Anyone tried these cheap Saleae on ebay? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: khtwo2002
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2016, 04:40:39 pm
content: Anyone tried these cheap Saleae on ebay? I think it's not the original Saleae product. But the spec is quite attractive. 8 channels, 24M/s each. Really?http://www.ebay.com/itm/331736423509?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

author: gocemk
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2016, 04:54:37 pm
content: Yes, and they work with the original Salae software too. I have the 8 channel 24MHz model for over a year now, and never had any problems with it. The only thing that bothers me is that the enclosure is very low quality and often it cracks open, so it has to be glued together with insulation tape or something similar. But for that price i really can't complain.

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2016, 05:03:40 pm
content: Quote from: gocemk on January 04, 2016, 04:54:37 pmYes, so you can buy a cheap knockoff device from eBay and not pay Saleae a penny for their software development to make the hardware useful.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2016, 05:07:38 pm
content: Quote from: gocemk on January 04, 2016, 04:54:37 pmSaleae charge so much for their hardware becasue they have to develop expensive software to go with it. If you're not going to buy their hardware, have the decency to not use their software, use the software provided by the Chinese eBay sellers.

author: jitter
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2016, 05:24:17 pm
content: Quote from: Fungus on January 04, 2016, 05:07:38 pmThey copied the hardware, somehow I doubt they wouldn't just copy the software as well...

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2016, 07:45:00 pm
content: The 'nice' thing to do is use them with the open source Sigrok Pulseview which fully supports them without infringing Saleae's licence conditions.

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2016, 08:28:12 pm
content: not condoning this but : there is very little to 'copy': it's a vanilla cypress chip. set the vid and pid correctly in the eeprom and the operating system will assign the salea driver... the salae firmware will then autoload on the cypress.the chicken-egg problem with the cypress chip is that its firmware is stored in RAM. every time usb connects they upload the runtime binary.so technically the chinese are not doing copyright infringement. they don't copy the firmware or software.the only infringement would be the vid/pid pair in the eeprom.By the way, saleae CAN detect that you have a fake ... they just don't act on it. I was at their headquarters a couple of years ago during an open-house day. they had a whole table full of different clones. the real ones use a particular eeprom and the salea software retrieves the size and manufacturer code from the eeprom. the fakes use smaller , cheaper eeproms. all they would have to do is nuke the vid/pid. That could be blocked by strapping the wp pin , but even then they coudl write the software in such a way that, if writing is blocked , they refuse to run.pretty decent of them.in short : don't buy these crappy clones get the real deal. support a local SF / CA business.

author: stmdude
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2016, 08:37:25 pm
content: Yea, please support Saleae.Don't mistake them for some big corporation that wouldn't miss your business much. As far as I know, Saleae is a two-man operation..

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2016, 08:43:05 pm
content: up to 9 , and at least one is a woman,CWAV , the makers of USBEE , already called it quits three months ago ... exactly for this cloning problem.http://www.usbee.com/suite.htmlhttp://www.usbee.com/company.htm

author: AlxDroidDev
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2016, 09:04:27 pm
content: I wonder if this device will work on Android, connected through an OTG USB adapter.I know there is Sigrok PulseView for Android, but if this little thing works with Android, it opens a whole new window to a portable, simple and cheap o-scope.

author: Fat
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2016, 10:51:09 pm
content: I'm pretty cheap, but I wouldn't buy one of these. I think we need to start calling these what they are: counterfeit. We tend to label these things as clones when they are not. The cheap Hakko counterfeits are a case in point. Open one up, it isn't a clone, it's a counterfeit designed to look like a Hakko.One thing I really don't get with the $39 solder stations is why they do that but seem to leave the big name multimeters alone? You'd think that they jump on Fluke's fame. I understand someone imported some yellow meters about a year ago and customs seized them because of the color, so Fluke is doing something about it, but you'd think with the cost of a real Fluke you's see more counterfeits floating around.

author: marshallh
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 05, 2016, 01:49:02 am
content: Saleae stuff is less for the hobbyist worried about spending a few bucks here and there, and more for "we just need to find the problem already, buy it".While the sw/digital is nice, the analog in the pro versions is a joke.

author: PedroDaGr8
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2016, 02:20:13 am
content: Quote from: blueskull on January 04, 2016, 11:37:25 pmActually, you can add National instruments to that backing, as NI now owns Digilent.

author: pickle9000
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2016, 02:38:09 am
content: Try sigrok for the software, free and legal, good decoding.

author: krish2487
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2016, 04:38:12 am
content: Quote from: Fat onTodayat 09:51:09 AM

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2016, 04:59:20 am
content: Quote from: Fat on January 04, 2016, 10:51:09 pmPeople who know what Fluke is aren't going to buy a $50 meter with "Floke" written on the front, even if it is yellow.There might actually be more value in making yellow multimeters and playing the "Fluke are overpriced ripoffs, ours havemore featuresincluding most excellent transistor tester!" card.

