed about the max speed though as I'd like to be able to see 50MHz SD traffic. But for the price, this does look like a decent value, and I'll pay the extra $10 (less the func generator) for the hope of future enhancements.
This product rocks!! The ease of use, and quickness to "get it done" with this software just blows the others away. Buy this product without hesitation!
This has already became my "go to" device, despite the fact that I own other more "full featured" devices. These include, Cleverscope - a PC Based Oscilloscope, and LogicPort, another Logic analyzer from Intronix.
The source code is available on the manufacturers website, and he is fostering open-source add-ons - so look forward to additional filters & modules to come out in the future. (He is also very responsive on email.)
The only time I use my other devices is when I need to watch more than 8 data lines, require super high speed capture rates, need very advanced triggering, or have analog needs (Oscilloscope).
This would be a bargain at $250, the $150 price is AMAZING!
I would like a boarduino nicely packaged with the logic analiser software loaded into it so it would be a simple open source logic analiser. Then the software and output could become better over time.
Any idea when this will be back in stock?
Yeah, I'd like to know that too!
Me three, I'm thinking of putting my freeday cash towards it, but not knowing if it'll be a few weeks or a few months makes me a little apprehensive.
I really like the 'Logic'. I've been successfully using it for SPI, I2C, UART and PWM analysis so far.
Though feature rich, the software is as intuitive as one might wish. There's a 'Help' function, but you'll probably never need it.
A cool feature of the Logic is that a SDK can be downloaded from their website, which can be used to add your own protocol analyzer, write completely custom software for it, and even use the measurement clamps as output pins.
Apart from making a good product, the guys at Saleae really understand how to provide good after-sales support. They respond swiftly and always try to be helpful in a way that is helpful indeed. Many companies could learn from this!
For those who might find it useful, I wrote an eight-channel PWM signal generator for the the Saleae Logic. You can download it for free at http://brrrbaybay.com/
Joost
Is there an ETA on backorder for this product?
According to their site, they won't have any ready until 14-Feb-2011 at the earliest due to a defect in the case. So, I would expect SparkFun to have them back in stock by the end of this month.
Saleae Shipping Delay
I have used this unit. It is nice for what it does but it is severely limited by the available USB bandwidth. It does not buffer any data, rather is streams to the PC.
Consider the zeroplus http://www.zeroplus.com.tw/logic-analyzer_en/
Their 100mhz 16 channel unit with the small data buffer is $125. It has far nicer trigger options but more importantly a protocol analyzer that shows each message with a time stamp.
CON's
No linux/mac support so I must use a VM.
Crazy english translation
Stiff wires instead of the nice flexy wires of the logic.
Small data buffer unless you buy the high priced one.
Waiting for a trigger seems to use a LOT of CPU (makes my laptop fans spin up)
No INFINITE memory allowed by streaming to the PC
PRO's
No USB bandwidth restrictions.
Better protocol analysis support.
Better software (ignoring the translation issues)
Plug in modules for more protocols
API for more protocols
API/DLL's for writing your own GUI/Test tools
How about http://www.usbee.com/sx.html
This has signal generator as well, all specs are same/better and price is lower too...?
Does anybody have any experience with USBEE?
Looking at their product page it becomes more apparent why it costs less. http://usbee.com/cwavproducts.aspx the baseline module you linked to doesn't do things like analyze the data transactions and make them easy to look at. their baseline model that does that is 700+
I went with the usbee because the triggering options on the Saleae are horrendously bad. The Saleae only has the option for for bits triggering which is useless to me in most applications. I need to trigger on a byte or a more complex sequence.
It does now:
http://www.usbee.com/suite.html
Wow a shameless rip
That's what I've been saying too. The USBee has been around for years. The Logic is definitely a shameless rip!
I think you have it backwards... This product essentially forced USBee to get of their arses and produce a decent product. Saleae has set the standard. Saleae nailed the user interface. THAT is why I purchased mine. In your terms, USBee is responsible for the shameless rip.
You are right - competition lets all of us win and motivated them to adjust. I prefer the new USBee interface though since it is more configurable and has cooler features.
