Tektronix
8550
The Tektronix 8550 is a microprocessor development system. The 8550, along with the 8540 and 8560, supported many 8-bit and 16-bit microprocessor types, with a change of emulator cards and probes. The 8550 did not require any particular code to be linked in to the user's code to facilitate register tracing at breakpoints.[1]
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Produced
1981–1986
Node / era
Tektronix 8550 MDS
What it is
How it works
Where it fits in the process flow
Applications
The Tektronix 8550 supports high level language and assembly work with symbolic debugging for 8-bit and 16-bit chips.[2][3]
The Tektronix 8550 supports the Trigger Trace Analyzer for 8-bit and 16-bit designs and the Real-Time Prototype Analyzer for 8-bit designs.[2][3]
The Tektronix 8550 supports Intel, Motorola, Fairchild, Zilog, Texas Instruments, and RCA microprocessor families among others.[2][3]
What do the numbers mean?
Control & software5
Configuration & options10
- Register tracing
- did not require particular code linked in to facilitate register tracing at breakpoints[1]
- Special instruction
- special instruction sequence, typically a double NOP followed by a call to a specific address, generated a Service Call[1]
- Supported microprocessors
- 8086, 8088, 8085A, 8080A, 8048, 8049, 8035, 8039/8039-6, 8021, 8041A, 8022, 68000, 6800, 6802, 6805, 6808, 6809, F8, 3870, 3874, 3872, 3876, Z8001, Z8002, Z80A, TMS9900, SPB 9900, RCA 1802, Rockwell 6500/1[2]
Vintage & configurations
What replaced it?
Related models
- siblingTektronix 8560— Part of the same microprocessor development system familysource[1]
Where are the manuals?
Generated from public-source data on file. Enter your email to access — nothing is published; details are routed privately.
Not publicly documented
Field notes
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Frequently asked questions
Not publicly documented
The following facts about the 8550 are absent from this record as of this revision. First-hand knowledge or a citation closes a gap; every submission is reviewed before publication.
No publicly documented variants, configuration options, or revision breakpoints of the 8550 are on record.
Answerable by: an OEM product catalog or an engineer who ordered or specified the tool
The control-system platform and OS era of the 8550 are not on record.
Answerable by: an engineer who operated it or OEM installation records
No publicly documented failure modes or field errata for the 8550 are on record.
Answerable by: a field service engineer, process engineer, or maintenance technician
No publicly documented compatible parts, consumables, or accessories for the 8550 are on record.
Answerable by: an OEM parts catalog or a service engineer
No publicly hosted manuals, SOPs, or datasheets for the 8550 are on record.
Answerable by: university cleanroom staff or an OEM application specialist
No research found yet — worked with this tool? Share what you know.
Sources & citations
Sources (3)Every fact above is drawn from these public sources
- [1]en.wikipedia.org — en.wikipedia.orgen.wikipedia.org
- [2]w140.com — w140.comw140.com
- [3]8550 - Logic Analyzers — logicanalyzers.miraheze.orglogicanalyzers.miraheze.org
Last updated Oct 12, 2026.