On Thu, Apr 3, 2008 at 6:28 PM, Alan B. Pearce wrote: > >> $30k is plenty enough for any serious 32 bit logic analyser. For an > >> ARM9, 1Gsps is more than enough. For the faster FPGA on the market > >> must be a better one. > > > >It is not so easy to be future proof. The FPGA side is a concern. > > My experience is that you cannot future proof your instruments. I have seen > it so many times with PROM programmers - "this instrument is software > upgradable to future proof against upcoming products, the only programmer > you will ever need" -oh yeah, within a couple of years you cannot get > upgrades because things have gone ways they didn't expect, or new > technologies have come out the they cannot handle ... > If you can afford a BP or DataIO, it is quite future proof... > > The same seem to go with all other instruments. Even though you are spending > $30k, it needs to be written off over about 3 years, as by then it will no > longer be state of the art, just ordinary performance for an instrument in > its class. I agree with you. But some of the things does not change that fast. For example, we need to do a lot of DC/DC converter and high precision ADC/DAC stuff. Things move very slowly in this kind of analog design front. So a good scope can last 10 years. A DC calibarator can last 10 years as well. And our product can sell more than 10 years. > All you can do is purchase against current testing requirements > Currently our group does not need an LA but the next project may need. This is a fast changing organization and we need to ramp up the capability fast to support the business growth. But I get what you are saying. Xiaofan -- http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist