Buying guide

Analyzer, adapter or probe: which test tool should you choose?

These tools do not do the same job. A protocol analyzer listens to a bus without disturbing it and displays the decoded exchanges. A host adapter acts on the bus: it sends commands and programs memories. A debug probe gives access to the board's processor, to load a program and step through it.

ProductPurposeBusStated rate
Total Phase Beagle USB 12AnalyzerUSB Full and Low Speed12 Mbit/s
Total Phase Beagle USB 480AnalyzerUSB 2.0480 Mbit/s
Total Phase Beagle USB 5000 v2 UltimateAnalyzerUSB 3.0 and USB 2.05 Gbit/s
Total Phase Beagle I2C/SPIAnalyzerI2C, SPI, MDIOI2C 4 MHz, SPI 24 MHz, MDIO 2.5 MHz
Total Phase CheetahHost adapterSPI, as master40+ MHz
Raspberry Pi Debug ProbeProbeSWD and UARTDepends on the target
Voir les 7 produits Outils de test et de débogage

Debugging USB: start from the device's speed

A USB analyzer sits between the host and the device, and another port connects it to your analysis computer. Up to 12 Mbit/s, the Beagle USB 12 is suitable. For a USB 2.0 High Speed device, you need the Beagle USB 480, which also decodes USB classes. For USB 3.0, the Beagle USB 5000 v2 monitors both buses at the same time, up to 5 Gbit/s.

Blue Total Phase Beagle USB 12 TP320221 protocol analyzer, perspective view with USB portTotal Phase Beagle USB 12: USB 1.1 protocol analyzer, 12 Mbit/s526,90 € INCL. VATOut of stockOut of stockView the product
Blue Total Phase Beagle USB 480 TP320510 protocol analyzer with three indicator lights and USB portTotal Phase Beagle USB 480: USB 2.0 protocol analyzer, 480 Mbit/s1310,90 € INCL. VATOut of stockOut of stockView the product
Total Phase Beagle USB 5000 v2 TP322610 protocol analyzer, front panel with USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports and digital inputs and outputsTotal Phase Beagle USB 5000 v2 Ultimate: USB 3.0 protocol analyzer6395,90 € INCL. VATIn stockIn stockAdd to cart

I2C and SPI: observe or control

To understand an exchange between a processor and a sensor or memory, the Beagle I2C/SPI listens to the bus without intervening. To program an SPI Flash memory or test a device by acting as master, use the Cheetah. The signals of these two tools are stated at 3.3 V: check that this suits your board.

Blue Total Phase Beagle I2C/SPI TP320121 protocol analyzer with ribbon cable and USB portTotal Phase Beagle I2C/SPI: I2C, SPI and MDIO protocol analyzer477,90 € INCL. VATOut of stockOut of stockView the product
Black Total Phase Cheetah TP280121 USB to SPI host adapter with ribbon cable and USB portTotal Phase Cheetah: high-speed USB to SPI host adapter465,90 € INCL. VATOut of stockOut of stockView the product

Debugging a Pico: the Debug Probe

Visit Raspberry Pi Debug Probe provides a UART port and an Arm SWD interface, to the CMSIS-DAP standard. It lets you load a program with OpenOCD and debug it. It does not analyze USB, I2C or SPI traffic: for that, you need an analyzer.

Sonde Raspberry Pi Debug Probe vue de dessus avec port micro USB et connecteurs UART et debugRaspberry Pi Debug Probe13,45 € INCL. VATIn stockIn stockAdd to cart

Frequently asked questions

Logic analyzer or protocol analyzer?

A logic analyzer records the high and low levels of several channels, and decoding is then done in software. A protocol analyzer has hardware and software dedicated to the target bus. For occasional debugging, the former is often enough. The latter is better justified for regular use.

Do these tools run on a Raspberry Pi?

Total Phase software requires a computer with an Intel or AMD processor, running Windows, Linux or macOS: the manufacturer does not mention the Raspberry Pi. Plan on a PC or Mac as your analysis computer.

Do you need to buy extra software?

No for the Total Phase products shown here: the manufacturer offers their software and APIs as free downloads.