Saleae Logic Pro 8 Logic/Analogue Analyser

Full Description

The Saleae Logic Pro 8 by Saleae is a professional mixed-signal logic analyser designed for Electronic Design Engineers who need fast, reliable protocol decode and deep visibility into digital and analogue behaviour during debugging. With 8 dual-purpose inputs that each capture digital and analogue, digital sample rates up to 500 MS/s (on up to four channels) or 100 MS/s across all eight, and analogue sampling up to 50 MS/s at 12-bit resolution, Logic Pro 8 pairs lab-grade specifications with a compact 53 × 53 × 12 mm aluminium enclosure for bench or field work. USB 3.0 streaming enables long captures limited primarily by system RAM, while cross-platform Logic 2 software accelerates capture, measurement and decode on Windows, macOS and Linux. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}

Mixed-Signal Architecture: One Probe Per Signal, Digital and Analogue Together

Each of the eight inputs records both digital state and analogue voltage on the same pin, so you can correlate protocol activity with real-world signal integrity without changing setups. Engineers can, for example, decode I²C while simultaneously examining pull-up strength and rise times, or verify SPI timing while checking analogue overshoot on SCLK or MOSI. This reduces fixture changes, eliminates probe re-arrangement, and shortens time-to-insight—especially when intermittent edges, crosstalk or power-rail coupling are at play. The ability to pair clean digital decoding with a −10 V to +10 V analogue input range at 12-bit (4.88 mV/LSB) gives enough headroom to examine 5 V logic with analogue margins, op-amp outputs in sensor boards, or 12 V-level translated GPIO lines in the same capture. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

High-Speed Sampling and Bandwidth for Modern Buses

Logic Pro 8 sustains 500 MS/s digital on up to four channels or 100 MS/s across all eight when connected via USB 3.0, providing timing visibility for 100 MHz digital bandwidth signals. Analogue capture runs to 50 MS/s with a 5 MHz (−3 dB) analogue bandwidth, ideal for viewing rise/fall behaviour, ringing and supply dips around switching events and moderate-frequency PWM. Practically, that means you can inspect a 50 MHz SPI clock’s duty cycle, verify UART sampling points well beyond 1 Mbaud, and confirm I²S/PCM frame timing while checking analogue rail droop during burst activity—all in a single session. USB 3.0 is required for maximum rates; the software adapts available sample-rate/channel combinations automatically to the host’s bandwidth. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

Signal Integrity: Protection, Impedance and Grounding That Respect Your DUT

The input front end is engineered to be present but unobtrusive. Inputs present approximately 2 MΩ ∥ 10 pF, minimising loading on high-impedance nodes and preserving edge fidelity on typical MCU and FPGA pins. Continuous ±25 V over-voltage protection safeguards the instrument during bring-up and probing, while a user-selectable digital threshold supports common logic families—1.2 V, 1.8 V, 2.5 V, 3.3 V, 5 V as well as RS-232, RS-485/422 and +12 V TTL. Dedicated ground leads shipped with the harness help reduce loop area and noise pickup, which translates into repeatable captures and fewer “phantom glitches” when you’re chasing marginal timing. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

Logic 2 Software: Fast Capture, Measurement and Protocol Decode

The cross-platform Logic 2 application turns raw samples into insight quickly. Built-in analysers decode a wide range of protocols—including SPI, I²C, UART/Serial, CAN, LIN, I²S/PCM, MDIO, JTAG and more—while measurement cursors, bookmarks and search/filter tools help pinpoint anomalies across long captures. Engineers can export data to CSV, VCD, binary or MATLAB for post-processing, automate repetitive tasks via the Automation API, or extend capability with custom protocol decoders. This combination of decode breadth and workflow tooling shortens root-cause analysis from hours to minutes on typical embedded bring-up and regression investigations. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

