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Open Source Logic Analyzers?
Rorschach1 asks: "I'm a hardware hacker, doing my part to develop useful open source projects, but my projects are getting more ambitious and my test equipment just isn't keeping up. PC based oscilloscopes have been discussed here before, but I'm particularly in need of a logic analyzer. The BitScope does offer an 8-channel analyzer with Linux support, but that hardly compares to most commercial offerings. I'm also concerned by the fact that I can't find any independent reviews of the device, and I'm hesitant to shell out $500 without knowing what I'm getting into. A logic analyzer is a pretty simple device. My current setup runs on a dedicated 486 with ancient DOS-based software. Surely there must be a more modern option available that'll work under Linux, but so far I've been able to find nothing. Perhaps someone can point me in the right direction?"
You have not defined what type of logic analyzer you need. They span the range of 10mhz and 8 inputs for less than $200 to 1ghz and hundreds of inputs for tens of thousands of dollars. You didn't say if you needed disassembly or a processor pod.
Sometimes I think that all you need to get your question in "Ask Slashdot" is to preface it with "I'm looking for an open-source blah blah blah..."
"Eve of Destruction", it's not just for old hippies anymore...
DOS is what my EPROM programmer software runs on. The reason? DOS is not a multitasking OS. I'm not going to screw up an E-PROM because the programming algorithm's timing was hosed by task-switching, a hung application, accessing a swap file, etc.
I recommend that you avoid any logic analyzer which relies on software for any timing-critical elements of its operation. If that's not possible, then avoid software which runs on a multitasking OS.