Digilent Digital Discovery
The Digilent Digital Discovery is a USB logic analyzer and pattern generator with 24 high-speed inputs plus 16 bidirectional I/O lines, sampling 32 channels at 200 MS/s or up to 800 MS/s on 8 channels with the High Speed Adapter. Embedded developers use it for protocol debugging and timing checks alongside an oscilloscope or DAQ.
Specifications
| Digital I/O | 16 |
| Isolation | No |
| Interfaces | USB |
| List price | $229digilent.com, Oct 2026 |
Vendor driver by OS
| Driver | WaveForms SDK |
| Windows | Yes |
| macOS | Yes |
| Linux | Yes |
Vendor software
| WaveForms | Windows, macOS, LinuxFree. Logic analyzer, Patterns, Protocol, Static I/O and Script; macOS build is Universal (Intel and Apple Silicon), macOS 12 or later |
| WaveForms SDK | Windows, macOS, LinuxFree. C library with examples, installed with WaveForms |
Digital Discovery on macOS, Windows and Linux
WaveForms 3.25.1 (March 2026) supports the Digital Discovery on macOS 12 or later as a Universal build for Intel and Apple Silicon, on Windows x86 and ARM64, and on amd64 and arm64 Linux, including Raspberry Pi 5. The WaveForms SDK installs alongside it. The device is bus powered, so one USB cable is all it needs. DAQAtlas, which is in development, reaches it through the WaveForms SDK and can record it in one run with MCC, LabJack or NI hardware. The guide to synchronizing multiple DAQ devices covers how closely separate devices line up.
Channel count versus sample rate
The hardware has 24 input-only lines (DIN0 to DIN23) on a 2×16 connector and 16 bidirectional lines (DIO24 to DIO39) on two Pmod-style headers. The logic analyzer trades channels for speed, with 32 channels at 200 MS/s, 16 at 400 MS/s or 8 at 800 MS/s, and the two faster modes require the optional High Speed Adapter. Captures go into a 2 Gbit DDR3 buffer. The pattern generator drives the 16 DIO lines at 100 MS/s, and logic levels are programmable from 1.2 V to 3.3 V with 5 V compatible inputs. A 1.2 to 3.3 V supply on the Pmod headers delivers up to 100 mA for a small target board. WaveForms decodes SPI, I²C, UART and parallel buses, and the Protocol instrument can send and receive UART data and read and write over SPI and I²C. Digilent’s price at the time of writing is $229.
Questions
Does the Digital Discovery work on a Mac?
Yes. WaveForms supports it on macOS 12 or later with a Universal build for Intel and Apple Silicon.
How fast is the Digital Discovery logic analyzer?
200 MS/s on 32 channels, 400 MS/s on 16 and 800 MS/s on 8; the two faster modes need the High Speed Adapter.
Does the Digital Discovery have analog inputs?
No. It is a digital-only instrument; pair it with an Analog Discovery or a DAQ device for analog signals.
Specifications and prices are taken from the vendor’s published pages at the time of writing and can change. Check the vendor before you buy. Sources: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4