Name: CWAV BUSBee Serial Bus Analyser
Brand: CWAV, Inc
SKU: BUSBEE
Price: 170.24 GBP
Availability: InStock

CWAV, Inc

More about CWAV, Inc

CWAV, Inc. is a company that develops and manufactures USB-based test and measurement tools, with their flagship product being the USBee series. These compact devices function as multi-purpose instruments, combining oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and signal generators. USBee products connect to PCs via USB, leveraging computer resources to provide affordable yet powerful testing capabilities for electronic engineers and hobbyists.

USBee: PC-based logic analyser, scope and protocol decoder

USBee is CWAV's family of USB test pods that turn a Windows PC into a logic analyser, oscilloscope, signal generator and serial-bus protocol decoder. The pod does the signal capture over USB 2.0, and the USBee Suite software on the PC does the display, triggering and decoding, so an engineer gets a bench instrument without a separate screen or controls. Models range from an 8-channel digital pod to the 18-digital, 2-analogue USBee-RX.

How a USBee test pod works

A USBee pod samples the signals on your target through its probe leads and streams the samples over USB to the USBee Suite software, which stores them in PC memory rather than in the pod. Because the buffer is the PC's RAM, capture depth is limited by the computer, not by a fixed on-board memory. The same software then displays waveforms, decodes the bus traffic and can write the results to a file.

The pod captures, the PC stores, displays and decodes.

One pod, several instruments

A USBee pod becomes a different instrument depending on which part of USBee Suite you open. On a pod with analogue inputs the same hardware serves as a logic analyser, an oscilloscope, a signal generator and a protocol decoder, and the Suite also includes tools such as a frequency counter, pulse counter, I2C controller and PWM controller. Which of these a pod supports depends on its channels, so check the table below.

The instrument you get is set by the software view, within the limits of the pod's channels.

USBee family at a glance

The USBee range runs from 8-channel logic pods to mixed-signal pods with analogue inputs. Maximum digital sample rate is 24 Msps on most models and 100 Msps on the RX.

Model	Digital channels	Analogue inputs	Max sample rate	Notes
USBee-SX	8	None	24 Msps	Logic analyser and digital signal generator; inputs up to 5.5 V
USBee-ZX	8	None	24 Msps	USB 2.0 High Speed; frequency counter to 12 MHz; PWM controller
USBee-AX Protolyzer	8	2 inputs (1 displayed)	24 Msps digital, 16 Msps analogue	Built around the AX Pro; 3 MHz analogue bandwidth; includes solderless breadboard
USBee-DX Protolyzer	16	2	24 Msps	Built around the DX; breadboard, built-in 0 to 6 MHz waveform generator, two scope probes
USBee-RX	18	2, dual 10-bit ADCs	100 Msps	8 digital outputs; 16 million sample buffer; digital inputs tolerate up to 60 V
BusBee	4	None	See product page	Streams decoded serial-bus data to disk

Accessories listed in this catalogue include the USBee-CB USB cable, USBee-CL test clips, USBee-TL test leads (20 extra leads for the DX and RX), the USBee-CS carrying case and the USBee-RX-CS carrying case.

Protocol decoding and key specifications

Decoders: I2C, SPI, Async serial, USB (low and full speed), CAN, I2S, 1-Wire, SMBus, PS/2, synchronous serial and parallel. The USBee-RX also lists SDIO.
Decoder speeds: the USBee-SX decodes I2C and SPI clocks up to 12 MHz and async serial from 1 to 12 Mbaud. The BusBee lists up to 2 MHz for I2C, 10 MHz for SPI, 8 Mbaud for async and 2 Mbaud for CAN.
Host connection: USB 2.0 High Speed port required on the PC.
Input levels: the SX and BusBee inputs are 5.5 V tolerant. The RX has variable logic thresholds from -1 V to +2 V and analogue input ranges of ±6 V (1x probe) or ±60 V (10x probe).

USBee Suite software and API

USBee Suite is Windows software that drives all the pods. The Standard version is a free download and runs in demo mode without hardware, and a Pro version adds features such as custom decoders and smart search.

Instruments: logic analyser, oscilloscope, signal generator, voltmeter, frequency counter, pulse counter, I2C controller and PWM controller, depending on the pod.
PacketPresenter: the protocol analyser view, which shows decoded packets for the supported buses.
Custom decoder API: lets you write a decoder for a proprietary serial protocol.
Data export: BusBee writes captured data to disk as comma-delimited text, which opens directly in Excel.

Typical applications

Debugging I2C, SPI and UART traffic between microcontrollers and peripherals
Viewing CAN, USB low and full speed and 1-Wire traffic without a dedicated analyser
Bringing up prototype circuits on the USBee-DX Protolyzer or USBee-AX Protolyzer breadboard
Mixed-signal checks on the USBee-RX, with 18 digital and 2 analogue channels
Long serial-bus logging to disk with the BusBee

Frequently asked questions

What is a USBee test pod?

A small USB-connected instrument that samples signals from your circuit and passes them to a PC. The USBee Suite software on the PC shows the waveforms and decodes the bus traffic, so the PC acts as the logic analyser or oscilloscope.

Which USBee should I choose?

For digital buses only, the USBee-SX or USBee-ZX give 8 channels at up to 24 Msps. If you also need analogue inputs, the USBee-DX Protolyzer has 16 digital and 2 analogue channels, and the USBee-RX goes to 18 digital and 2 analogue channels at 100 Msps.

Which protocols can USBee decode?

I2C, SPI, async serial, USB low and full speed, CAN, I2S, 1-Wire, SMBus, PS/2, synchronous serial and parallel, with SDIO added on the USBee-RX. Decoder speed limits vary by model, so see the product page.

Is the USBee Suite software free?

The Standard version is a free download and runs in demo mode without a pod. The Pro version adds features such as custom decoders and smart search.

What PC connection does a USBee need?

A USB 2.0 High Speed port. The USBee software runs on Windows, and the Suite stores captures in PC memory, so capture depth depends on the computer.

Can I decode my own protocol?

Yes. USBee Suite has a custom decoder facility and an API for writing a decoder for a proprietary serial protocol.

Source: CWAV, Inc. USBee product documentation. Need help choosing a model? Ask our engineers.

CWAV BUSBee Serial Bus Analyser

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CWAV BUSBee Serial Bus Analyser

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CWAV USBee-AX Protolyzer

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CWAV USBee-CB USB Cable

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CWAV USBee-CL Test Clips

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CWAV USBee-CS Carrying Case

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CWAV USBee-RX-CS Carrying Case

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CWAV USBee-SX USB Instrument

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CWAV USBee-TL Test Leads

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CWAV USBee-ZX USB Instrument

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