GPIB: 24-pin Centronix connectors?

It's been really long ago that I had to make custom GPIB/HPIB bus
connections. Are those the regular 24-pin Centronics like this one?

http://media.digikey.com/pdf/Data Sheets/Norcomp PDFs/111-yyy-103-001.pdf

Reason is that the Prologix adapter bangs into the wall behind the
equipment rack. And I don't want any of those garden hose cables, never
no more

 

Hi Joerg,
Use ours, it is more compact than Prologix's ;+) :
http://www.alciom.com/en/smart488.htm
If you're definitely looking only for GPIB connectors then just have a look
at L-COM, they sell GPIB connectors.
Friendly,
Robert

 

Hi,

Your product is interesting. Especially the emulation software.

Does that software only work with your product? Or also with a NI
USB-GPIB? Is it possible to set up a HP35665A or a HP 3562A lf
spectrum analyser so it can plot directly to the computer? Those
devices already know the plotrter language. Does the PC emulate a
plotter and save it as jpg/bmp?

P.

 

Forgot to ask one more thing: can those plotter tools run at the same
time my application (Delphi, I rewrote to oldfashioned and badly
documented NI library to an object-oriented one) is running? Or will
things get mixed up?

P.

 

Hello P,
As other USB/GPIB products, the smart488 is basically emulating a serial
port on the PC side, although there isn't any actual serial port anywhere.
In its basic mode, meaning with only one GPIB equipment connected, it allows
a fully transparent dialog between the PC (bus controller) and the equipment
(talker/listener). Anytime you send something to the virtual serial port the
interface will switch the equipement to listener and send it the data, then
will switch it back to talker and will transfer to your application through
the virtual serial port any data sent by the equipment. A command mode
allows to manage more than one slave. It was of course not tested with all
GPIB devices on earth but work well with old HP devices (8569, 8563, 3585,
....), Lecroy scopes, etc. On the PC side it was tested with KE5FX's plotter
emulator (in device initiated mode) as well as with HP's Benchlink software.
It also works with any langage able to talk to a serial port (VB, VC++,
Python, Labview, etc), but is not compatible with NI libraries. Of course
only one application at a time can preempt the serial port and use the
interface. See FAQ here http://www.alciom.com/en/smart488.htm#faq
Yours,
Robert

 

The link times out right now. Anyhow, I already bought it since it seems
to be the only one available in the US.

Thanks, I'll check that out.

--
Joyeux Noel, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

"gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam.
Use another domain or send PM.

 

Thanks, Mike. I'll have to get solder cup versions though.

 

If you have an FTDI chip in there the DLL for that also supports direct
access via USB, without serial port emulation. Still, I would never give
up the COM emulation because nothing is simple and easier than to talk
to a device via a terminal program.

 

No we don't use FTDI, the smart488 is a monochip PIC-based device. A virtual
serial port profile is used for convenience, but there isn'"t any serial
port inside...

Agreed !

Friendly,
Robert

 

I don't see a US distributor.

 

I know exactly what you mean - mine has the same problem. How about
something like this?:
http://www.cyberresearch.com/store/...ol/ieee-488-gpib-cables/IEEE_SE-MF_3007.2.htm

 

No specific driver is needed, it is working with the generic usbser driver.
An .inf file is only required under Windows for plug&play detection as
usual.

Yes, no problem, no need for driver or config files at all. Linux is more
plug&play than Windows when talking about virtual serial ports ;+)

Cheers,
Robert

 

I am now using a NI USB-GPIB. And am using Delphi to control it.
Is your device acessible in the same way?

I have worked on embedded SDLC communication devices, with manuals,
communication doc and especially well defined OSI layers. That last
point, OSI layers, is something I really miss with the NI software.
You can jump everywhere and do all kinds of calls on all levels, but
there is no real description what you should build. It can only be
found by looking through examples. And I even found an error in the
original NI Delphi (probably present in the C version as well)
software that will make one call not work correctly, giving stack and
heap problems. I fixed it, and the call now works.

How must your device be programmed? Look like the NI. Or must we build
things ourselves?

And is there somwhere a decent manual on a "GPIB how to"?

P.

 

You can control a device like the smart488 interface from Delphi, but NOT
through NI USB-GPIB libraries. You will just need to use the serial port
access routines provided by Delphi. In transparent mode (only one equipment
connected) you will directly talk to your instrument. If you need more
complex features then you will use a Hayes-compatible standard protocol
(+++, AT+ADDR=12, ATO, etc), see manual.

Cheers,
Robert

 

That would make it even worse, by about 1" in extra length. I just want
to solder cable onto a solder-cupped 24-pin Centronix and come out
sideways, then 3-4ft to some location where the Prologix can comfortably
reside.

I wonder if the twists in CAT5 would mess up the signals when using each
pair for two data lines. We'll see. After all, GPIB is really slow.

 

Yes, but right now the back feet of the analyzers act as buffers and the
Prologix screws stick out and can scratch the wall paint. Not that I
would care but I am married, so ...

I'd have to take this all apart, pretty big job. Then again my wife is
pushing me harder and harder to get new flooring into the lab. So far I
haven't succeeded in finding a local source of decent carpet tiles. Then
I'd have to take out everything anyhow (if I find tiles).

Yes, I think so, too.

 

It's hard to shield that. Also, I want to use up some of the remnants
from the LAN installation ;-)

 

So that is totally different. I have two precison current sources,
voltsage sources, 2 precision multimeter and apower supply on GPIB.

So a lot of work to program this. In NI, as I made softwareobjects for
the devices, it is easy.

P.

 

Digging out my copy of IEEE Std 488-1978, the answer appears to be yes.
As a footnote, it calls out Amphenol (or Cinch) "Series 57 Microribbon"
or AMP "CHAMP". (An Allied or Newark catalog would give a good overview
of that old stuff).

Mark Zenier
Googleproofaddress(account:mzenier provider:eskimo domain:com)