Is a USB to GPIB dongle/convertor a difficult project ?

Winfield wrote:
JB wrote:
"robb" wrote
That is something like the Prologix USB to GPIB
convertor/controller ? Is this a USB/GPIB IC chip
and connectors or is there more to it?
I think you'd be better just getting an NI USB-GPIB converter.
It's not just the hardware compatibility that's important,
depending on what software you're using, robust and well
tested drivers are critical.

Yes, if you want to use prepackage GPIB software.
They're available on eBay. One problem, there's
not much of software around for older instruments.
That may be where Prologix adapters and serial-port
communication could come in (see my other post).
Click to expand...
Writing test control software for GPIB instruments was one of the things
i did for part of my job 20 to 30 years ago. Of course back then it was
DOS based or specialized workstations and NI was just getting started.
 
Jean-Yves wrote:
In article <oQ0vj.7073$Ru4.138@newssvr19.news.prodigy.net>,
Joerg <notthisjoergsch@removethispacbell.net> wrote:

Jean-Yves wrote:
In article
d208ef3a-6987-43ea-9408-1ebf807b861a@u72g2000hsf.googlegroups.com>,
Winfield Hill <hill@rowland.org> wrote:

John Larkin wrote:
Incidentally, the Console Compiler (Windows) version of PowerBasic is
very slick. I coded about 1400 lines of inventory-control database
stuff this weekend, and it works great... compiles to a 50K EXE and
runs blinding fast. Now when you look at the inventory record for a
part, you can hit a key and launch an Explorer window that includes
datasheets, pics, notes, browser links, whatever, about that part.

John
WHOOOOHHHH, I want a copy!
just try this :

http://octopart.com/

it does quite the same online !
and free (too ?)

I believe John meant something like a partial enterprise database, to
look up their own stock and also their own modules.

seems you can also do some kind of "simple" inventory with their
"partlist" feature on the site...
Click to expand...
If you only want to do that locally for your own stock parts you can use
a database. Some allow to place links into fields and those can either
point to a URL on the web or to a file on your own server. Then one
click and the datasheet, photo or whatever shows up.

Now I just wish Works could do that because it contains a database part
that has never crashed on me in almost two decades. But I guess one
can't have it all.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/
 
R

robb

Guest
That is something like the Prologix USB to GPIB
convertor/controller ?

Is this a USB/GPIB IC chip and connectors or is there more to it
?

Thanks for any ideas
ROB
 
In article <oQ0vj.7073$Ru4.138@newssvr19.news.prodigy.net>,
Joerg <notthisjoergsch@removethispacbell.net> wrote:

Jean-Yves wrote:
In article
d208ef3a-6987-43ea-9408-1ebf807b861a@u72g2000hsf.googlegroups.com>,
Winfield Hill <hill@rowland.org> wrote:

John Larkin wrote:
Incidentally, the Console Compiler (Windows) version of PowerBasic is
very slick. I coded about 1400 lines of inventory-control database
stuff this weekend, and it works great... compiles to a 50K EXE and
runs blinding fast. Now when you look at the inventory record for a
part, you can hit a key and launch an Explorer window that includes
datasheets, pics, notes, browser links, whatever, about that part.

John
WHOOOOHHHH, I want a copy!

just try this :

http://octopart.com/

it does quite the same online !
and free (too ?)


I believe John meant something like a partial enterprise database, to
look up their own stock and also their own modules.
Click to expand...
seems you can also do some kind of "simple" inventory with their
"partlist" feature on the site...

--
Jean-Yves.
 
On a sunny day (Wed, 20 Feb 2008 22:10:22 +0100) it happened Jean-Yves
<no_pub_for_jypochez@free.fr> wrote in
<no_pub_for_jypochez-2FD7A8.22102220022008@web.aioe.org>:

just try this :

http://octopart.com/
Click to expand...
Nice site, bookmarked it, thank you.



it does quite the same online !
and free (too ?)

--
Jean-Yves.
Click to expand...
 
