Fighting with computers

Today I have got one bizarre experience. A few days ago I did shop some parts for a 3D printer I am building but I guess the site was overloaded (or poorly procured) and I got several errors till I got my order through. So I decided to ask the seller about my order since a few days have passed without hearing from them. This is the chat transcript. Start Time:  12/31/2013 00:06:30 End Time:  12/31/2013 00:35:14 Operators:  Jayla Transcripts:    Please wait for a site operator to respond... If you do not want to wait, please click here to leave us a message. Operator Jayla has joined the chat. [00:06:30] Jayla: Hi Miguel Sanchez, I hope you are doing fine. How may I help you?  [00:06:38] Miguel Sanchez: HI [00:06:54] Miguel Sanchez: I'd like to know about my order.  [00:07:32] Miguel Sanchez: It's been a few days and it is my first order from you. But mostly the server was giving me errors while going through the order. [00:07:45] Miguel Sanchez: 26...

A recent query from a local company made me revisit the work I did for reverse-engineering Ademco's ECP bus years ago. I did not get this assignment but I learned this company was buying an inexpensive logic analyzer I have never heard of before. After having a look a the device and its demo software (that works in Windows, OSX and Linux!!) I was sold. Even better was to learn that they do have an educational discount. Next day I bought one Logic8 8-bit USB digital analyzer . It is not a digital osciloscope but a logic probe with 8 inputs. The beauty about the software is that it has built-in several serial protocols (ie. Async serial, I2C, SPI, etc). So going from the signals to meaningful data is time-effective and simple.