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2016, 05:40:15 am
content: modded 2 become 3

author: pickle9000
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2016, 05:42:35 am
content: Quote from: AlxDroidDev on January 04, 2016, 09:04:27 pmSigrok supports it. So it should work, I think the Rigol ds1000z and ds2000 is supported as well so that could be of interest.

author: lgbeno
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2016, 06:50:18 am
content: I have both a legit Saleae and a Clone. The clone works just fine but then I upgraded to the Saleae Pro 8. It really is a phenomenal tool, I use it very often, almost daily. Not only that but I use the python scripting interface to run all kinds of automated testing. Mostly digital stuff, the analog BW is kinda limiting for what I work on.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

author: Codemonkey
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2016, 07:26:00 am
content: I've been using one of these:http://hobbycomponents.com/test/243-hobby-components-usb-8ch-24mhz-8-channel-logic-analyserAlready comes with the VID & PID set to work with the Sigrok software which worked just fine for me on a Windows 10 machine and no guilty feeling about using someone else's software with cheap knockoff hardware

author: pickle9000
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2016, 07:36:38 am
content: Quote from: Codemonkey on January 05, 2016, 07:26:00 amThat's very interesting, looks like the product was designed for Sigrok. That's the first time I have ever seen that. It basically means no software development to speak of. I'm not sure how that will work in the long run but that's a cool idea for a small product. If Sigrok can pull off a few more of these partnerships the software should improve and it could help it survive long term.

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2016, 09:18:26 am
content: Quote from: free_electron on January 04, 2016, 08:28:12 pmThey had a flawed business model. They had a 10 dollar hardware which they sold for 150 and a 140 dollar software, which they give out for free.Even they realized that this is not going to work, but the damage is already done. And what did they do? Include an FPGA in the hardware, bumping the cost to some 20 dollars.Charge money for what you are selling. The market is not forgiving, and not charity.

author: AlxDroidDev
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2016, 11:18:01 am
content: Quote from: pickle9000 on January 05, 2016, 07:36:38 amGiven that it has the exact same specs and looks a lot like the one on eBay (except for the sticker on top and VID/PID, both of which are easy to change), I suspect both might come from the same source. I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case.

author: Codemonkey
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2016, 11:24:17 am
content: Quote from: AlxDroidDev on January 05, 2016, 11:18:01 amQuite possible, but the fact that that seller put the effort in to make sure it works out of the box with the open source software rather than just expecting you to use it with the Saleae software appealed to me hence why I got one from them.

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2016, 11:28:44 am
content: It's not like the software offers any amazing functionality either - just "wank" as Dave calls it inhis review.The origins of the Cypress FX2-based logic analyser can be traced back to the Chinese, who wrotea whole bookin 2004 about all the things the FX2 could be used for:Code:Chapter 14 USB interface temperature controllerChapter 15 RS232-USB converterChapter 16 USB interface waveform generatorChapter 17 USB Interface Digital OscilloscopeChapter 18 Spectrum Analyzer USB2.0 InterfaceChapter 19 USB2.0 interface logic analyzer <---Chapter 20 USB2.0 interface data acquisition card

author: timb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2016, 11:38:08 am
content: Quote from: NANDBlog on January 05, 2016, 09:18:26 amThe cases are made from solid blocks of aluminum that are milled out, like a MacBook. It's expensive to produce in the volumes they're selling at, so that adds significantly to the cost. The original 16 channel unit most likely cost them over $50 a pop once you figure the case, PCB, parts and assembly.Then add overhead like taxes, insurance, software development and office space... You're not left with much, are you?You need to make at least triple what something costs to produce to stay in business today.The hardware really is made well. It's a nice, smooth, solid metal case that's basically indestructible. 100% worth the price.

author: timb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2016, 11:41:27 am
content: Quote from: amyk on January 05, 2016, 11:28:44 amThe software is light years ahead of where it was when Dave reviewed it. It was quite basic and rough around the edges for awhile, which is a shame considering how solid the hardware is (literally). But the latest versions have tons of new features, many more protocols along with custom triggering.