Jean-Yves wrote:
In article
d208ef3a-6987-43ea-9408-1ebf807b861a@u72g2000hsf.googlegroups.com>,
Winfield Hill <hill@rowland.org> wrote:

John Larkin wrote:
Incidentally, the Console Compiler (Windows) version of PowerBasic is
very slick. I coded about 1400 lines of inventory-control database
stuff this weekend, and it works great... compiles to a 50K EXE and
runs blinding fast. Now when you look at the inventory record for a
part, you can hit a key and launch an Explorer window that includes
datasheets, pics, notes, browser links, whatever, about that part.

John
WHOOOOHHHH, I want a copy!

just try this :

http://octopart.com/

it does quite the same online !
and free (too ?)
Click to expand...
I believe John meant something like a partial enterprise database, to
look up their own stock and also their own modules.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/
 
In article
<d208ef3a-6987-43ea-9408-1ebf807b861a@u72g2000hsf.googlegroups.com>,
Winfield Hill <hill@rowland.org> wrote:

John Larkin wrote:

Incidentally, the Console Compiler (Windows) version of PowerBasic is
very slick. I coded about 1400 lines of inventory-control database
stuff this weekend, and it works great... compiles to a 50K EXE and
runs blinding fast. Now when you look at the inventory record for a
part, you can hit a key and launch an Explorer window that includes
datasheets, pics, notes, browser links, whatever, about that part.

John

WHOOOOHHHH, I want a copy!
Click to expand...
just try this :

http://octopart.com/

it does quite the same online !
and free (too ?)

--
Jean-Yves.
 
Joerg <notthisjoergsch@removethispacbell.net> writes:

Dave Platt wrote:
In article <0kMuj.6975$Ru4.4368@newssvr19.news.prodigy.net>,
Joerg <notthisjoergsch@removethispacbell.net> wrote:

Do you use the Prologix? If so, does it work well to get screen
prints and stuff?

It's $150 a pop (both direct and via Sparkfun).

I bought one of the earlier (bare-board) versions through SparkFun,
and stuffed it into the case from an old Ethernet MAU interface. I've
used it with a Tektronix TDS-series 'scope and a Linux system.

It does work. I haven't tried to use the GPIB-target print-screen
feature, except to try it once and see that the scope did spit out
some data through the interface. I used it more extensively to do
waveform data capture, using a simple C program to send commands and
retrieve the data (something akin to the classic "chat" program). The
equipment lashup was a bit idiosyncratic - an old HP RF signal
generator (with AM or FM modulation turned on), into a Systron-Donner
spectrum analyzer, whose X and Y sweep outputs fed two inputs on a
TDS420A 'scope. I triggered the scope on the rising X input, did a
one-shot capture of the Y input, and (when I got one I liked) used the
Prologix to transfer the curve data to my laptop system, where it was
decimated and fed into OpenOffice.org to create a graph I could add to a
presentation.

The speed is adequate for transfers of this sort. I don't think I'd
try to use this type of GPIB interface for controlling measurements or
devices in situations where there are tight timing requirements. And,
the basic I/O metaphor used by this sort of interface is a lot
higher-level than the GPIB-bus-bit-banging API used by the NI
interface cards and driver libraries... I'm not sure it would be easy
to interface it to LabView.


I think they mentioned LabView interfacing in the doc
section. Supposedly while you can use a program written for an NI card
directly there are ways to make that transfer work.

I'd really only need it to spit out the screen contents. Verbatim, not
as a CSV file or such. IOW straight to the LAN server, hop into the
office chair, send it on to the client, "Here, found the problem and
figure 2 is how it looks after the fix".
Click to expand...
I have used it (the prologix) - works well with the stuff I have. The
unit is basically the same size as the GPIB connector, so it
effectively turns your instrument into a USB one. Of course you retain
the ability to anchor your boat.

--

John Devereux
 
"robb" <some@where.on.net> wrote in message
news:13rltud50nuv655@corp.supernews.com...
That is something like the Prologix USB to GPIB
convertor/controller ?

