Tektronix TLA 5202, how to take one apart? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: s0lid
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: May 03, 2015, 01:38:25 pm
content: Scored this awesome 68ch tektronix logic analyzer from local auction for tad over 250euros (and other equipment too). There's just one problem with it; I don't trust the ancient ide HDD in it, I'd like to backup the hdd as a image and maybe slap in a SSD to speed things up.So I've had it on my bench for 2-3 weeks now and all I've gotten off it is bunch of torx screws and some plastic covers. If somebody has any pointers about how to take this apart I'd really appreciate it.Month back here was bit insane broadcomm auction where they sold every single broadcomm owned test equipment, server and other stuff in the country. Over 1700 items in a internet auction. I only managed to snatch this TLA5202, anritsu ML2437A, agilent e5515c (useless, but dirt cheap) and a racal 6103G (also useless and dirt cheap). I hear that local radio amateur club bought bit over 600kgs of spectrum analyzers, signal generators and r&s radio communication analyzers, which got built in spectrum analyzers and signal generators.I could teardown the agilent and racal if you'd like to see what's insideInvested too little in them to care about the hassle of reselling them.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2015, 01:52:01 pm
content: Look at Tektronix' website. They have service manuals which show how to take their gear apart.A nice bit of gear BTW. Much like a TLA700/TLA7000 series mainframe with a TLA7AA4 module.

author: s0lid
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: May 03, 2015, 02:40:17 pm
content: Didn't even realize tektronix handed out the service manuals to mere mortals.Would have never even realized to attempt pulling out the snap studs from the plastic top cover, soon as I took those off the top cover just slides off and could get inside the machine after removing couple torx screws.And it seems I got lucky with the SSD upgrade, there's 2 sata ports on the motherboard! I can clone the the hdd into ssd within logic analyzer using a linux livecd. Interface board is connected via PCI and USB, I think the latter is used for the keyboard. Motherboard is fairly standard matx s478 board with 3x pci slots, 4 ddr1 slots and a agp slot (little modder in me wants to add agp card for fullhd vga output).If only the interface board was interfaceable with linux I'd be a happy camper and would upgrade the motherboard to atom or low powered i3 era.

author: s0lid
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: May 03, 2015, 03:46:02 pm
content: Here's some pictures from the inside:http://imgur.com/a/J6lyGFound perfect canditate for AGP card, Nvidia NVS 280 AGP8X, costs around 15euros on ebay and there's win2k driver for it.After cloning the hdd and adding the AGP card next step would be making 4 sets of 17 ch probes. I'm just bit too poor to buy probe sets that cost over 200eur/each.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2015, 08:19:09 pm
content: You really need the original probes. In think a P6417 or P6418 will also fit. The connector is the same and the P6434 is also used on the TLA700 series modules. I'd prefer to get a P6417 because this probes uses double-tongue contacts which accept any pin size but are a bit fiddly to push onto a connector.Only $38 ex. shipping:www.ebay.com/itm/Tektronix-P6417-General-Purpose-Logic-Analyzer-LA-Probe-17-Channels-/301559941859