Uploaded May 2021 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
An old Tektronix Logic Analyser isn’t something you need every day but nice to have. This PRISM 3002 model dates from the 1990s. Even though now long in the tooth it is an interesting instrument packed with technology that can still be useful today. The specification for this analyser, with its two GPX acquisition boards is; 160 channels at 200MHz transitional timing, 32channels at 1Ghz conventional timing, 160 channels at 80MHz state. Its own processor board is based around the Motorola 68010 with 4 Mb RAM and 48Mb capacity MFM hard drive.
The unit had been working the last time I used it a number of years ago. Thinking it would be interesting to show it working and to look at the construction, I discovered it no longer worked. Research took me to some Diagnostic documentation and a failure scenario, that occurs when the on-board date/time becomes invalid.
An old Tektronix Logic Analyser isn’t something you need every day but nice to have. This PRISM 3002 model dates from the 1990s. Even though now long in the tooth it is an interesting instrument packed with technology that can still be useful today. The specification for this analyser, with its two GPX acquisition boards is; 160 channels at 200MHz transitional timing, 32channels at 1Ghz conventional timing, 160 channels at 80MHz state. Its own processor board is based around the Motorola 68010 with 4 Mb RAM and 48Mb capacity MFM hard drive.
The unit had been working the last time I used it a number of years ago. Thinking it would be interesting to show it working and to look at the construction, I discovered it no longer worked. Research took me to some Diagnostic documentation and a failure scenario, that occurs when the on-board date/time becomes invalid.