Is this a USB/GPIB IC chip and connectors or is there more to it
?
Click to expand...
I think you'd be better just getting an NI USB-GPIB converter. It's not just
the hardware compatibility that's important, depending on what software
you're using, robust and well tested drivers are critical.

JB
 
On Feb 19, 7:41 am, "robb" <s...@where.on.net> wrote:
That is something like the Prologix USB to GPIB
convertor/controller ?

Is this a USB/GPIB IC chip and connectors or is there more to it
?

Thanks for any ideas
ROB
Click to expand...
You will need at least some buffering memory to resolve timing
differences and some logic to resolve commands. I assume your device
will look to the host computer like a USB slave, but to the GPIB
devices will look like a bus controller.
 
On Feb 19, 7:41 am, "robb" <s...@where.on.net> wrote:
That is something like the Prologix USB to GPIB
convertor/controller ?

Is this a USB/GPIB IC chip and connectors or is there more to it
?

Thanks for any ideas
ROB
Click to expand...
check out ebay item 290206904947
Paul Mathews
 
On Feb 19, 7:41 am, "robb" <s...@where.on.net> wrote:
That is something like the Prologix USB to GPIB
convertor/controller ?

Is this a USB/GPIB IC chip and connectors or is there more to it
?

Thanks for any ideas
ROB
Click to expand...
http://www.ni.com/pdf/support/us/gpib_upgrade_us.pdf

Nation Instruments has a trade in program so you can buy their
obscenely overpriced gear at merely overpriced levels. It used to be a
really complex matrix, but now it appears that any NI carcass gets you
the discount. Of course, it is still $100 more than the prologix
device.

I've bought the NI 232 to gpib boxes at local flea markets, They go
for peanuts. $3 However, there is some nuance with Keithly gear.

All that said, the prologix board looks good. It has been my
experience that the FTTI chips work on everything (including X64), and
I probably wouldn't use labview.
 
John Larkin wrote:
Incidentally, the Console Compiler (Windows) version of PowerBasic is
very slick. I coded about 1400 lines of inventory-control database
stuff this weekend, and it works great... compiles to a 50K EXE and
runs blinding fast. Now when you look at the inventory record for a
part, you can hit a key and launch an Explorer window that includes
datasheets, pics, notes, browser links, whatever, about that part.

John
Click to expand...
WHOOOOHHHH, I want a copy!
 
"Winfield" <winfieldhill@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:f36e44ce-ae5d-4fda-9ae9-4d9ec6d255d7@o77g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
Compared to USB or Firewire, it's simple.
Click to expand...
If Jan Axelson were 25 years younger I suppose she'd have written, "GPIB
Complete" by now. :)

I used her "USB Complete" as my main reference the one time I did a USB
project where I did have to take apart and assemble USB packets in software
myself. (These days I just use, e.g., FTDI ICs, but I was purposely looking
for the "experience" on that project... and the FTDI-like approach fails if
you have high-bandwidth or isochronous needs...)
 
krw wrote:
In article <fFMuj.8368$5K1.2836@newssvr12.news.prodigy.net>,
notthisjoergsch@removethispacbell.net says...
krw wrote:
In article <8f2mr3t13pel5aobev2ijao7rvs4b3gmhd@4ax.com>,
jjlarkin@highNOTlandTHIStechnologyPART.com says...
On Tue, 19 Feb 2008 11:44:56 -0500, Rich Webb
bbew.ar@mapson.nozirev.ten> wrote:

On Tue, 19 Feb 2008 10:41:02 -0500, "robb" <some@where.on.net> wrote:

That is something like the Prologix USB to GPIB
convertor/controller ?

Is this a USB/GPIB IC chip and connectors or is there more to it
?
AFAIK, there is no single-chip "USB/GPIB" solution.

http://prologix.googlepages.com/gpibusb.jpg/gpibusb-full.jpg> is a
picture of one available (and relatively inexpensive) approach.

Sparkfun carries the newer, 4.2 version; I've use the bare-board rev 3
(the one pictured) with success for some automated lab test equipment.
Seems to me that GPIB is, and should be, dying. Everything should just
be Ethernet. You can buy an entire Ethernet server gadget, like an
Xport, for half the price of a GPIB cable, and it will work 1000 miles
from your computer.
It should never have been born! What a hunk of junk.

