This version (14 Mar 2024 11:15) was approved by Jagannath Rotti.The Previously approved version (27 Nov 2023 11:44) is available.

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A2B Bus Analyzer Quick Start Guide

Introduction

The guidelines on these pages are intended to help A²B users configure and use the Analog Devices' (ADI) A²B Bus Analyzer tool in Monitor and/or Node Emulator modes for AD242x and AD243x devices with HDAC/Duraclik connectors. AD241x and devices with XLR/RJ45 connectors (AD2437) are not supported.

Installation and Upgrades

A²B Bus Analyzer can be downloaded from Software Downloads.

Supported Operating Systems

The A²B Bus Analyzer runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS. The Operating Systems table describes the operating system versions supported in this release.

	Platform	Details
	Windows	Windows 10 Home, Pro, Enterprise (64-bit), Windows 11 Home (64-bit)
	Linux	Ubuntu 18.04+ (64-bit)
	macOS	10.15.x Catalina and later

Software Installation Instructions

The following sub-sections include installation information for the supported OS platforms.

Windows

To install the A²B Bus Analyzer, double-click on a2b_bus_analyzer-X.Y.Z-channel-win32-x64.exe.
The A²B Bus Analyzer is installed in the following default location: C:\Analog Devices\A2B Bus Analyzer.
To uninstall the A²B Bus Analyzer, go to the Programs and Features applet in the Control Panel.

Linux

To install A²B Bus Analyzer, download the .AppImage. Copy the file into a directory such as ~/Applications
If required, ensure that file has execute permissions by running chmod a+x a2b_bus_analyzer_*.AppImage
Launch A²B Bus Analyzer by running ./a2b_bus_analyzer-X.Y.Z-channel-x86_64_linux.AppImage
Simply delete the .AppImage file to uninstall A²B Bus Analyzer.

Note: By default a USB device is only accessible if the A²B Bus Analyzer is run with sudo. The Linux USB Configuration Script configures a USB device to be accessible by the currently logged-in user.

#!/bin/sh
 
# The following is an example script of how to configure your USB on Linux
# to be accessible by other users.
 
if [ $(id -u) != 0 ]; then
    echo "You must run this script with sudo:"
    echo "sudo $0 $*" exit 1
fi
adirules=/etc/udev/rules.d/adi.rules
# Customize the group name that can access your USB device(s)
adigroup=adiusb
echo "Creating '"$adirules"' ..."
echo ATTRS{idVendor}==\"064b\", GROUP=\"$adigroup\" > $adirules
echo ATTRS{idVendor}==\"0d28\", ATTRS{idProduct}==\"0204\", GROUP=\"$adigroup\" >> $adirules
echo "Done."
if [ -z $(getent group $adigroup) ]; then
    addgroup $adigroup
fi
echo "Adding user '"$SUDO_USER"' to group '"$adigroup"' ..."
usermod -a -G $adigroup $SUDO_USER
echo "Done."
echo "Restarting '/etc/init.d/udev' ..." /etc/init.d/udev restart
echo "Done."
lsusb | grep "ID 064b"
echo "===================================================================="
echo "You must restart your computer for these settings to take effect."
echo "" echo "If you wish to remove ADI device permissions:"
echo "sudo groupdel" $adigroup
echo "sudo rm" $adirules
echo "===================================================================="

macOS

To install the A²B Bus Analyzer double-click on a2b_bus_analyzer-X.Y.Z-channel-macos-x64.pkg
- If the Installation Wizard does not launch, right-click the .pkg file and select Open with… | Installer.
The A²B Bus Analyzer is installed in /Applications.

Product Activation

To use the A²B Bus Analyzer product, you must activate your product with a License Key that was issued when you purchased the product.

The license is associated with the A²B Bus Analyzer hardware so you need to follow the steps at Bus Analyzer Setup in order to activate your license. Pressing the Software Power button while selecting the serial number of an unlicensed analyzer launches the license menus as described in this section.

A brand-new Analyzer will show a License error when you first try to connect to the device. Click Yes to continue with the activation process.

Select Activate or Update License…

Enter the License key that you received when you purchased the A²B Bus Analyzer select the Activate online if you have access to the Internet or Activate offline if you already have a validation code or you want to request one.

Complete the required fields and click Activate. Your product should now be activated. Use Help | Email Support… menu option to contact technical support should you have any issues.

Software Upgrades

Updating A2B Bus Analyzer Application

The upgrade process is the same for all supported operating systems.

Run the A²B Bus Analyzer, visit the Home screen, click 'Check for Updates'. If a newer version is available 'Download' and then 'Restart to Install' to update your copy of A²B Bus Analyzer.

You can also use the Help | Check for Updates… menu item to find out if there are any new updates available.

After the A²B Bus Analyzer software updates, settings from the previous version are preserved.

Updating A2B Bus Analyzer firmware

The current firmware version on the device is shown on the Home screen after connecting to an A²B Bus Analyzer device.

If a firmware update is available, click 'Update Firmware' and follow the on-screen instructions to flash the new version to your A²B Bus Analyzer.

