How To – Use a logic analyzer

CuriousInventor posted a basic introduction to logic analyzers for those looking to get started with such test equipment –

A logic analyzer isn’t the most common piece of equipment in a hobbyist’s shop, so we thought we’d write a small introduction about what it is and what it’s good for. A logic analyzer is commonly used to debug circuits where two or more chips are talking to each other, like a central uC interfacing with external memory, a peripheral camera or mp3 decoder. The main advantages over an oscilloscope are that more than 4 channels can be watched at the same time (sometimes more than 80), and that the logic analyzer can trigger / record right where it’s needed, not just on the first (or every) rising edge. For instance, you could program one to trigger and record data only after a particular byte sequence occurs.

– Intro to Logic Analyzers