> On Aug 20, 2023, at 7:27 PM, Mike Loewen via cctalk <cctalk@classiccmp.org>
> wrote:
>
> On Sun, 20 Aug 2023, Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote:
>
>> On 8/20/23 12:43, Glen Slick via cctalk wrote:
>>> On Sun, Aug 20, 2023, 12:05 PM John H. Reinhardt via cctalk <
>>> cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hello all. I looking around for a Logic Analyzer for doing (mostly) DEC
>>>> QBus/UniBus stuff. Being the way I am I want something with enough lines
>>>> to handle the most of the signals so I'm guessing something with roughly
>>>> 80-ish channels. I think that lets out all/most of the USB based LA. I've
>>>> looked around and it seems the the HP/Agilent 16700 series (16700B/16702B)
>>>> are probably what I want. I've also seen the 1670G which also seems quite
>>>> doable. I've seen a lot of posts at the EEVblog and it seems I missed
>>>> possibly the golden age of 16700 LA by a few years price-wise.
>>
>> And to think that the old guys had an analogue lab scope and that was
>> about it. Personally, I find that setting up a logic analyzer to be a
>> last resort--all those damned wires to get right, then setting up capture...
>
> I agree that the logic analyzer is a last resort, but when you need one
> they're indispensable.
If it's hooked up right, a logic analyzer can also be a powerful software
debugging tool. The first time I saw a logic analyzer was in the hands of a
DEC software engineer (Anton Chernoff, I think) who had one hooked up to a
PDP-11's console buses. It was amazing to see execution captured in real time,
giving much more power than ODT ever had.
Meanwhile, on logic analyzers: I have a Fluke (Philips) PM3585 analyzer at
home, unfortunately short on pods so I can use only about 32 of the 96
channels. It's pretty flexible, has lots of channels, and (in state-only mode
at least) a decent amount of memory. No plugins, just a single box. It's not
as well known so the price may be lower, I haven't checked.
paul