Ever read the actual IEEE GPIB spec?
Yes. Didn't make it work any better though. What a mess.

OTOH GPIB cables look like they could be quite useful to tow a truck :)

Cost as much as the truck.

And yes, GPIB is IMHO ill-conceived.

I had one setup that the cables had to be starred off one device to
get it to work. There was a 12" GPIB stack of connectors hanging
off one device. In another phase of the moon they'd have to be
daisy-chained.

My worst experience: Unscrewed a
connection, didn't pay attention for a split second, cable ricocheted
across the lab table and my coffee cup went sailing. Kleenex time. What
a mess!

Did that this morning. Dumped half a 20oz cup of coffee all over my
desk and side. Fortunately, my laptop was the opposite direction.
Yes, a mess.
Click to expand...
My solution was to buy a Durabook (mil-type laptop). It's supposedly
spill-proof.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/
 
Dave Platt wrote:
In article <0kMuj.6975$Ru4.4368@newssvr19.news.prodigy.net>,
Joerg <notthisjoergsch@removethispacbell.net> wrote:

Do you use the Prologix? If so, does it work well to get screen prints
and stuff?

It's $150 a pop (both direct and via Sparkfun).

I bought one of the earlier (bare-board) versions through SparkFun,
and stuffed it into the case from an old Ethernet MAU interface. I've
used it with a Tektronix TDS-series 'scope and a Linux system.

It does work. I haven't tried to use the GPIB-target print-screen
feature, except to try it once and see that the scope did spit out
some data through the interface. I used it more extensively to do
waveform data capture, using a simple C program to send commands and
retrieve the data (something akin to the classic "chat" program). The
equipment lashup was a bit idiosyncratic - an old HP RF signal
generator (with AM or FM modulation turned on), into a Systron-Donner
spectrum analyzer, whose X and Y sweep outputs fed two inputs on a
TDS420A 'scope. I triggered the scope on the rising X input, did a
one-shot capture of the Y input, and (when I got one I liked) used the
Prologix to transfer the curve data to my laptop system, where it was
decimated and fed into OpenOffice.org to create a graph I could add to a
presentation.

The speed is adequate for transfers of this sort. I don't think I'd
try to use this type of GPIB interface for controlling measurements or
devices in situations where there are tight timing requirements. And,
the basic I/O metaphor used by this sort of interface is a lot
higher-level than the GPIB-bus-bit-banging API used by the NI
interface cards and driver libraries... I'm not sure it would be easy
to interface it to LabView.
Click to expand...
I think they mentioned LabView interfacing in the doc section.
Supposedly while you can use a program written for an NI card directly
there are ways to make that transfer work.

I'd really only need it to spit out the screen contents. Verbatim, not
as a CSV file or such. IOW straight to the LAN server, hop into the
office chair, send it on to the client, "Here, found the problem and
figure 2 is how it looks after the fix".

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/
 
On Tue, 19 Feb 2008 10:41:02 -0500, "robb" <some@where.on.net> wrote:

That is something like the Prologix USB to GPIB
convertor/controller ?

Is this a USB/GPIB IC chip and connectors or is there more to it
?
Click to expand...
AFAIK, there is no single-chip "USB/GPIB" solution.

<http://prologix.googlepages.com/gpibusb.jpg/gpibusb-full.jpg> is a
picture of one available (and relatively inexpensive) approach.

Sparkfun carries the newer, 4.2 version; I've use the bare-board rev 3
(the one pictured) with success for some automated lab test equipment.

--
Rich Webb Norfolk, VA
 
On Tue, 19 Feb 2008 11:44:56 -0500, Rich Webb
<bbew.ar@mapson.nozirev.ten> wrote:

On Tue, 19 Feb 2008 10:41:02 -0500, "robb" <some@where.on.net> wrote:

That is something like the Prologix USB to GPIB
convertor/controller ?

