STM32 Logic Analyzer (LA8) 🚀

A professional-grade, 8-channel Logic Analyzer for <$5.

Turn your generic STM32 Blue Pill development board into a powerful digital signal analysis tool. With 6 MHz theoretical sampling rate, zero-jitter DMA acquisition, and a hardware-accelerated OpenGL interface, the LA8 bridges the gap between hobbyist toys and expensive benchtop equipment.

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✨ Key Features

• ⚡ High Performance: Up to 6 MHz sample rate (hardware timer driven).
• 🎯 Zero Jitter: DMA-based acquisition ensures theoretically perfect timing stability.
• 🖥️ Fluid UI: 60 FPS waveform rendering using hardware-accelerated OpenGL (pyqtgraph).
• 📡 8 Channels: Parallel capture on pins PA0 - PA7.
• 🔄 Live View: Continuous "Rolling Buffer" mode with auto-scroll and 5-minute retention history.
• 🛠️ Professional Tools:
  • Horizontal Scrollbar & Zooming.
  • Pause/Resume analysis.
  • Dark Mode UI.

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🏗️ Architecture

The system uses a distributed architecture to overcome the bandwidth limitations of standard UART.

1. Distributed Processing:
   • Edge (STM32): Handles Hard Real-Time signal acquisition into internal SRAM.
   • Host (PC): Handles Soft Real-Time visualization and massive data buffering.
2. Store-and-Forward Protocol:
   • The STM32 captures a "burst" of data at high speed (e.g., 6 MB/s).
   • It buffers this data and transmits it to the PC at UART speeds (11.5 KB/s).
   • The PC software stitches these bursts together to create a seamless timeline.

👉 Read the Engineering Whitepaper for a deep dive into the DMA engine and design trade-offs.

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📂 File Structure

/
├── firmware/
│   └── stm32_logic_analyzer.ino                        # Arduino Sketch for STM32
|   └── stm32_loc_analyzer.ino.GENERIC_F103C6TX.bin     # Readymade firmware reeady to upload
├── software/
│   ├── gui/                                            # PyQt5 GUI Components
│   ├── capture.py                                      # Data decoding logic
│   ├── device.py                                       # Serial hardware driver
│   └── main.py                                         # Application Entry Point
├── docs/
│   ├── technical_whitepaper.md                         # Engineering Details
│   └── build_instructions_linux.md
└── assets/                                             # Images and Icons

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🚀 Getting Started

1. Hardware Setup

You need an STM32F103C8T6 ("Blue Pill") or similar board and a USB-to-TTL Serial adapter.

Wiring:

• Signal Inputs: PA0 to PA7 (Channel 0 - 7).
• UART:
  • STM32 PA9 (TX) -> Serial Adapter RX.
  • STM32 PA10 (RX) -> Serial Adapter TX.
• Power: 3.3V or 5V (Common Ground is critical!).

2. Flashing Firmware

Step 1: Install STM32 Board Support

1. Open Arduino IDE Preferences.
2. Add this URL to "Additional Boards Manager URLs": https://github.com/stm32duino/BoardManagerFiles/raw/main/package_stmicroelectronics_index.json
3. Go to Tools > Board > Boards Manager, search for "STM32", and install "STM32 MCU based boards" by STMicroelectronics.

Step 2: Board Configuration Select Tools > Board > STM32F1 series > Generic STM32F1 series and apply these settings:

Setting	Value
Board Part Number	Generic F103C6Tx (or C8Tx depending on your board)
U(S)ART Support	Enabled (no generic 'Serial')
USB Support	None
Optimize	Smallest (-Os default)
C Runtime Library	Newlib Nano (default)
Upload Method	STM32CubeProgrammer (Serial)

Step 3: Flash

1. Compile firmware/stm32_logic_analyzer.ino & export the compiled Binary from the sketch tab or ctrl + Alt + S (Skip this step if Opting for readymade firmware).
2. Download & Install STM32CubeProgrammer from ST Microelectronics Website.
3. set the STM32 "BOOT0" jumper to 1, press the Reset button then Select UART and Baud Rate to 115200.
4. Connect your USB-TTL adapter (A9->RX, A10->TX).
5. Press Reset on the board, then select the preferred Binary from the Proper Location & click Upload.
6. After upload, set "BOOT0" back to 0 and press Reset.

3. Running the Software

Option A: Standalone Executable (Windows)

• Download the latest release.
• Run STM32_Logic_Analyzer.exe (Not Ready Yet, If anybody can do it, Please Open a Pull Request).

Option B: Python Source

# Install dependencies
pip install -r software/requirements.txt

# Run
python software/main.py

Linux Users: Check Build Instructions.

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📸 Screenshots

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🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please read the implementation plan to understand the architectural constraints before optimizing.

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.