Operating modes

Configure memory usage, stop conditions, and repetitive capture behavior.

Memory settings

Control how much memory is used for capturing protocol data.

Device memory usage

Maximum device memory limit:

Unchecked: Uses the maximum available device memory
Checked: Adjustable memory usage ratio
Allows limiting memory to speed up post-processing
Useful when full memory isn't needed

Considerations:

More memory = longer captures
More memory = longer processing time after capture
Less memory = faster to process and display

Trigger position

Set the percentage of memory used for pre-trigger vs. post-trigger data.

Examples:

0%: All memory for post-trigger data (no pre-trigger)
20%: 20% pre-trigger, 80% post-trigger
50%: Equal pre and post-trigger data
80%: 80% pre-trigger, 20% post-trigger
100%: All memory for pre-trigger data (trigger at end)

Use cases:

0-20%: Capturing what happens after a trigger event
50%: Balanced view of activity before and after trigger
80-100%: Capturing what led up to a trigger event

Stop conditions

Configure when the capture automatically stops.

Number of data lines

Stop capture when the stored data line count reaches the specified number.

Configuration:

Enabled: Set target number of protocol transactions/packets
Disabled: (Default) Capture until memory full or manual stop

Use cases:

Need specific number of transactions (e.g., 1000 I2C packets)
Avoid unnecessarily long captures
Consistent test data size across multiple runs
Automated testing with fixed packet counts

Benefits:

Faster captures when you know how much data you need
Prevents wasting time capturing more than necessary
Simplifies post-processing when data size is predictable

Maximum device memory limit

Stop capture when device memory fills to the specified limit.

Default behavior: Enabled in all modes

Effect by capture mode:

Protocol Analyzer: Device stops when memory is full
Protocol Logger: Stops when disk space limit is reached
Protocol Monitor: Stops when device memory is full (or trigger condition met)

Repetitive capture

Automatically repeat captures multiple times.

Repetitive times setting

Disabled (default):

Device stops after stop condition is met once
Single capture per Start command

Enabled:

Device captures until stop condition is met
Saves captured data
Automatically starts next capture
Repeats for the specified number of times

Set to 0: Continuous repetitive capture (infinite loop)

Captures continuously until manually stopped
Each capture is saved separately
Useful for long-term monitoring

Repeat acquisition behavior

Control waveform decoding during repetitive captures.

Options:

Don't display decoding: Faster acquisition, analyze later
Display with intervals: Choose display time
1 second
2 seconds
5 seconds

Trade-off:

No display = Fastest capture rate
Display = Slower but provides real-time feedback

Mode-specific settings

Protocol Analyzer mode

Memory considerations:

Limited by RAM and device memory
Real-time processing uses more resources
Computer performance affects capture reliability

Stop behavior:

May auto-stop if computer can't keep up with data rate
Monitor memory usage during capture
Reduce sample rate if auto-stopping occurs

Protocol Logger mode

Memory considerations:

Limited by hard disk space
Can capture for very long durations
Processing time proportional to capture size

Additional option:

Run data process after capture stopped:

Checked: Automatically process .LOG file after stopping
Immediate analysis
Longer stop time
Unchecked: Save .LOG file only
Faster stop
Analyze later by manually opening the .LOG file
Better for very large captures

Protocol Monitor mode

Memory considerations:

Limited to device memory only
Circular buffer in some configurations
Fixed maximum data size

Wait modes:

Wait for stop

Data capture continues until "Stop" is pressed

Memory fills with latest data
When memory is full, old data is overwritten (circular buffer)
Press Stop when ready to retrieve data
Always get the most recent activity

Use case: Capturing the moments before a system failure or user action

Wait for trigger

Data capture continues until trigger condition is met

Without trigger condition set:

No Pre/Post trigger relationship
Captures until memory is full
Essentially same as "Wait for stop" without circular buffer

With trigger condition set:

Three post-trigger options:

Fill the device memory then stop
Respects trigger position percentage
Maximizes data capture
Fills all available memory
Stop immediately
Stops as soon as trigger occurs
Fastest response
Smaller data set
Useful when you only care about pre-trigger data
Wait for seconds then stop
Configurable time duration after trigger
Balance between immediacy and data completeness
Stops early if memory fills first

Tips and best practices

Choosing memory settings

Use full memory when:

You don't know how much data you need
Capturing intermittent issues
Maximum data is desired

Limit memory when:

You know exactly how much data is needed
Fast post-processing is important
Multiple repetitive captures are planned

Repetitive capture strategies

Use repetitive capture for:

Stress testing (capture same scenario multiple times)
Detecting intermittent issues (capture until problem appears)
Statistical analysis (collect multiple samples for averaging)
Long-term monitoring (continuous overnight captures)

Workflow example:

Set repetitive times to 100
Set stop condition to 1000 packets
Start capture
System automatically captures 100 × 1000 packet sets
Analyze all captures for anomalies

Stop condition combinations

Fast known-size captures:

Enable "Number of data lines"
Set to required packet count
Disable memory limit (or set high)
Result: Captures exactly what you need, stops quickly

Long monitoring:

Disable "Number of data lines"
Use Protocol Monitor "Wait for trigger"
Set appropriate trigger condition
Result: Efficient long-term monitoring with triggered capture