A2B Bus Analyzer Package Contents

Sl. No.	Content	Quantity
1	A²B Bus Analyzer HW Unit	1
2	USB-A to Micro-B cable	1
3	12V power supply adapter (US)	1
4	A²B Cable with HDAC to Duraclik connectors	1
5	A²B Cable with HDAC to HDAC connectors	2
6	A²B Cable with Duraclik connectors	2
7	A²B Analyzer Application download instructions	1

The physical dimension of A2B Bus Analyzer box is 15.25“ x 9.5” x 4.125“.
The A2B Bus Analyzer box alone weighs about 533 g. The entire box (including connectors and power supply) may weigh ~ 1kg.

Getting Started with A2B Bus Analyzer

Bus Analyzer Setup

1. Connect the A²B Bus Analyzer to your PC using the supplied USB-A to Micro-B cable.

2. Connect 12V power supply to A²B Bus Analyzer.

3. Ensure your A²B Bus Analyzer software is installed, registered, and upgraded as explained in the Installation and Upgrades section of this guide.

Note: If using USB-C for Power, use one of the recommended wall adapters. Refer to the A2B Bus Analyzer User Manual for more details.

4. Launch A2B Bus Analyzer application. Connect to your A2B Bus Analyzer device by selecting it from the device selection drop-down menu then clicking the Power button. Once connected, the Power button becomes green.

HDAC Connector and Cable Drawing for Custom Cabling

Required Components

For 0.35mm2 Cable

S. No.	Components	Part Number	Company	Quantity	Remarks
1	Connector Receptacle	0310681010	Molex	2
2	Crimp Pins	1393367-1	TE	4	2 in each receptacle
3	Cable	Dacar-546	Leoni	1.8m

Drawing

Using Analyzer as Bus Monitor

1. Complete steps in the Bus Analyzer Setup section above.

For custom cabling, please use the below pinout details

P1 (towards main): 1 - NC, 2 - AN, 3 - AP, 4 – NC (left to right)
P2 (towards sub): 1 - NC, 2 - AP, 3 - AN, 4 – NC (left to right)

2. Connect A²B Bus Analyzer unit between two nodes in an A²B network.

Note: It is recommended to place the analyzer between the Main and first Sub node (Sub node 0) to allow capturing of all events on the bus.

3. Launch the A²B Bus Analyzer application and create a new project or open an existing project using the links on the Welcome panel.

4. Switch to Bus Monitor view using the link in the side panel.

5. Activate bus monitoring by sliding the Enable Switch

6. Click Play to start capturing audio and event traffic on the bus.

Note: Event and Audio Traffic area will remain blank until the network host initiates A²B discovery.

7. Switch to the A²B network host program (e.g., SigmaStudio, Head-unit software) and initiate discovery process.

8. With network discovery initiated on the host, the A²B Bus Analyzer application will begin capturing event and audio traffic. Use Audio-Output controls to playback captured audio on the device's Line Out/SPDIF Out or Save as .WAV File or even stream to Host PC over USB using drivers appropriate for your platform (ASIO/ALSA/CoreAudio).

Note: Refer to the A2B Bus Analyzer User Manual for more advanced device usage.

9. Click Stop to finish collecting audio and event traffic. Collected data can be saved to a file (CSV or JSON) using the Download button.

AD2438/30 evaluation boards have only one A2B port and the analog front end expects straight-through UTP cabling where as the default cables with the A2B Bus Analyzer box is cross-over cables.

For usage with AD2438/30 evaluation boards, the monitor connection needs to be different as shown in below diagram. Ensure that the upstream node's A2B_CONTROL.XCVRBINV bit is set.

Note: AD2438 can only be used as Main node.

Using Analyzer as Node Emulator

For customer cabling, please use the below pinout details:

High power connector:

* P7 (towards sub): 1 - GND, 2 - BP, 3 - BN, 4 – GND (left to right)

* P8 (towards main): 1 - GND, 2 - AN, 3 - AP, 4 – GND (left to right)

Standard power connector:

* P6 (towards sub): 1 - BP, 2 – BN (left to right)

* P3 (towards main): 1- AN, 2- AP (left to right)

Main Node Emulator

1. Complete steps in the Bus Analyzer Setup section above.

2. Connect Sub node or chain of Sub nodes to the node emulator port labelled “TOWARDS SUB” on STD or HIGH PWR depending on the power configuration of the node being emulated.

Note: AD242x node emulator is also supported on STD PWR. Thus use emulator port labelled “TOWARDS SUB” on STD PWR port to connect sub node(s) when emulating AD242x Main node.

3. Switch to the A²B Bus Analyzer application and create a new project or open an existing project using the options on the Welcome panel. Ensure to check Enable Standard-Power/High-Power Emulator option if available when creating a new project.

4. Switch to Emulator view (Std/High) using the side panel and turn on the function by sliding the Enable switch. Ensure the Power icon is green at this time. If not green, click on the Reset, wait for a few seconds (until the status LED on the unit turns full green) and connect again using the Power icon.