Is this a USB/GPIB IC chip and connectors or is there more to it
?

AFAIK, there is no single-chip "USB/GPIB" solution.

http://prologix.googlepages.com/gpibusb.jpg/gpibusb-full.jpg> is a
picture of one available (and relatively inexpensive) approach.

Sparkfun carries the newer, 4.2 version; I've use the bare-board rev 3
(the one pictured) with success for some automated lab test equipment.
Click to expand...
Seems to me that GPIB is, and should be, dying. Everything should just
be Ethernet. You can buy an entire Ethernet server gadget, like an
Xport, for half the price of a GPIB cable, and it will work 1000 miles
from your computer.

Ever read the actual IEEE GPIB spec?

John
 
In article <0kMuj.6975$Ru4.4368@newssvr19.news.prodigy.net>,
Joerg <notthisjoergsch@removethispacbell.net> wrote:

Do you use the Prologix? If so, does it work well to get screen prints
and stuff?

It's $150 a pop (both direct and via Sparkfun).
Click to expand...
I bought one of the earlier (bare-board) versions through SparkFun,
and stuffed it into the case from an old Ethernet MAU interface. I've
used it with a Tektronix TDS-series 'scope and a Linux system.

It does work. I haven't tried to use the GPIB-target print-screen
feature, except to try it once and see that the scope did spit out
some data through the interface. I used it more extensively to do
waveform data capture, using a simple C program to send commands and
retrieve the data (something akin to the classic "chat" program). The
equipment lashup was a bit idiosyncratic - an old HP RF signal
generator (with AM or FM modulation turned on), into a Systron-Donner
spectrum analyzer, whose X and Y sweep outputs fed two inputs on a
TDS420A 'scope. I triggered the scope on the rising X input, did a
one-shot capture of the Y input, and (when I got one I liked) used the
Prologix to transfer the curve data to my laptop system, where it was
decimated and fed into OpenOffice.org to create a graph I could add to a
presentation.

The speed is adequate for transfers of this sort. I don't think I'd
try to use this type of GPIB interface for controlling measurements or
devices in situations where there are tight timing requirements. And,
the basic I/O metaphor used by this sort of interface is a lot
higher-level than the GPIB-bus-bit-banging API used by the NI
interface cards and driver libraries... I'm not sure it would be easy
to interface it to LabView.

--
Dave Platt <dplatt@radagast.org> AE6EO
Friends of Jade Warrior home page: http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior
I do _not_ wish to receive unsolicited commercial email, and I will
boycott any company which has the gall to send me such ads!
 
Spehro Pefhany wrote:
On Tue, 19 Feb 2008 08:58:19 -0800, John Larkin
jjlarkin@highNOTlandTHIStechnologyPART.com> wrote:

On Tue, 19 Feb 2008 11:44:56 -0500, Rich Webb
bbew.ar@mapson.nozirev.ten> wrote:

On Tue, 19 Feb 2008 10:41:02 -0500, "robb" <some@where.on.net> wrote:

That is something like the Prologix USB to GPIB
convertor/controller ?

Is this a USB/GPIB IC chip and connectors or is there more to it
?

AFAIK, there is no single-chip "USB/GPIB" solution.

http://prologix.googlepages.com/gpibusb.jpg/gpibusb-full.jpg> is a
picture of one available (and relatively inexpensive) approach.

Sparkfun carries the newer, 4.2 version; I've use the bare-board rev 3
(the one pictured) with success for some automated lab test equipment.

Seems to me that GPIB is, and should be, dying. Everything should just
be Ethernet. You can buy an entire Ethernet server gadget, like an
Xport, for half the price of a GPIB cable, and it will work 1000 miles
from your computer.

Ever read the actual IEEE GPIB spec?

John

My Commodore PET 2001 (despite the name it's ca. 1979) does GPIB..

Like this one: http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/pet/h/p20018.jpg
Click to expand...

I still have some Commodore dual 5 1/4" GPIB floppy drives, and a
stack of 4023 GPIB printers.


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Welcome to EDABoard.com

Sponsor

Back
Top