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2016, 12:12:41 pm
content: Quote from: timb on January 05, 2016, 11:38:08 amI think that's an issue that I have with Saleae.Why put what's effectively a low-end device in a solid milled metal case - it's pure bling (apart from a bit of useful weight). It puts their costs up and doesn't add to the functionality. It also actively encourages cloning because people can sell the clones in cheap plastic boxes at vastly reduced prices and still make a profit. There is also an element of bling vs functionality in the S/W too.By all means recoup your S/W development costs and (EDIT: try to) make a profit, but it's crazy to screw yourself by dumping so much of the selling price into BOM cost.

author: diyaudio
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2016, 05:59:26 pm
content: I owned a clone, it helped me many, many times where my Rigol 2072A could not (lack of "deeper" memory), and yes even the latest saleae client software works (and its very good) thats the thing about the West, their software is very good.Everyone should listen to this Amp Hour carefully. and if you dont feel guilty supporting clones then you not human.http://www.theamphour.com/237-an-interview-with-joe-and-mark-garrison-subtly-spelling-sayleeay/

author: pickle9000
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2016, 06:35:39 pm
content: If I remember correctly the original Saleae hardware was taken directly from the datasheet, no hardware development just software. I'm not sure if the actual product was described in the datasheet.One thing I don't like about Saleae is calling it a logic analyzer. Call it a debugging tool, decoder whatever but it not do what a LA does.

author: timb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2016, 09:23:44 pm
content: How is it not a logic analyzer?

author: pickle9000
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2016, 10:07:49 pm
content: Quote from: timb on January 05, 2016, 09:23:44 pmNo state analysis

author: alank2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 14, 2016, 12:15:11 am
content: Regarding the cheapo units from eBay - I read on a site that they are using a buffer that does not handle 5V properly. They are running the buffer at 3.3V and it isn't the type that tolerates its inputs running higher. If you connect it to a 5V signal, it can source 7mA instead of being high impedance!

author: freebil
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 06, 2016, 06:44:58 am
content: Hello. Anybody knows if I can see analog waveforms with ebay saleae clone from sigrok or from any other program? The chip inside is CY7C68013A-56PVXC. I see herehttps://sigrok.org/wiki/Fx2lafwthat it is 100% supported and in those with 95% supported it says that <analog signals not implemented yet>. So, for ebay clone we can see analog waveforms? Thanks.

author: akeia
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: May 06, 2016, 11:34:39 am
content: Quote from: free_electron on January 04, 2016, 08:28:12 pmAt some point one of the "high end" FX2-only based logic analyzer producers did act on recognizing the wrong eeprom.Unfortunately bad people with no social conscience found that by reworking the china hardware with the correct eeprom ic works fine.

author: mcinque
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 06, 2016, 11:43:30 am
content: Quote from: Monkeh on January 04, 2016, 05:03:40 pmQuote from: free_electron on January 04, 2016, 08:28:12 pm

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 06, 2016, 12:06:55 pm
content: the real deal was a cypress development kit

author: charlespax
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2016, 03:07:21 pm
content: I have an original Saleae and one of the ebay boards. They each work with the Saleae software, but I use them with Sigrok Pulseview. I like to use open source software when I can and Pulseview works great.I love how I can export ASCIICode:libsigrok 0.5.0-git-0586a0eAcquisition with 8/12 channels at 200 kHzD0:"\../"""\.../""""\../"""\.../""""\../"""\/""\/""""""""""\./""""""\../"""\.D1:./""\/"""\./""""\/""\/""\/""\/""\/""\/""\/"\/"""""""""""\./"""""\/""\/"""\D2:./"""""""\./""""\/""""""\/""\/""\/""\/""\/\/""""""""""""\./"""""\/"""""""\D3:"\../""""\./""""\/"\./""\.../"""\/""\/""\./"""""""""""""\./""""""\../""""\D4:""""\/"""\./""""\/""\/""\/"\/"""\/""\/""\/\/""""""""""""\./"""""""""\/"""\D5:./""\/"""\./""""\/""\/""\/""\/""\/""\/""\/"\/"""""""""""""""""""\/""\/"""\D6:"\../"""\.../""""\../"""\/""\/"""\../"""\/""\/""""""""""\./""""""\../"""\.D7:""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""