[time-nuts] Prologix GPIB/USB converter help...

Didier Juges didier at cox.net
Tue Apr 17 00:03:48 EDT 2007


GPIB-ENET controllers by NI are on and off available on eBay for about 
$200. I would think there is a market for an ethernet/GPIB controller in 
that price range.

I also second the RS-232 option. While the USB-parallel interface chip 
has the potential of being much faster (which is great when there is a 
fair amount of data to download, such as a spectrum analyzer or a scope 
display, or with fast A/D converters for instance), there are many 
applications where the speed is not that critical, such as controlling 
signal generators, power meters, frequency counters and the like because 
these instruments have internal setup or acquisition times that are in 
the order of or slower than the communication time.

As someone pointed out, a Serial-USB adapter cost only about $10 
(www.geeks.com), and I would not mind having a GPIB-Serial device, and 
attach a Serial-USB if I want to. Once you provide USB only, that's it, 
it will be USB or nothing. The one drawback of a Serial only controller 
is that you probably need a separate power supply. It's not the end of 
the world though. It's not an absolute obligation either. I have a pair 
of IOTech Micro488/P controllers that are powered from the serial port. 
They use a Motorola 68HC05 chip internally and work well, even with the 
serial port from my Dell laptop. The command set is simple and 
effective, I would recommend it. When bought new, these IOTech serial 
controllers cost an arm, both legs and an eye... eBay to the rescue :-)

Didier

Christopher Hoover wrote:
> "Prologix" <support at prologix.biz> wrote:
>   
>> I am in the process of designing a GPIB-Ethernet controller. You think
>> that
>> will be of any interest?
>>
>> Abdul
>>     
>
> Yes, very much so.  Of course price is key.
>
> -ch
>
>   



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