GPIB interface solution

[zoanie]

Hi All,

I have a project that includes a requirement for a GPIB interface. I'm considering my options. I could find an Ethernet or Serial to GPIB adapter. It would be nice however to find a module/driver is available for the PK70, or downloadable to the eTPU. Does anyone have any experience using a GPIB interface w/Netburner?

Thanks in advance for your comments,

Carlos

[Chris Ruff]

Carlos

Device or Host?

Chris

[tod]

The first thing I do when I get this requirement is ask the client exactly why they think they need it. Usually (OK always) they don't need it. As I recall there are some unique things you could do with real GPIB (Group Execute Trigger comes to mind), but no one who's asked for it was actually using those unique capabilities. The other advantage to GPIB I see is low latency (for small payloads) but no one's ever needed that either. I have implemented SCPI interfaces for clients but in all the target applications Ethernet has worked faster, better over longer distances and more reliably than GPIB, plus the connector's a lot smaller. That said, I can imagine where they might have a real need for it, but it's worth finding out why it's being requested if your situation allows it.

BTW, keep in mind that the Ethernet/Serial adapters solutions usually have caveats about things like GET and of course you lose the latency advantages.

[Chris Ruff]

Picture a rack filled with a scope, meters, frequency generator, etc. etc.
In this scenario GPIB is still king. In order to get Ethernet/VXI-11 on all of those instruments you have to buy all of them new and they are the Cadillac versions as well.

I actually built up a netburner based GPIB Device as my first Netburner project back in '00. I used the NI chip along with a custom driver I wrote. Never used the design for anything though since I no longer worked any GPIB-required test and measurement contracts again.

Chris

[rhopf1]

Duplicating GPIB handshaking, et al, would be a real PITA and best done with an FPGA or CPLD. I'd recommend one of NI's Ethernet-GPIB devices. It would include all the low level drivers and high level interfaces to software.

[zoanie]

Chris, Tod & rhopf1,

Thanks for your replies. At this point I think the best solution I've found is using an Ethernet to GPIB adapter. The project has some tight volume constraints in that I have to reuse the same control box. However it looks like the Ethernet to GPIB adapter from Prologix (http://prologix.biz/gpib-ethernet-controller.html) will fit and work just fine. They provide a sample Windows C++ API that details an interface using a TCP socket. The GPIB to Ethernet adapter from NI is another option, but appears larger and quite a bit more expensive.

Best regards,

Carlos