[time-nuts] Arduino GPIB

[Didier Juges]

Yes, you can get an Arduino R3 on eBay for <$4 with shipping...

The GPIB connector will cost you more!

Didier KO4BB


On January 12, 2015 8:45:12 AM CST, paul swed <paulswedb at gmail.com> wrote:
>That certainly is a hack. But its something I have often thought about
>and
>never did. He is right its really a one instrument interface as it
>doesn't
>have the buffers to drive the load of multiple instruments.
>But heavens that has to be a really cheap interface for a bit of
>soldering
>effort. My type of effort. :-)
>Regards
>Paul.
>WB8TSL
>
>On Sun, Jan 11, 2015 at 11:57 PM, Joseph Gray <jgray at zianet.com> wrote:
>
>> I thought everyone here would find this of interest. I stumbled
>across it a
>> few days ago on the 'net. It is a Prologix GPIB-USB compatible made
>with an
>> Arduino Uno.
>>
>>
>>
>http://egirland.blogspot.com/2014/03/arduino-uno-as-usb-to-gpib-controller.html
>>
>> Like on his web site, I just took a cheap GPIB cable, cut off about
>12
>> inches and shoved the wires into the socket holes on an Uno. I
>uploaded his
>> program and did some minor testing so far. BTW, it didn't work the
>first
>> time due to poor contact. I shoved some pin headers in, after the
>wires and
>> now it works fine.
>>
>> John's Prologix config program works just fine with this cobbled
>together
>> GPIB adapter. I attached it to my HP 3457A and then ran the demo
>program
>> that comes with Ulrich's EZGPIB. It is logging data as I type this. I
>will
>> do more testing with other instruments, as I have time.
>>
>> As mentioned on the web page linked above, a few commands are not yet
>> implemented, although they appear to be little used commands (except
>> perhaps the ++savecfg command). I think I have a way to implement the
>++rst
>> command using the watchdog timer. For ++savecfg, it shouldn't be too
>> difficult to store things in the Arduino EEPROM.
>>
>> I have some cheap Arduino Nano's and PCB-mount GPIB connectors on
>order. I
>> will be making a couple of these Proligix-compatible adapters with
>those
>> parts, so that they aren't just wires shoved into a board. I'll have
>to
>> find a small box to house things. I have also ordered some buffer
>chips to
>> add to the design. Total cost should be under $20 for each adapter.
>>
>> The firmware uses a serial baud rate of 115200, which I assume is the
>same
>> as a real Prologix. I'm going to try some higher baud rates to see
>how fast
>> the Arduino can push bits without losing them. I understand that with
>the
>> default 16 MHz clock, non-standard baud rates that are evenly
>divisible
>> into the clock rate should work even better I'll report back.
>>
>> One question about the baud rate - are there any reasons not to
>change from
>> 115200? Since we are simply moving bits through a USB/Serial adapter,
>does
>> any software really care what the baud rate is, as long as we don't
>drop
>> any bits?
>>
>> Joe Gray
>> W5JG
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