Which Logic Analyzer to Buy?? (1650a or Logic Sniffer?)

[whitnasty1]

Question answered. Thanks.

[marshallh]

You mention you're building a relatively modern digital system and you don't know what you need to stick an LA on?
If you wanted to debug any one of those subsystems you'd be looking at tens of thousands of $$$...
And then design the PCB so that you can actually tap lines without crashing anything.

Are you debugging 64bit 500mhz source synchronous busses? or just SPI and i2c? That complete changes things.

High speed serdes-based protocols like PCIe, SATA, USB et al are not things you can put a traditional logic analyzer on... you will need a dedicated analyzer for that protocol, or a 5ghz bandwidth scope with protocol decoding ($$$$$$).

I would pick the HP over the open sores sniffer.. but that said, both are pretty crap.
Look up the Intronix Logicport.

It seems like you don't know what you need, so before you go buy stuff, do simple things like sticking a serial console on there with printf's or something like that.

[c4757p]

It is an Intel Core2Duo system, GS45 memory controller, Spartan-6 FPGA, PCI-E, SATA, USB

Option 1 : Hewlett Packard 1650a Logic Analyzer (USED- eBay)
...
Option 2 : USB Open Logic Sniffer from Dangerous Prototypes (Sparkfun)

Either this is a joke, or you've bitten off way more than you can chew. Best to spit it out...

[echen1024]

Eh. 3GHz+. Sort of bitten off more than you can chew. But if you're devoting time to this type of project, a new Agilent 68 channel LA might be the way to go.

[Skimask]

 
http://forum.grasscity.com/bongs-bubblers-water-pipes/1215775-can-i-use-smaller-downstem-45-instead-475.html

[JuanPC]

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p2047675.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0&_nkw=Instek+GLA&_sacat=0&_from=R40

http://www.tequipment.net/InstekGLA-1132.html
http://www.tequipment.net/JanatekLA-GOLD-36.html
http://www.tequipment.net/LinkInstrumentsLA-55160.html

or a Mixed Signal Oscilloscope.

[synapsis]

I have an HP 1663A that I'll sell for $200 + shipping (what I paid for it.) 500Mhz/250Mhz 16/32 channel timing or 100 Mhz 32 channel state.

Everything works. Took it apart and cleaned it. Also have PDFs of all the manuals.