Tech & Gadgets · Head-to-head
Saleae Logic Pro 8 vs DreamSourceLab DSLogic Plus
Which should you buy? Our verdict on both, pulled from our full The Best Logic Analyzers: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) comparison.
The Logic Pro 8 is the only device in this group whose datasheet answers nearly every question that matters, from input impedance to absolute maximum ratings, and Logic 2 is the software the rest are measured against. The DSLogic Plus gets you most of the practical capability, a wider threshold range and on-board capture memory for far less, at the cost of a rougher software experience and no published bandwidth figure.
Saleae Logic Pro 8
Buy itThe one whose datasheet answers nearly every question, with a published 100 MHz digital bandwidth instead of just a sample rate number.
- Publishes a real digital bandwidth figure of 100 MHz and an analog -3 dB bandwidth of 5 MHz, separate from the 500 MS/s sample rate.
- 2 MOhm parallel 10 pF input impedance and absolute maximum ratings of -25 V to +25 V, so a slipped probe is usually survivable.
- Logic 2 runs on Windows, macOS and Linux with 25+ built-in protocol decoders and a Python automation API.
- The 500 MS/s figure applies to up to four channels only; all eight run at 100 MS/s.
- USB 3.0 is required to reach the advertised sample rates, and Saleae states performance drops by roughly a factor of six on USB 2.0.
- No capture memory on board, so recording length depends on your PC's free RAM and how busy the signal is.
DreamSourceLab DSLogic Plus
Buy itSixteen channels, a threshold you can put anywhere from 0 V to 5 V, and real on-board capture memory for budget money.
- Threshold voltage is adjustable from 0 V to 5 V in 0.1 V steps, which covers 1.2 V parts through 5 V logic on one device.
- 256 Mbit of on-board memory means the capture is not hostage to your USB link, and the datasheet quotes a 5 ns minimum acquisition pulse.
- The supplied shielded fly wires are rated for a -30 V to +30 V protected input range, and each channel gets its own shield ground.
- DreamSourceLab does not publish an input bandwidth figure at all, only sample rates and the minimum acquisition pulse.
- 250 kOhm parallel 13 pF input impedance loads the circuit under test more than the Saleae devices do.
- The 400 MHz sample rate applies to four channels; all 16 run at 100 MHz in buffer mode, over USB 2.0.
Side by side
The 8 criteria below are the ones our full comparison judged every product on, narrowed to these two.
| Saleae Logic Pro 8 Our pick | DreamSourceLab DSLogic Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Our verdict | Buy | Buy |
| Best for | Someone who debugs boards weekly and wants to stop wondering whether the tool or the board is at fault. | Hobbyists and small labs who want 16 usable channels and a wide threshold range without premium pricing. |
| Price tier | $$$ · premium | $ · budget |
| Digital channels | 8, each also an analog input | 16 |
| Max sample rate | 500 MS/s on up to 4 channels, 100 MS/s on all 8 | 400 MHz on 4 channels, 200 MHz on 8, 100 MHz on 16 |
| Published input bandwidth | 100 MHz digital, 5 MHz analog | Not published; 5 ns minimum acquisition pulse instead |
| Input impedance | 2 MOhm parallel 10 pF | 250 kOhm parallel 13 pF |
| Logic threshold | Selectable at Vth +0.6 V, +0.9 V or +1.65 V | Adjustable 0 V to 5 V in 0.1 V steps |
| Input protection | Absolute max -25 V to +25 V | -30 V to +30 V with the supplied fly wires, ESD protected |
| Capture memory | None on board; streams to PC RAM over USB 3.0 | 256 Mbit on board, plus a streaming mode |
| Software | Logic 2, Windows, macOS and Linux, 25+ decoders, Python API | DSView, GPLv3 and built on sigrok; sigrok support varies by hardware revision |
Which one is right for you?
Pick the Saleae Logic Pro 8 if
someone who debugs boards weekly and wants to stop wondering whether the tool or the board is at fault.
Know before buying: the 500 MS/s figure applies to up to four channels only; all eight run at 100 MS/s.
Pick the DreamSourceLab DSLogic Plus if
hobbyists and small labs who want 16 usable channels and a wide threshold range without premium pricing.
Know before buying: dreamSourceLab does not publish an input bandwidth figure at all, only sample rates and the minimum acquisition pulse.
The bottom line
Our overall pick is the Saleae Logic Pro 8 - The one whose datasheet answers nearly every question, with a published 100 MHz digital bandwidth instead of just a sample rate number. Choose the DreamSourceLab DSLogic Plus instead if hobbyists and small labs who want 16 usable channels and a wide threshold range without premium pricing.
Want the full picture, including the other options we compared and the popular one we'd skip? Read the complete The Best Logic Analyzers: 4 Compared (and One to Skip).