Deep, Practical Recording: Long Runs without Losing Detail

Rather than a fixed internal memory, captures stream over USB to host RAM, making recording length primarily a function of installed memory and data activity. That means you can record for seconds, minutes or hours depending on bus idleness and selected rates—useful for chasing rare watchdog resets or sporadic bus contention. Example combinations from Saleae include 8-channel digital at 100 MS/s and 3-channel analogue at 50 MS/s, with the software presenting legal options based on channel selection and the host’s bandwidth. For teams tracking regressions over time, consistent capture presets ensure repeatable sampling across hosts. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}

Portable, Robust Hardware for Bench and Field

A 53 × 53 × 12 mm CNC-machined aluminium enclosure weighing about 60 g drops into a tool bag without fuss, yet sits firmly on the bench beside an oscilloscope or power analyser. The included kit—USB 3.0 cable, two 2×4 wire harnesses, sixteen micro-gripper hooks and a carry case—covers most probing situations immediately; additional harnesses and clip sets are available when you need to fan-out to headers and fine-pitch test points across larger assemblies. The compact footprint matters when you’re probing inside enclosures or crowded EVT rigs where clearance is tight and ground referencing is awkward. :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}

Everyday Debugging Scenarios

SPI mode mismatch: Capture MOSI, MISO, SCLK and CS at 100 MS/s to confirm whether a peripheral expects CPOL/CPHA different from your firmware; verify with the analyser’s SPI decoder while the analogue trace confirms overshoot on SCLK isn’t double-clocking the part. I²C NACKs during bring-up: Use two digital channels for SDA/SCL and an analogue channel on the 3.3 V rail at 50 MS/s to spot a supply dip coincident with an address phase, leading you to add bulk capacitance or tune rise times. UART framing errors: Decode at 921,600 baud with timing markers to measure jitter; the analogue overlay highlights a marginal threshold on a long cable that you mitigate by increasing drive or adding a buffer. CAN bus intermittents: Trigger on error frames, then inspect analogue symmetry to uncover poor termination. Power sequencing on embedded SOMs: Allocate several channels to rails and enables; 12-bit analogue resolution helps you verify millisecond offsets and brings up PMIC dependencies cleanly. :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}

Choosing the Right Model for Your Project

Logic Pro 8 is an excellent fit when you need 8 channels with high digital timing performance and useful analogue visibility on embedded designs, motor controllers, audio interfaces and instrumentation. If your system spans wider buses or concurrent interfaces—say, parallel RGB with auxiliary control, or multiple SPI and UART channels—consider moving up to the Saleae Logic Pro 16 mixed-signal logic analyser for 16 channels at the same per-channel performance. For teams that primarily need digital timing without analogue capture and want a smaller budgetary footprint, the Saleae Logic 8 logic analyser provides eight digital channels and integrates with the same Logic 2 workflow. :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}

Related Products from The Debug Store

Extend your setup with proven, compatible options available in-store. When you need more channels for parallel buses or simultaneous interface captures, the Saleae Logic Pro 16 mixed-signal logic analyser is the natural upgrade. For higher fan-out or permanent fixtures, add spare harnesses such as the Saleae 2×4 test-clip wire harness to speed repeatable probing across boards. If you require deep memory and ultra-high timing on many channels for complex digital systems, explore advanced options like the Acute TravelLogic 34-channel logic analyser or ZeroPlus LAP-C Pro series logic analyser, which deliver expanded channel counts and very high sampling ceilings for specialised needs. :contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9}

Specifications Summary and Software Compatibility

Channels: 8 digital/analogue shared. Digital rates: 500, 100, 50, 25, 12.5, 10, 6.25, 5, 4, 2.5, 2, 1 MS/s (500 MS/s on up to four channels via USB 3.0). Digital bandwidth: 100 MHz. Analogue rates: up to 50 MS/s with 5 MHz bandwidth. ADC: 12-bit, 4.88 mV/LSB. Analogue input range: −10 V to +10 V. Protection: continuous −25 V to +25 V. Input impedance: ~2 MΩ ∥ 10 pF. PC connection: USB 3.0 SuperSpeed (USB 2.0 supported with reduced performance). OS support: Windows, macOS and Linux with the Logic 2 software. These specifications come directly from the Saleae datasheet and support materials to ensure accurate selection and comparison for your next project. :contentReference[oaicite:10]{index=10}