A protocol analyzer is a tool (hardware or software) used to capture and analyze signals and data traffic over a
communication channel
A communication channel refers either to a physical transmission medium such as a wire, or to a logical connection over a multiplexed medium such as a radio channel in telecommunications and computer networking. A channel is used for inform ...
. Such a channel varies from a local computer bus to a satellite link, that provides a means of communication using a standard
communication protocol
A communication protocol is a system of rules that allows two or more entities of a communications system to transmit information via any kind of variation of a physical quantity. The protocol defines the rules, syntax, semantics and synchroniza ...
(
networked or
point-to-point). Each type of
communication protocol
A communication protocol is a system of rules that allows two or more entities of a communications system to transmit information via any kind of variation of a physical quantity. The protocol defines the rules, syntax, semantics and synchroniza ...
has a different tool to collect and analyze signals and data.
Specific types of protocol analyzers include:
* A
telecom network protocol analyzer A telecom network protocol analyzer is a protocol analyzer to analyze a switching and signaling telecommunication protocol between different nodes in PSTN or Mobile telephone networks, such as 2G or 3G GSM networks, CDMA networks, WiMAX and so o ...
* A network
packet analyzer
A packet analyzer, also known as packet sniffer, protocol analyzer, or network analyzer, is a computer program or computer hardware such as a packet capture appliance, that can intercept and log traffic that passes over a computer network or ...
* A
bus analyzer
A bus analyzer is a type of a protocol analysis tool, used for capturing and analyzing communication data across a specific interface bus, usually embedded in a hardware system. The bus analyzer functionality helps design, test and validation eng ...
* An
IP load tester
IP load testers are a class of protocol analyzers focused on the practical evaluation of router performance. Router performance is usually broken down into two categories: forwarding performance (or data plane), and routing performance (or con ...
Electronic test equipment
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