5. Configure the device by setting properties as per the node being emulated. Ensure to set Emulate option to ‘Main’. When emulating a Main node, the network information corresponding to the connected nodes shall be provided as a .dat file exported from SigmaStudio (or SigmaStudio+) for A²B.

Note: A²B SW release package Rel 19.9.0 or higher must be used to export adi_a2b_busconfig.dat when using SigmaStudio. Refer to SigmaStudio user guide documentation available in the A²B SW package on how to create A²B project in SigmaStudio and export a .dat file.

6. Click on the ‘Apply’ button to set the emulator in Main node mode and initiate the discovery/configuration of the network as per the provided .dat file.

7. A successful discovery of the network is indicated with the Discovery status icon turning green.

8. Switch to the Audio panel to view audio streams sourced or sinked by the node. Use Audio Output controls to listen/save/stream any audio stream(s) of interest. Use Audio Input controls to feed audio from Line/SPDIF/File/USB In or Test Tones/Loop back options on to the bus.

9. Switch to the Data panel to view SPI data tunnel streams (if any) available on the node. Use Data controls to send/receive data over SPI tunnels different transfer modes.

Sub Node Emulator

1. Complete steps in the Bus Analyzer Setup section above.

2. Insert the Analyzer unit in an A²B network at a desired Sub node position to be emulated. Connect the unit to an upstream node, using TOWARDS MAIN, and to a downstream node, using TOWARDS SUB (if it is not the last node), on STD or HIGH PWR node emulator ports depending on the power configuration of the node being emulated.

Note: AD242x node emulator is also supported on STD PWR. Thus use emulator ports labelled TOWARDS MAIN and TOWARDS SUB on STD PWR when emulating AD242x Sub node.

3. Switch to A²B Bus Analyzer application and create a new project or open an existing project using the options on the Welcome panel. Ensure to check Enable Standard-Power/High-Power Emulator option if available when creating a new project.

4. Switch to Emulator view (Std/High) using the side panel and turn on the function by sliding the Enable switch. Ensure the Power icon is green at this time. If not green, click on the Reset, wait for a few seconds until the status LED on the unit turns full green and connect again using the Power icon.

5. Configure the device by setting properties as per the node being emulated. Ensure to set Emulate option to ‘Sub’.

Note: When emulating a Sub node, the configuration information corresponding to the emulated node is automatically detected by the Analyzer from the bus.

6. Click on the ‘Apply’ button to set the emulator in Sub node mode (indicated by Node Active icon turning green).

7. Switch to the A²B network host program (e.g., SigmaStudio or Head-unit software) and initiate discovery process.

Note: A²B SW release package Rel 19.9.0 or higher must be used when using SigmaStudio. Refer to SigmaStudio user guide documentation available in the A²B SW package on how to create A²B project in SigmaStudio.

8. With network discovery initiated on the host, Analyzer will auto detect the settings for the Sub node being emulated (based on the Analyzer position in the network) and configures itself to emulate the Sub node. A successful discovery of Analyzer as a sub node is indicated by the Discovery status icon turning green.

9. Switch to the Audio panel to view audio streams sourced or sinked by the node. Use Audio Output controls to listen/save/stream any audio stream(s) of interest. Use Audio Input controls to feed audio from Line/SPDIF/File/USB In or Test Tones/Loop back options on to the bus.

10. Switch to the Data panel to view SPI data tunnel streams (if any) available on the node. Use Data controls to send/receive data over SPI tunnels different transfer modes.

Using A2B Bus Analyzer with SigmaStudio+

SigmaStudio+ supports representation of A²B Bus Analyzer for creating A²B networks containing the A²B Bus Analyzer hardware in the signal chain. It also integrates with the A²B Bus Analyzer UI to support the following functionality:

A²B Bus Analyzer UI launch from SigmaStudio+
A²B Bus Analyzer UI Project Creation, Automatic Load of Monitor\Emulator Views and Device Connect
Automatic Emulator Enable and .DAT file Apply of a schematic
Node highlighting and Line fault error notification in SigmaStudio+ during Main Node Emulation
Post Discovery Register Read/Write from SigmaStudio+ during Main Node Emulation
Post Discovery Peripheral Read/Write from SigmaStudio+ during Main Node Emulation

Note: SigmaStudio+ release package 2.0.0 and A2B-SS+ Plugin release package 1.1.0 or above need to be installed for using the A²B Bus Analyzer with SigmaStudio+. Refer to AE_65_A2B-SSPlus_QuickStartGuide in the A2B-SS+ plugin installation package for steps to create schematics with A²B Bus Analyzer hardware in the network. Refer to the user guide PDF which can be found in the A2B Bus Analyzer software installation for steps to Launch and operate A2B Bus Analyzer UI from SigmaStudio+. Section Further documentation describes how to find the User Guide.

Further documentation

Most of the user documentation is located, with this guide in the Analog Devices wiki under A2B Bus Analyzer Homepage.

The exception is a more in-depth user guide PDF which can be found in the A2B Bus Analyzer software installation. You can access it under the Help menu

Wiki

Analog Devices Wiki

Table of Contents

A2B Bus Analyzer Quick Start Guide

Introduction

Installation and Upgrades

Supported Operating Systems