Hi,
Like many people here, I too scavenge eBay for test equipment I always wanted to have, but is way to expensive to buy (new). So I've got a number of saved searches that trigger once in a while.
I'm a freelance embedded software engineer, usually closely involved with hardware design, and during my professional career I have enjoyed using the Ellisys USB Explorer 200 at various customers. They are incredibly useful. Their software is intuitive, versatile and can everything you could possibly need, without needing a masters degree in USB. So I have always wanted to have one. Customers who really need one, buy one, but sometimes I just want to check something, which just doesn't justify the €899 for the cheapest model.
So end of August two appeared on eBay. Simultaneously from different traders. I bought one, for $150,00 + $24,27 shipping + $42,82 import tax (I really hate eBay Global Shitment Service). I was untested, but more ofter than not sellers don't know how, or can't be bothered to test. And since it's professional equipment it usually doesn't break easily.
Not this one, though. I was broken. Plugging it in my old Mac Pro made the power LED flash, but that turned out to be a Mac artifact; Booting it into Windows showed a continuously lit power LED. After downloading and installing the excellent Ellisys Visual USB software, the analyser even got recognised, serial number and all. However, after clicking the 'Record'-button to start a capture, an error popped up with the following message:
"This software was not properly activated for this operation. Please contact your local distributor or the Ellisys support team for more information."
So I contacted support and they were very friendly and very helpful. Unfortunately their diagnosis was that the analyser was broken.
Since all three versions, Basic Edition (€899), Standard Edition (€1799) and Professional Edition (€3599) all share the same hardware and appearance, and sellers unwilling or unable to test, it's always a bit of a mystery what version you have bought on eBay. These analysers can even be upgraded in the field to a more advance model by purchasing an upgrade license. With the serial number of my analyser support was able to tell me it was the cheapest Basic Edition which was a bit of a bummer, but not too much since it was broken anyway. I had already checked all power supplies, but given that it was recognised, I figured it was probably a corrupted configuration or firmware of some kind, but no updater was available. So it ended up on my desk for almost a year now.
Then destiny called; Not only by terminating my freelance assignment by the end of this month, but also by my customer finally heeding my advice to replace their proprietary bitrate non-handshaking serial port with USB. With this decision, they also ordered the USB analyser I recommended: an Ellisys USB Explorer 200 Standard Edition. And with the current work from home situation, I was able to take this new USB Explorer home.
Using this new analyser, I was able to repair my 'broken' analyser, and even to upgrade it to the more advanced Standard Edition (€1799). I'm pretty sure I can even upgrade it to the Professional Edition, but for that I need more information.
If you own a Ellisys USB Explorer 200, and you're interested in upgrading it, please drop me a PM.
If you have access to a Ellisys USB Explorer 200 Professional Edition and you would like to help me out (in a non-invasive way), please drop me a PM.
If you have ever purchased an update license, of have used the official Ellisys tools to install an updated licence, please drop me a PM.
Cheers!