If you really can't wait to have one of these, order directly through Saleae. They are shipping them pretty much immediately.
This looks pretty good but I didn't see anything about OS requirements. Is win2K supported?
Now they say it will be cross platform soon.
Sigrok looks pretty nice as well. The wiki says the Saleae is supported, will try it out once mine gets here.
Saleae says that the software works on Windows XP and Vista.
This mini logic analyzer is pretty cool. I used it to work out the timings to drive a WS2812 LED array that I was driving with the BeagleBone Black PRU. The Saleae Logic analyzer has really easy-to-use software for the Mac which was nice. Check out my LED array here: http://www.mrdonley.com/Photos
Works great , even with my mac . Decodes serial & other signals without trouble . Highly recommended !
I purchased one of these, it's great!
I like this device. Have had a very puzzling bug in some Propeller assembly language code that I'd been trying to debug with a crappy surplus oscilloscope and custom debugging PASM. 5 minutes after opening the package, I had the logic analyzer hooked up and found the problem. In my case, this logic analyzer paid for itself in 5 minutes. It may not be the fastest device available but the price is right, very easy to download software and quite an intuitive interface.
24 Mhz is fast enough for Propeller projects as the Propeller runs at 80 MHz taking 4 cycles/instruction. Considering that all of the SPI interfaces I do are bitbanged, it will be more than adequate to debug these. It's not very often that I run into a piece of test equipment that's as easy to use as this logic analyzer as I have yet to even look at the manual.
It's very handy for the price. Needs to go faster though. Processors and SPI devices are faster than 24MHz these days. My lastest project has a 50MHz SPI connection.
The have a model called the logic16 that can sample 2 channels at 100MHz, 4 channels at 50MHz, 8 channels at 25MHz, or all 16 channels at 12.5MHz.
http://www.saleae.com/logic16
Just got this today. The software is easy to use, it works great on Linux, and the device itself is really nicely made. I've used the RockyLogic ant8 before, and compared to that this device is clearly built from much higher quality materials.
I'm just curious, what sort of education/training does one need to make use of a tool like this? Thanks
If you're looking for a cheap logic analyzer, don't forget about the Bus Pirate!
It can be used for small captures as described here: http://dangerousprototypes.com/docs/Logic_analyzer_mode
I have been using it to capture serial data from a PIC12F683 software UART implementation and it's good enough to accurately capture at least one character at 9600 baud. I'm sure it can be used for a lot more but since I'm just getting into it, this is as far as I've pushed it. Pretty good for such a cheap solution!
Easy to use and very usefull. I cannot work without anymore
Does anyone know the company's number by any chance? Tried contacting them by calling the number on their website 510-984-2463 and I get the message "The number you have reached is not in service". I have this device and the application crashes when it starts sampling. It's very annoying. Software version is the latest 1.1.15.
simplistic :: Adjective - Treating complex issues and problems as if they were much simpler than they really are: "simplistic solutions".
Loose Harness?
This is a great analyzer, but I found that the connection between the analyzer and the harness is so loose that it sometimes pulls out when just connecting a lead. Anyone else have this issue?
Aside from this, it's a great value.
I have developed an open source HD44780 protocol analyzer for the Saleae Logic/Logic16. A description of the features is located at http://omarfrancisco.com/hd44780-protocol-analyzer/
Looking for testers and feedback. The source code and binary are located at https://hd44780analyzer.codeplex.com/. This version is for windows only.
The most useful tool I have ever used. I was told by many friends that it suits only a few scenarios, and that an oscilloscope would be much more useful. That statement is entirely false. Every day that I work with atmegas interfacing with other devices I find a use for this tool. Easily tap into the communication lines and find problems quickly. Great user interface with many bus deciphers
This is a total noob question: What advantages/disadvantages does this have over an Oscilloscope? I'm wanting to look at mostly square waves (arduino SPI and Serial) so I don't see the need to have something as precise as an o-scope
The Saleae website lists 10B samples for this model. Is the one sold on Sparkfun an old model or has the description just not been updated?
Service from Saleae is top notch. My Logic failed for some reason. It was in the 2 year warranty. They had me try a couple things. Sent me a new one next day!
