The mere mention of the term “logic analyzer” brings forth visions of something right out of a science fiction movie. Many people may have heard the term but have no idea what it is. Here is a brief explanation of what exactly a logic analyzer is and what it is used for.
A logic analyzer is essentially a tool that is used to measure extremely complex logic circuits or digital circuits. They are used mainly by people who have a concerted need to find out the inner workings of these circuits.
While there are still logic analyzers that come in their original testing equipment case, most analyzers these days are able to be hooked into computers which give them a much higher degree of flexibility than their traditional formats.
While all logic analyzers tend to be of high-quality, the higher the logic analyzer price the more options one will have for its usage and capability. More expensive analyzers will have more characteristics which are indicative of their professionalism and usage. For instance, these characteristics will apply to logic analyzers in the upper price range:
Channels: Higher-end logic analyzers will work to monitor a huge number of digital channels. This is so that they can track and find fault with each channel on an individual basis. The number of channels monitored can vary from 32 to more than 200 on a specific logic analyzer.
Time Display: Every logic analyzer manufactured comes with a time axis that is both vertical and horizontal. By featuring these specific time display characteristics, low states or high states in logic can be pinpointed and analyzed. In fact, they can even display a picture of the exact time digital lines for quick and easy reference. This saves the person reviewing the data much more time than traditional analysis methods.
