Mission statement:
Long time I want to build a logicanalyzer and found amongst
others the MINILA
project.
Normally I live in a UNIX world Microsoft free environment a long long
time.
I deal with USB interfaces and build USB drivers for Linux and later
for Windows for several years.
So first I must to make sure that the device must
run on Linux because Win$ normally only boots for 10
minutes a month, especially since my son catched my MAC and
reject his Windows PC.
I must have a look that the a logicanalyzer software run's on Linux but
I found no good plain Linux solution. Because I am not a hardliner so
this can be done with WINE support also.
As a result from this the replacement of Window DLL's by WINELIB is
checked out how it works and I realized it for the FTDI chips.
Second constraint was that the USB must be galvanic isolated to the PC.
My first idea to use ADUM1400 isolaters is abandoned if the cheaper and
easier solution using ADUM4160 was possible, but it prolongs the
development time.
Along with this solution it was clear that the system must run with USB
power.
What postulate the solution to replace the minila CPLD by a Coolrunner
II witch also brings some more advantages like more macrocells and dual
edge flip-flops.