Don't know what this is but I bought it.
This tool is fantastic. It can be frustrating to set up serial outputs for debugging i2c communication on the arduino. With this logic analyzer, there is no need to do so. you can see exactly what is going on in the logic lines, and the software decodes everything for you. Worth every penny.
I just thought I'd pitch in one more vote for this being an outstanding product. While there are one or two small bells and whistles I'd like to see them add, it is so nice using this on my Mac, I can't really bring myself to complain about anything. This little gem has been a real life saver.
Buy it, you'll like it.
I want a logic analyzer for my project work badly. But I am confused which one to buy USBee sx or Saleae Logic .Please suggest me?
I always wondered why this Salea analyzer when you can have an openlogic sniffer with twice the performance for half the price.....
i would say the software, better interface and more intuitive. But still, i agree that if you want the software, a more price effective way is to get a clone, or for better performance with a worse GUI, a Openlogic Sniffer
Terrific product. For my PIC projects, it's like having an 8-channel logic level oscilloscope. My only gripe is that it doesn't have a 10" display and carrying handle.
Seriously, I solved two vexing problems right out of the box. The first was a power supply issue. In my haste to wire up a project, I had forgotten an important decoupling cap. With so many probes available, I stuck one on the power line and saw tons of dropout. Stuck a cap in place and the problem was solved.
The second involved an input pin multiplexed with MCLR (reset) on a PIC. Logic revealed that I needed to remember to turn the MCLR function off, since I didn't need it anyway. When power was applied, incoming data to the pin was resetting the thing and never getting into the code.
I thought a scope was useful. Now I can put probes all over the circuit: rails, inputs, outputs, and before and after transistors. Seeing the whole circuit operation makes me really productive.
Yes, this is my first logic analyzer, but I'm completely happy with it.
I've just began playing with the SDK of this probe, on a OsX 10.6 mac .
Easy to put to work ( just read the manual ) and even easier to modify.
Loads of fun in a small box !
I am very impressed. Setup was about as easy as it could possibly be, and I was up and running in less time than it takes me to get dressed in the morning (which is really saying something)!
I bought this because I was having trouble with SPI, and within 15 minutes of receiving it I had the problem located and fixed.
I also used this to analyze some PWM measurement issues I was having (inconsistent PWM freq & duty cycle) that the benchtop 'scope didn't show very well. Exporting Logic data to CSV and using some VB code in excel, I found a fairly easy solution in a short time. It would have taken me for-bloody-ever otherwise.
What would be even cooler if they could add Bus Pirate type ability. Then have an terminal window in the software. Also make a .Net library for easy interface to handle the last mile needs (i.e. scripting, automation, debug, custom forms, etc)
How about a scripting language ie python or Lua?
To me it would make more sense to have easy .Net object model. Then you can call from PowerShell or any other script lang that can call .Net objects. More bang for buck without developing for a single target.
It now run on Mac OsX 10.5, I've only had time to try it, but as far as I saw it' realy neet !!
It's as easy as the windows version was ( even more ).
Linux and Mac support are now available!
http://www.saleae.com/home/
I have had this unit for some time now and I must say I am happy with it. Does as advertised.
I just bought one of these. It's a very nice looking package and setting it up is incredibly simple. The only thing that bugs me about it so far is the software doesn't seem to have a vertical logic readout like some LA's - but that's no huge deal.
I tried it out with an ATMega48 sending data to an HD44780 LCD and it seems to work fine. I'm thinking this thing is gonna make my micro problems less of burden!
So you're now dealing with nanoproblems?
This is a great product. I've used it to look at one-wire signals between a DS18B20 and an Arduino, and to debug SPI signals between a serial LCD and an Arduino. It's really reassuring to read the byte values right off the display and have them match what I put in my code. It's great to check that the pulses I'm making have the width I intended. The user interface is rock solid and takes connecting and disconnecting the pod from the computer in stride. 8 channels is plenty, I haven't needed them all for anything yet. It's great to capture minutes of data at high resolution, unplug the pod from my netbook, and study the diagrams at McD. Then again, it's so small I could take the whole analyzer, microcontroller, and netbook along; and the analyzer is the smallest part.
