Customizing the Digital Discovery built in logic analyzer?

[kastein]

Hi,

I'm very interested in buying one of these but just want to make sure this is possible before I make the jump.  I'm an embedded systems engineer with no FPGA experience who needs a better logic analyzer than my old HP 1631D, and came across this product.  It looks excellent, but is the source code for the included logic analyzer functionality available?  CAN and standard UART decoding are cool, but I also will need to interpret GMLAN, SAE J1850 class 2 serial, Chrysler Collision Data Bus (CCD), GM ALDL, and several others.  It'd be really great if I could add these features to my Digital Discovery.

I wandered around the product page and resource center a bit but didn't see the sourcecode anywhere... maybe I'm just blind and missing it.

[JColvin]

Hi @kastein,

The source code for WaveForms is not available, but you are able to create custom channels for the Logic Analyzer and specify how it functions via the scripting interface that has some more detail in the WaveForms reference manual, though the most up to date information will be included with the WaveForm found via the Help->Browse tab in the WaveForms GUI. There is also WaveForms SDK available to offer some more scripting options for the Digital Discovery, though @attila will be able to better comment on the feasibility of both options (and correct anything that I miscommunicated).

Thank you,
JColvin

[kastein]

38 minutes ago, JColvin said:

Hi @kastein,

The source code for WaveForms is not available, but you are able to create custom channels for the Logic Analyzer and specify how it functions via the scripting interface that has some more detail in the WaveForms reference manual, though the most up to date information will be included with the WaveForm found via the Help->Browse tab in the WaveForms GUI. There is also WaveForms SDK available to offer some more scripting options for the Digital Discovery, though @attila will be able to better comment on the feasibility of both options (and correct anything that I miscommunicated).

Thank you,
JColvin

Darn, that's kinda disappointing - not even the source for the bitstream?  I don't really mind not being able to modify the desktop software, just figured the VHDL/Verilog source would be available somewhere.  At least that explains why I couldn't find it, I guess.

edit: also, wow, thanks for the fast reply!

[attila]

Hi @kastein

As Colvin mentioned, in the Logic Analyzer you can add Custom interpreter and write java-script the needed protocol decoder.
This should be much easier and hassle free than writing C or other code which would need to be compiled, linked... not talking about the development time required for HDL...

[kastein]

On 3/30/2018 at 11:14 AM, attila said:

Hi @kastein

As Colvin mentioned, in the Logic Analyzer you can add Custom interpreter and write java-script the needed protocol decoder.
This should be much easier and hassle free than writing C or other code which would need to be compiled, linked... not talking about the development time required for HDL...

Thanks - I'm not used to javascript, but I should be able to pick it up alright.  I like doing things the hard, but technically optimal way, but whatever accomplishes my goal on this one is fine with me.

I bought one... haven't gotten it hooked up to the first project for it due to 3.3 vs 5v logic (I guess I should have read the manual first - parts ordered), but the software installed very easily.  Thanks for all the help!