TABLE OF CONTENTS In troubleshooting analogue circuits, the oscilloscope is generally the instrument of choice. The oscilloscope also has its uses in digital circuits although it is inadequate for effective troubleshooting. Digital circuits, such as those found in microprocessor based systems, possess a very large number of non-periodic signals, which, most importantly, carry binary information. What is required here is an instrument that extends the capabilities of the oscilloscope such that the user will be able to lock into the system and trace the flow of digital information. This is how the logic analyser has been created. It has the ability to acquire and store digital data over a very large number of channels. It can be very selective about the data it acquires such that only the wanted section of data can be selected out of the vast amount of data available. Finally, it can process the stored data, and present them in a variety of useful formats, from signals to source code [1].
Increased product requirements, complex software and innovative hardware technologies make it difficult to meet time-to-market goals in today's digital systems. Meeting that challenge depends on the designer's ability to debug and characterise hardware, design and test software, perform system integration, and troubleshoot tough problems. The logic analyser is designed to enable the engineer to tackle all these design aspects that could be very time consuming without a proper tool.
The chapter will start with a survey of special requirements for troubleshooting digital circuits as...