Hello,
Got it yesterday from SparkFun, it already has proven to be very valuable !
It's really simple to use.
Anyone tried Zeroplus LAP-C series? 100 mHz sample rate, large enough buffer and losless compression. It seems that you can get the low end ($120) unit and hack it to use more memory... It seems that my os (Win 7 64 bit) is not supported tho.
Anyone have any experience with it?
http://www.zeroplus.com.tw/logic-analyzer_en/products.php
http://www.openschemes.com/modules/wordpress/2010/03/23/zeroplus-logic-cube-review-and-teardown/1/
I'm 4 years too late. But for what it's worth, I own a zeroplus. It works flawlessly with W7 64 bit, and it is extremely accurate. I have used it to diagnose thousands of signals for both work projects and personal projects. It helped along with the development of a cubesat, and more. Get it. The documentation is not too bad, the software is feature packed and easy to use.
Cool... just noticed on http://www.saleae.com/logic/ there's a signup for... yay... for when the Mac and Linux become available. :D
There have been posts on several forums pointing out that the USBEE SX and ZX along with a few other LA are the same hardware/firmware... The main difference is the application software.. If one searches carefully you can find info on a single byte patch in the external memory that will allow an SX to be indentified and operate as a ZX and several other patches to operate as other devices.. You can buy a bus pirate for $30 and use it to patch the external memory..
I dont use this one (not enough channels for me) but know several people who have patched their units...
Hey.
Any Ideas when you will have some of these back in stock???
I purchased this about a month ago, and it has been AWESOME! I bought it to solve a bunch of problems with my project including serial, SPI, and IR. This product just works great, is a great price, and I highly recommend it to any hobbyist.
As far as I'm concerned this thing is childs play. It looks nice and flashy but the application seems to be - gently put - programmed by a hobbyist.
Navigation in your data only by mouse (so a lot of scrolling, sliding instead of analyzing) only two markers, no possibility to jump forward/backwards to the next edge, the - sometimes convenient - auto measurement tool can not be turned off - gets real annoying real fast. yada yada yada
And they have version 1.0.28 as beta for a looong time (a year?) and still say they rather develop for other platforms than fix the windows-issues. ("our main focus is developing for linux right now...")
It works. And seems accurate. Just as advertised - but Usability has a loooooong way to go. Oh yes and theres that:
On three different computers (all WinXP Pro) it fails to start or work properly every third time or so. A nuisance but it gets on your nerve when you "just want to make a short test"...
I spent the 150$ but probably will buy another tool soon.
When they have their promised Mac software done I'll get one. This looks very promising. There is at least one other $180 USB unit out there that has Mac software, but I didn't see a logic analyzer module that does I2C/SPI/etc.
I'm waiting with baited breath...
DLC
I have used this product and think it works well. The case is very nice and I never leave home without it!
I just found a new analyzer on the web that might beat this one
120 Euro 16 channels and 100Mhz sounds very nice
Greetings
Link: usb20-logic-analyzer
One more USB logic analyzer. 34 channel LA1034 Logicport for $389. www.pctestinstruments.com
BTW you can buy colored XKM microhooks from
www.e-z-hook.com/Html/MicroHooks.html
The LA1034 looks very nice, but it appears to have only Windows software support, no Linux or Mac. I don't have any Windows computers and I doubt it's a good idea to try to run that kind of thing under Wine. Tried the 64-bit Linux version of the Salea Logic sw in demo mode, and it worked fine. Would have been nice to have a higher-spec'ed tool like the LA1034, but without software support, no deal.
Edit: Added 'LA1034' to make clear what I was commenting on.
Nice product but be careful when hooking up the ground probe!!!! I reversed the black and grey wires when plugging in and put 5 volts on the ground. The unit does not work now. Back to the manufacture for fixing.
I feel this is a major design flaw and should have better pin protection features.
Still a nice product when working!
