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Posted on by Debashis Das - No Comments on tinySA is a low-cost handheld spectrum analyzer with built-in signal generator

tinySA is a low-cost handheld spectrum analyzer with built-in signal generator

tinySA Spectrum Analyzers and Signal Generators

The tinySA is a compact, low-cost handheld spectrum analyzer and RF signal generator designed for hobbyists, radio amateurs, educators, and engineers. It comes in three different variants and can be used for RF debugging, signal inspection, interference hunting, filter testing, antenna-related measurements, and basic RF education, both in the field and on the bench. The product line includes the tinySA Basic, tinySA Ultra, and tinySA Ultra+, which mainly differ in their supported frequency ranges and performance. The tinySA Basic supports 100 kHz to 350 MHz on its low input and up to about 960 MHz on the high input, while the Ultra and Ultra+ models can observe signals up to 12GHz. The devices run from an internal rechargeable battery with USB-C charging, support firmware updates, internal self-test and calibration routines, marker and peak detection, configurable frequency span and amplitude settings, and PC control over USB. Input protection limits are specified at +10 […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on $19.90 XIAO Debug Mate ESP32-S3-based 3-in-1 multi-tool acts as a DAPLink debugger, serial monitor, and/or power profiler

$19.90 XIAO Debug Mate ESP32-S3-based 3-in-1 multi-tool acts as a DAPLink debugger, serial monitor, and/or power profiler

XIAO Debug Mate

Seeed Studio XIAO Debug Mate is an inexpensive ESP32-S3-based multi-tool designed for the company’s XIAO boards, offering DAPLink debugger, serial monitor, and power profiler modes. The debugger comes with 8MB flash, 8MB PSRAM, a 2.01-inch display to display debugging/power information, two 14-pin headers to provide easy access to the XIAO’s module I/Os, a 36 LED matrix for status indication, and a couple of buttons, plus a srcoll wheel to navigate the menu. The serial monitor function can also be used be Arduino, Raspberry Pi, or other boards. XIAO Debug Mate specifications: Wireless MCU – Espressif Systems ESP32-S3R8 CPU – Dual-core Tensilica LX7 microcontroller @ 240 MHz Memory – 512KB SRAM, 8MB PSRAM Wireless – Wi-Fi 4 & Bluetooth 5.0 dual-mode (Classic + BLE) connectivity Storage – 8MB SPI flash Display – 2.01-inch TFT LCD with 296 x 240 resolution Expansion 2x 14-pin female GPIO headers routing the XIAO module pins […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on Taradov’s open-source hardware pocket USB sniffer works with Wireshark

Taradov’s open-source hardware pocket USB sniffer works with Wireshark

Taradov USB Sniffer v6

Alex Taradov has designed a low-cost, open-source hardware USB sniffer compatible with the popular Wireshark packet capture utility, and also controllable from the command line, capturing data in the standard PcapNG format in either case. Wireshark has had built-in USB capture capability for many years, and I used it myself to reverse-engineer the software for a USB video capture card around 2007, but it’s not perfect since it does not capture low-level packets. For that, you need extra hardware, and last year we covered the tinysniffer USB sniffer based on a WiFi-connected Linux SBC. It does the job, but it’s sold for $199, and you don’t need an application processor to handle USB 2.0 speeds. Alex’s design is optimized for cost and built around three main components: Cypress CY7C68013A 8051 MCU, Lattice MachXO2 LCMXO2 FPGA, and Microchip USB3343 USB PHY. Taradov’s USB sniffer specifications: Microcontroller – Cypress CY7C68013A enhanced 8051 […]

Posted on by Debashis Das - 13 Comments on $69 Sipeed SLogic16U3 low-cost logic analyzer supports 3.2 Gbps bandwidth, 150+ protocols

$69 Sipeed SLogic16U3 low-cost logic analyzer supports 3.2 Gbps bandwidth, 150+ protocols

Sipeed SLogic16U3 USB3 Logic Analyzer

The SLogic16U3 is a compact, low-cost USB 3.0 logic analyzer with up to 3.2 Gbps bandwidth and 16 input channels, designed for debugging, reverse-engineering, and verifying digital circuits and embedded systems. The device supports sampling rates up to 800MS/s with four channels, 400MS/s with eight channels, and 200MS/s with sixteen channels via a 5 Gbps USB 3.0 interface. On top of that, it supports 0–10V inputs and features adjustable trigger thresholds (0–6V). Housed in a 40×40×10 mm compact aluminum case, it supports over 150 protocols like SPI, I²C, UART, CAN, and JTAG, and provides edge-based triggering with real-time streaming over USB. The device can be extended as an oscilloscope via an optional ADC module and integrates seamlessly with Sigrok and PulseView software for waveform visualization. SLogic16U3 specifications: MCU – TBD Input channels – 16 digital channels Sampling rates 800MS/s @ 4 channels 400MS/s @ 8 channels 200MS/s @ 16 channels […]

Posted on by Debashis Das - 5 Comments on WCH BLE Analyzer Pro – A Bluetooth LE sniffer, analyzer, and debugging tool

