[Noisebridge-discuss] cheap USB Analyzer, or signal integrity tools?

[Andy Isaacson]

On Mon, Nov 08, 2010 at 01:17:03PM -0800, John E wrote:
> Are you talking about during assembly or during use?
> A couple of diodes in the input stage to protect against being blown up by
> static or wrong voltages,

I'm not an EE, but it's my impression that building a decent input stage
for a 0.5 - 1.0 GHz signal is nontrivial, especially if you want it to
be able to withstand 12V shocks (for when your hobbyist user
accidentally touches the probe to the power rail while attaching the
debugging tool).

Certainly the last time I worked in a lab where others had such
equipment, they were very careful around the logic probes and protocol
analyzers (to a degree they weren't around the multi-GHz LeCroix scopes,
they even let software douchebags like myself use them).

> would solve any fragility concerns during use.
> 
> The DSO Nano doesn't appear to have any real input protection.
> http://bbs.e-design.com.cn/bbs/UploadFile/2009-10/20091023176982804.jpg

Like every oscope in my experience, it has auto ranging, and in my
experience is OK with getting 12V even if it's set to mV range.

-andy