FrontLine ComProbe USB 2.0 User manual

Frontline Technical Support: Phone +1-434-984-4500 or email tech_support@fte.com
Quick Start Guide
Minimum System Requirements
lPC with Windows XP 32 bit, (Service Pack 2 or higher), Windows 7 (32
or 64 bit)
lPentium 2 GHz processor
lRAM Requirements: 2 GB minimum, 4 GB recommended
l100 MB free Hard Disk Space
lUSB 2.0 High Speed enabled port
Install Software
lFrom CD: Insert the ComProbe installer disk into your computer DVD
drive. Click on the Install CPAS shortcut and follow the directions.
lFrom Download: Download the latest ComProbe installer from FTE.-
com. Once downloaded, double-click the installer and follow the dir-
ections.
1 ComProbe Hardware Connections
The ComProbe USB hardware is used for external data monitoring. The ComProbe USB protocol analyzer is a high speed, full speed, and low speed USB 2.0
system that captures and sends data to the analysis PC over a high speed USB 2.0 connection.
The front of the analyzer has three USB connections: Target Device for the device being tested, Target Host for the PC the device being tested is normally
connected to, and one digital I/O port discussed in greater detail in the ComProbe User Manual.
The back panel has one USB connection labeled Analysis PC for connecting the ComProbe USB hardware to the computer running ComProbe software.
There are three LED’s on top of the ComProbe.
lThe orange LED (TST) serves as a Capture Port connection indicator. It glows when the Target Host is connected.
lThe red LED (ACT) indicates bus activity.
lThe yellow LED (PWR) serves as an Analysis Port connection indicator. The PWR LED will be illuminated when the
analyzer has been correctly connected to the analysis computer and is receiving power from the USB.
The ComProbe is powered from the USB port of the analysis computer and doesn't require an external power source.
2 Connecting to the Device Under Test
Once you have the software and the drivers loaded, the next step is
to connect your hardware.
The recommended configuration requires two computers, one for
communicating with the device under test and the other for dis-
playing the results of the analysis.
Although the ComProbe USB can download analyzed data on a full
speed USB 1.1 connection, it is strongly recommended that you con-
nect it using a high speed USB 2.0 port to obtain optimal per-
formance. If you experience any trouble with your analyzer, please
ensure it is connected on a high speed USB 2.0 enabled host con-
troller before contacting our technical support.
The most straight forward configuration involves only one device to
be analyzed. Refer to the ComProbe User Manual for instructions
for connecting more than one device under test.
To achieve optimal performance from the ComProbe USB analyzer

Frontline Technical Support: Phone +1-434-984-4500 or email tech_support@fte.com
lUse two high-speed computers, one for the ComProbe analyzer software and one—the Target Host—for the device under test .
oAlthough it is possible to use one computer for both the analysis and test computer, this configuration requires that the computer in use is high-
speed and has two or more host controllers available.
lUse USB 2.0 connections.
lUse cables that do not exceed the recommended maximum length.
oThe cable connected to the analysis computer—Analysis PC—should not exceed 5 meters (15 feet).
oThe combined length of cables connected to the test computer—Target Host—and the device under test—Target Device—should not exceed
3 meters (9 feet).
Connect a USB cable between the device under test and the ComProbe hardware Target Device connector.
Connect a USB cable between the test computer and the ComProbe hardware Target Hostt connecter.
Connect a USB cable between the analysis computer and the ComProbe hardware Analysis PC connector.
If the operating system encounters an error when trying to install the ComProbe device, disconnect the device, then reconnect it and try again.
3 Select Data Caputre Method
Now that the software and drivers are installed and the hardware is positioned correctly, the
next step is to open ComProbe software and select the data capture method.
Open the "Frontline ComProbe Protocol Analysis System" folder from the Start menu or from
the Desktop folder.
Select "Frontline ComProbe Protocol Analysis System".
The Select Data Capture Method dialog appears.
Select USB
Click the Run button.
ComProbe software will open with the Control window (See "Select Data Caputre Method"
on page 2) visible.
4 Hardware Settings
The Hardware Settings dialog is used to select a device to sniff/scan. To access the Hardware
Settings dialog:
Select Hardware Settings from the Options menu on the Control window .
Select a "device" from the drop-down list and select OK. By default the connected ComProbe
USB device will be shown.
If no devices are found, the list will be blank. You can also select Refresh List to make sure the
list is up to date.
5 Start Capture
So, now that the ComProbe SD hardware is installed, devices turned on and identified. It's time to sniff the communication
between the devices.
Select Start Capture on the Control window toolbar or from the Control window Live menu.

Frontline Technical Support: Phone +1-434-984-4500 or email tech_support@fte.com
6 Analyze Data
From the Control window toolbar select the following icons to view and
analyze the captured data.
lEvent Display - for framed data, used to conduct byte-level
analysis.
lFrame Display - for framed data, used to conduct protocol-
level analysis.
lMessage Sequence Chart (MSG) - Displays information about messages passed between protocol layers.
lSignal Display-provides a graphical view of control signal transitions that you can manipulate after you have captured data.
lExtract Data/Audio - pull out data from various decoded protocols. Once you have extracted the data, you can save them into different file types, such
as text files, graphic files, email files, .mp3 files, and more.
This quick start guide provides sufficient information to begin the data capture information. Detailed hardware and software information is contained in the
ComProbe USB User Manual. The manual is available on FTE.com.
© 2014 Frontline Test Equipment, Inc
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