Hi CArmer,
With the current units that we're selling, Saleae has fixed all known vulnerabilities in the USB Logic Analyzer. It is now fully over-voltage protected, as well as protected against plugging 5V into ground. They've also fixed a failure where the main fuse blows due to capacitive inrush current.
Since your older USB Logic Analyzer didn't have these updates and was damaged, talk to Saleae. They say that they will promptly replace your damaged unit, regardless of cause.
For $10 less you get more with the USBee, IMHO. Plus it looks like they are actively developing the software.
Look here http://tinyurl.com/ywgcow for comparing all the USBee models. The USBee SX (24 mhz)has Logic Analyzer, Digital Signal Generator, I2C, SPI and Async Decoder for $139.
The Saleae Logic (24 mhz) has I2C, Serial, Serial, SPI and 1-wire for $149.
The Link Instruments MSO-19 (60mhz) is a 1 channel oscilloscope, logic analyzer, pattern generator and a TDR for $249
USBee and Saleae are very similar. The Link is very interesting for $100 more. Any one would make anyone very happy
Took a while to find, but now I know why they hide it. The Link MSO-19 has a maximum of a mere 1000 samples per channel - not even close to enough for any serious debugging, especially on serial channels.
MSO-19
Buffer size 1000 points/channel.
Logic and USBee doesn't show buffer size but max samples.
So they take the buffer from the logic device and dump to the PC. That is why they can have 200 million samples or more depending on amount of PC memory.. (I hope I'm right) :)
I would like to see a comparison of Saleae and US Bee.
I don't like the 50 different flavors of US Bee.
Oh you want another option? That will be more $ please. LOL
IMHO
Does the Saleae monitor voltages as well?
The USBee SX is the only comparable model to the Logic. The other USBee models have analog channels that make them oscilloscopes too and can do mixed signal analysis. No, the Logic does not monitor voltages in the analog sense, only digital highs and lows. You need a true analog channel to see that.
Comparing the Logic to the USBee SX - they are pretty much the same - 8 bit 24Msps digital logic analyzers with protocol decoders. Most of the Logic features are included in the USBee Suite software (inline decoding, cool graphics, ease of use) and the clips and leads look identical. Both are tiny. The Logic has a cool case and is said have Linux/Mac support coming (by the end of January - late???), but the USBee has CAN, USB, I2S, PS2, SMBus, parallel and sync serial decoders as well as the common SPI, I2C, 1-Wire and Async. The USBee has the signal generator as well.
For $10 less you get more with the USBee, IMHO. Plus it looks like they are actively developing the software.
Having used this a few times and only have a couple of issues.
Putting the grey and black wires at the edge of the connector can be confusing as both could be gnd colours. Not exactly a major issue but I find it's another thing I have to be aware of.
The software requiring .net 3.5. The only computer I have that can run the software is my desktop. A shame considering how portable the hardware is. I'd love to be able to use it with my linux running eeepc. Then I could take it to my projects instead of dragging my projects to my desktop.
Other than that it is a great product. The hardware is really nice and well put together. The software also works well and is easy to use.
did you try WINE?
for this xyz shouldn't use wine, if it is .net use mono
I haven't gotten the hardware, but just trying the software in wine would not work. Even if it did, the winehardware interface doesn't really work - drivers are not compatible through it.
However, saleae seems to be working on a linux and mac version soon. Good.
Worst case, there's always windows in a virtual machine.
seems the clips and the software are the biggest selling points for this analyzer, I was considering the new analyzer by link instruments (http://www.linkinstruments.com/mso19.htm) but now can't decide!
The Saleae Logic is my new favorite tool! The ability to analyze serial communications has save me 100s of hours of debugging - it completely blows away trying to debug using other approaches, including using a scope.
It is also great for debugging logic timing issues and signaling problems. The ability to see when the logic states are really changing and to be able to measure the timing between them makes simple work of finding tough problems.
The design of the tool and the included software is exceptional. I have yet to find any serious bugs - very impressive for a new product - and it is fun to use.
Another feature I really appreciate is the wires are extremely flexible making it easy to connect them while you are breadbording or to PC board ? they do not ?pull? like the wires from many other tools do.
I highly recommend this product!