If you wanted to go the Tektronix route, one option is a TLA721 mainframe. Those can sometimes be found for less than a TLA715 mainframe, even with the more expensive shipping for a TLA721 mainframe. Of course the very large downside to a TLA721 mainframe is the very large size. If you don't have a lot of open bench space, a TLA721 mainframe would not be a great option.
Where are you located? I have a couple of Tektronix full-sized VXI mainframe logic analyzer chassis that I should get rid of cheaply, but they are not something that I have any interest in trying to ship.
Joplin, MO. I am potentially willing to drive to pick up a unit, but it might have to wait until I get through some more of marching season (I'm a band director by profession).
I own and use both the 16702B and 16902A mentioned in the topic, as well as the 1672G.
I can't recommend anything since you didn't say what specs and features you need and what you use them for, but I can make a few comments.
Most of what I'm doing is diagnosing issues with 8-bit and 16-bit systems, and looking on the data/address buses of those systems along with serial and parallel bus spying. While I haven't done a larger bit depth system yet, there are some possibilities that I might later, so having the additional bandwidth to look will be helpful.
My 16902A did not fail but to make it run a little faster, I replaced it with a new HDD and completely re-installed it and updated the LA application to the last release for use.
If you have the installation CD(with WindowsXP Key code) and only the HDD is broken, recovery is rather easy.
I think I'm throwing in the towel on the 16902 simply because of the cost of the 90-pin flying lead sets (between $400 and
$2,000 in varying states of completness?!?!
), so as much as I'd like a module like that, it's a bit out of reach.
I have yet to obtain a module that does not work properly due to this problem, but I think this problem is rather an easy one to fix. I think this problem is rather easy to repair, since it can be determined to some extent by visual inspection and a tester.
Seriously?! Somehow, I've had a string of
five of them all in various states of disrepair. Two of them outright say the module has failed upon boot, the other three all throw errors related either to the comparators or the VRAM. I'm trying to see if I can revive some of them, but considering that my experience with these boards is very limited, I am struggling to perform tests and then dig out issues.
I usually use the lowest spec 1672G for hobby use. Because it takes about 20 seconds from power on to use.
The 16702B should take about 4+ minutes and the 16902A about 2 minutes or less.
I bought a defective one, completely disassembled it, maintained it and used it, and the total cost of the three units(with some modules) was less than $1000.
I don't mind the long power-up time -- what I
do want, however, is something that can handle, at minimum, a 16-bit wide data bus (preferably a 32-bit bus or a 64-bit bus if I'm really lucky), along with associated address pins, chip selects, and such for diagnosing and watching data streams. Again, mainly for work on retro systems and consoles, but potentially as late as the PS3 or Dreamcast era in terms of watching data lines.