Logic Analyzer that is using the Cypress EZ-USB FX3 chip - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: pascal_sweden
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 24, 2020, 07:01:39 pm
content: The FX2 chip from Cypress provides USB 2.0 support.It is possible to use the Cypress EZ-USB FX2LP evaluation board as a cheap Logic Analyzer.https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1907809277.htmlhttps://community.cypress.com/docs/DOC-18867https://www.cypress.com/products/ez-usb-fx2lpThis provides a really cheap way for a reliable Logic Analyzer based on USB 2.0 technology!Note that there is a newer chip available from Cypress, the FX3 chip, which provides USB 3.0 support.A Logic Analyzer based on that chip would be even better than the FX2 chip, as it will provide a higher sampling rate.Can anyone on this forum recommmend a Logic Analyzer that is using the Cypress EZ-USB FX3 chip?If this does not exist for the time being, then I will go for the FX2 version!

author: NivagSwerdna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 24, 2020, 07:06:04 pm
content: Just buy ahttps://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Popular-product-EZ-USB-FX2LP-Cypress-CY7C68013A-USB2-0-Developement-Board/223633738735or similar follow a tutorial to flash it, download sigrok and you are good to go?I don't understand the question or are you just promoting the links above?

author: pascal_sweden
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 24, 2020, 08:07:52 pm
content: I am looking for a solution based on the Cypress EZ-USB FX3 chip. Not the Cypress EZ-USB FX2 chip.The FX3 chip will provide a much higher bandwidth for the digital channels.I hope this clarifies my posting!

author: wizard69
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2020, 07:44:18 am
content: I don't know of any but that doesn't mean much. In any event I'm not sure the chip has everything you need (haven't read the manual) to create a logic analyzer, so why do you thing one would exists? Last I knew the cheap units used a FPGA to create the logic to implement an analyzer.Quote from: pascal_sweden on June 24, 2020, 08:07:52 pm

author: ace1903
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2020, 08:26:52 am
content: Here it is:https://www.dreamsourcelab.com/doc/DSLogic_U3Pro16_Datasheet.pdfPrice is around 300$.I own older version with USB2.0 but never tried it.Also have Salae and Digilent digital discovery so never had a need to try this software/hardware.For logic analyzer I am often disappointed by software than by hardware.With USB3.0 you can take huge amount of data and in that case you need smart software to show it in meaningful way.I built custom protocol analyzers for Salae with their SDK. These are pricey hardware but worth for the price.

author: NivagSwerdna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2020, 08:31:27 am
content: Quote from: pascal_sweden on June 24, 2020, 08:07:52 pmApologies. I probably need to put my glasses on.

author: Noy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2020, 09:06:40 am
content: Why do you need USB3.0?If you can set your triggers right USB2.0 should be enough for most things.I own a Dreamsourcelab with USB 2.0 which is enough for me and it has better bang/buck. The USB2.0 thing is supported through sigrok and the dreamsourcelab software.I think the USB 3.0 version is currently not supported from sigrok.

author: pascal_sweden
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2020, 10:03:05 am
content: There is actually a YouTube video about this subject: "Cypress FX3 as a Possible Logic Analyzer".However, there is no follow-up video, so the project seems to be stopped.I have contacted the YouTuber CNLohr and asked him to post an update about his project under this forum thread.Stay tuned!

author: pascal_sweden
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 30, 2020, 08:53:54 pm
content: The source code from CNLohr is available on GitHub:https://github.com/cnlohr/fx3fun

author: robca
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 22, 2020, 09:04:58 pm
content: Unfortunately that Github repository seems pretty dead with no update in 2 years...Did you manage to make any more progress on this?

author: edigi
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2020, 07:03:14 am
content: Quote from: pascal_sweden on June 25, 2020, 10:03:05 amWhile it's cool to be able to dump data over USB3.0 from a very wide data bus, most people use the logic analyzer for serial interfaces where usually what matters is speed of a few channels (4-8).

author: annr
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 12, 2021, 06:18:42 am
content: Hi,Please take a look at this pull-request (https://github.com/sigrokproject/libsigrok/pull/148). This adds support for using FX3 devices as 100MHz 16 channel logic analyzers using sigrok.

author: artag
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 12, 2021, 11:29:54 am
content: I think an FX3 port has been considered awkward for sigrok because (and the github page confirms it), there is FX3 code that can't easily be redistributed. I'm not sure of the status of this, but it's certainly a disadvantage.

author: annr
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 13, 2021, 10:54:10 am
content: Quote from: artag on July 12, 2021, 11:29:54 amThe sigrok wiki page (https://sigrok.org/wiki/Firmware) talks about getting "Getting non-distributable firmware files" from vendor webpages etc. The plan with this pull-request is to provide the FX3 binary and source code project on the cypress webpage and users can place this binary in the sigrok-firmware folder for sigrok to pickup. I have tested this approach and already drafted an article for the webpage. The release is waiting for the libsigrok changes to be merged upstream so that users can use the mainline installer.

author: annr
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 28, 2021, 07:49:11 pm
content: All,Please check out EZ-USB™ FX3 Explorer kit as 16-channel 100 MHz logic analyzer with sigrok PulseView - KBA233652 (https://community.cypress.com/t5/Knowledge-Base-Articles/EZ-USB-FX3-Explorer-kit-as-16-channel-100-MHz-logic-analyzer/ta-p/283993). This KBA has the firmware source and image file needed for using FX3 as logic analyzer with sigrok PulseView.