Digital scope is also an I2C bus analyser

Yokogawa Martron has a new version of the DL1740 digital oscilloscope which incorporates dedicated I2C bus analysis functions.

Yokogawa Martron has a new version of the DL1740 digital oscilloscope which incorporates dedicated I2C bus analysis functions.

The new analyser is intended to address the increasing number of applications, such as car navigation systems, video cameras and notebook computers, that are using I2C control functions.

The higher-frequency demands of these latest devices have created the need for I2C bus analysis alongside high-frequency oscilloscope measurements.

Using the new instrument, it is possible to decode and search digital data while providing an oscilloscope trigger so that analogue waveforms can be examined and directly related to the bus commands.

A combined waveform and data display can be used with an on-screen cursor.

When the cursor is moved over the required data, the corresponding waveform is automatically enlarged in a zoom window.

Trigger sources can be SCL and SDA, and the trigger may be set based on bus start conditions, address (7bit plus one read/write bit) or when no acknowledgement is received.

Combination triggers can also be set up using analogue signals such as feedback.

Data from two pairs of I2C buses can be captured simultaneously on the four-channel oscilloscope, making it possible to perform analysis alternately on either bus.

The built-in data search functions make it possible to search rapidly for specified addresses.

Search direction can be switched using dedicated previous-search and next-search keys.

When the specified data are found, the cursors automatically move to the corresponding location, and the waveform is enlarged in the zoom area.

The data search function is particularly useful for verifying a control sequence on an I2C bus over an extended period of time.

In addition to I2C bus analysis, the instrument is equipped with an SPI bus analysis function.

The SPI bus is a synchronous 8-bit serial bus widely used for inter-IC communication.

This function will display waveforms and list Data 1, Data 2 and CS Data items simultaneously.

Upper and lower threshold limits may be set in order to identify uncertain data transmissions.

When converting codes, it is possible to choose from MSB-first and LSB-first options.

The DL1740 is a high-performance four-channel digital oscilloscope in a compact package.

It has deep memories of up to 1Mword per channel, making it particularly suitable for troubleshooting digital databuses.

It may be specified with a built-in ZIP drive and Ethernet interface.

The instrument incorporates a colour TFT display, and is housed in a compact package with a small (A4-sized) footprint.

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