WCH BLE Analyzer Pro – A Bluetooth LE sniffer, analyzer, and debugging tool

WCH BLE AnalyzerPro A BLE sniffer debugging tool

WCH BLE Analyzer Pro is a USB-based Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) sniffer and debugging tool designed to capture, decode, and analyze BLE communication packets in real-time. The analyzer supports adjustable polling intervals, broadcast and connection packet tracking, address filtering, and detailed packet inspection with statistics and graphical representation. It can monitor BLE broadcast and connection data in real-time and includes functions such as PHY mode selection and whitening control. These features enable low-level monitoring of BLE communication, help identify transmission issues, and verify protocol behavior. Applications include use in R&D, testing, and debugging of Bluetooth-enabled products such as IoT devices, wearables, and sensors. WCH BLE Analyzer Pro specifications: Main chips – 3x CH582F Bluetooth LE RISC-V microcontrollers, and a CH334 USB hub (see board photo at the end of the post) Supported protocol – Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 4.0/4.2/5.0 Capture range – BLE advertisement and connection packets Frequency band – […]

Posted on by Debashis Das - 2 Comments on ESP32JTAG – An open-source wireless JTAG and logic analyzer (Crowdfunding)

ESP32JTAG – An open-source wireless JTAG and logic analyzer (Crowdfunding)

ESP32JTAG Deveice

EZ32 ESP32JTAG is an open-source, wireless JTAG and logic analyzer tool that can debug both MCUs and FPGAs. It features a 16-channel 250 MHz logic analyzer and integrated UART interface, designed to replace tools such as ST-Link or Saleae analyzers in a single compact, wireless solution. The device is built around an ESP32-S3 dual-core SoC and a small FPGA with 5k logic gates and 1 Mbit of internal RAM to handle high-speed signal processing.  Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 4, Bluetooth 5.0, and USB Type-C, and a small 1.83-inch LCD displays system information such as IP address and status. The ESP32JTAG is also equipped with four configurable 4-wire ports for JTAG, SWD, UART, and logic analyzer mode, and supports target voltage monitoring. EZ32 ESP32JTAG specifications: Wireless MCU – Espressif Systems ESP32-S3 CPU – dual-core Tensilica LX7 @ up to 240 MHz with vector instructions for AI acceleration Memory – 512KB RAM, 8MB […]

Posted on by Debashis Das - No Comments on 1GHz Renesas RA8D2 and RA8M2 Cortex-M85 MCUs feature up to 1MB MRAM, 2MB SRAM

1GHz Renesas RA8D2 and RA8M2 Cortex-M85 MCUs feature up to 1MB MRAM, 2MB SRAM

Renesas RA8M2 and RA8D2 dual core Cortex M85, M33 MCU with MRAM storage

After introducing the 1 GHz RA8T2 MCU earlier this month, Renesas has recently expanded its RA8 lineup with the RA8D2 and RA8M2 groups of MCUs, where the RA8D2 is designed for graphics, HMI, and AI applications with support for display, camera, and audio interfaces, while the RA8M2 targets general-purpose, high-performance IoT and industrial control systems with networking and compute capabilities. Both MCU groups deliver a performance of up to 7,300 Coremarks, offer up to 1MB of MRAM and 2MB of SRAM, and support SiP options with up to 8MB flash. The RA8D2 adds HMI capabilities, including a 1280×800 graphics LCD controller, a 2D drawing engine, MIPI DSI and CSI-2 interfaces, and audio input support for voice and vision AI. Common features include dual Gigabit Ethernet with TSN, USB 2.0, CAN FD, I3C, and various analog peripherals. Integrated RSIP-E50D security, Helium acceleration for DSP/ML with various software support. Renesas RA8D2 and […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments on ESP32 Bus Pirate open-source firmware works on off-the-shelf hardware

ESP32 Bus Pirate open-source firmware works on off-the-shelf hardware

ESP32 Bus Pirate

ESP32 Bus Pirate is an open-source firmware inspired by the original Bus Pirate from Dangerous Prototypes, which turns off-the-shelf (ESP32-S3) hardware into a multi-protocol hacker’s tool. It supports sniffing, sending, scripting, and interacting with various digital protocols (I2C, UART, 1-Wire, SPI, etc.) via a serial terminal or web-based CLI. It’s been tested on Espressif ESP32-S3-DevKitC-1 development board, M5Stack Cardputer, M5StickC Plus2, Atom S3 Lite, M5Stamp S3, and LILYGO T-Embed (CC1101) boards. ESP32 Bus Pirate firmware highlights: Interactive CLI via USB serial – For faster performance and high responsiveness Web interface (over WiFi) – No cable needed to the host, works from any web browser Supported Modes HiZ (default) – High-Z is a safe mode where all outputs are disabled and all power supplies are turned off I2C (scan, glitch, slave mode, dump) SPI (flash, SD card, slave mode) UART / Half-Duplex UART (bridge, read, write) 1-WIRE (ibutton, temp sensor) 2-WIRE […]