ADLINK LPCI-3488A User Manual

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LPCI/PXI-3488A
IEEE488 GPIB Interface Card Series
User’s Manual
Manual Rev. 2.00 Revision Date: May 15, 2008 Part No: 50-17023-3000
Advance Technologies; Automate the World.
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Copyright 2008 ADLINK TECHNOLOGY INC. All Rights Reserved.
The information in this document is subject to change without prior notice in order to improve reliability , design, and function and does not represent a commitment on the part of the manufacturer.
In no event will the manufacturer be liable for direct, indirect, spe­cial, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of the use or inability to use the product or documentation, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.
This document contains proprietary information protected by copy­right. All rights are reserved. No part of this manual may be repro­duced by any mechanical, elec tronic, or other means in a ny form without prior written permission of the manufacturer.
Trademarks Product names mentioned herein are used for identification pur-
poses only and may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
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Getting Service from ADLINK
Customer Satisfaction is top priority for ADLINK Technology Inc. Please contact us should you require any service or assistance.
ADLINK TECHNOLOGY INC.
Web Site: http://www.adlinktech.com Sales & Service: Service@adlinktech.com TEL: +886-2-82265877 FAX: +886-2-82265717 Address: 9F, No. 166, Jian Yi Road, Chungho City,
Taipei, 235 Taiwan
Please email or FAX this completed service form for prompt and satisfactory service.
Company Information
Company/Organization Contact Person E-mail Address Address Country TEL FAX: Web Site
Product Information
Product Model
OS:
Environment
M/B: CPU: Chipset: Bios:
Please give a detailed description of the problem(s):
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Table of Contents

1 Introduction ........................................................................ 1
1.1 Overview.............................................................................. 1
Performance ................................................................... 1
Compatibility ................................................................... 1
1.2 Features............................................................................... 3
LPCI-3488A .................................................................... 3
PXI-3488A ...................................................................... 3
1.3 Specifications....................................................................... 4
GPIB Bus Properties ....................................................... 4
Certificates ........................... ............................. .............. 4
General Specifications ....................................................5
1.4 Software Support................................................................. 6
2 Installation .......................................................................... 7
2.1 Contents of Package ................................... ... .... ... ... ... ....... 7
LPCI-3488A .................................................................... 7
PXI-3488A ...................................................................... 7
2.2 Unpacking............................................................................ 8
2.3 Mechanical Drawing ............................................................ 9
LPCI-3488A .................................................................... 9
PXI-3488A .................................................................... 10
2.4 PCI Configuration .............................................................. 11
Plug and Play ...............................................................11
Configuration ................................................................ 11
Troubleshooting ................................ ............................ 11
2.5 Hardware Installation................................. ... ... .... ... ... ... .... . 12
LPCI-3488A Installation Procedures ............................. 12
PXI-3488A Installation Procedures ......................... ......13
Cabling ......................................................................... 13
2.6 Software Installation .......................................................... 16
Driver installation .......................................................... 16
Using the ADLINK GPIB Utility ............................ ... .... .. 18
3 Operation Theory ............................................................. 21
3.1 Connection Configuration .................................................. 21
Data Lines .................... .... ... ... ... .... ... ... ... ... .... ... ............23
Handshake Lines ..........................................................23
System management lines ........................................... 23
Table of Contents i
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3.2 ADLINK GPIB Interface Cards Block Diagram .................. 24
ii Table of Contents
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List of Tables

Table 1-1: Power Requirements, LPCI-3488A .......................... 5
Table 1-2: Power Requirements, PXI-3488A ............................. 5
Table 3-1: GPIB Bus ................................................................ 22
List of Tables iii
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List of Figures

Figure 2-1: PCB Layout of the LPCI-3488A................................. 9
Figure 2-2: PCB Layout of the PXI-3488A ................................. 10
Figure 2-3: LPCI-3488A Linear Connection Configuration......... 14
Figure 2-4: LPCI-3488A Star Connection Configuration............ 14
Figure 2-5: PXI-3488A Linear Connection Configuration........... 15
Figure 2-6: PXI-3488A Star Connection Configuration .............. 15
Figure 3-1: Standard GPIB Connector....................................... 21
Figure 3-2: Block Diagram of ADLINK GPIB Interface Cards.... 24
iv List of Figures
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1 Introduction

1.1 Overview

ADLINK’s LPCI-3488A and PXI-3488A GPIB controller interface cards are fully compatible with the IEEE488.2 instrumen tation co n­trol and communication standard and are capable of controlling up to 14 stand-alone instruments via IEEE488 cables. The LPCI­3488A and PXI-3488A are designed to meet the requirements for high performance and maximum programming portability. They were developed using ADLINK’s intellectual property in FPGAs which incorporates the GPIB controller , provides reliable GPIB bus control capability , and support s a transfer rate up to 1.5 MB/s. With
APIs that are compatible with National Instruments VISA support, the LPCI-3488A and PXI-3488A offer the be st com­patibility with your existing applications and instrument drivers.

1.1.1 Performance

ADLINK’s expertise in PCI and PXI interface cards was leveraged when developing these newly designed GPIB interface card. The LPCI-3488A, which is the low-profile PCI form factor, supports both 3.3 V and 5 V PCI buses and can be adapted to most indus­trial and desktop computers. The PXI-3488A is compliant with PXI specification Rev. 2.0 and can be used with most PXI and Com­pactPCI system. A 2 KB FIFO is placed between the GPIB bus and PCI controller to buffer GPIB read/write operations. This FIFO eliminates the gap between the slow GPIB bus (~1.5 MB/s) and the fast PCI bus (132 MB/s), and dramatically increases overall system performance.
1
software and

1.1.2 Compatibility

ADLINK’s GPIB interface solutions are delivered with complete software support, including a driver API set that is fully binary com-
patible with NI
1. National Instruments is a registered trademark of National Instruments Cor­poration
2. NI is a registered trademark of National Instruments Corporation
Introduction 1
2
’s GPIB-32.DLL. All programs written based on the
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GPIB-32.DLL library can be executed with LPCI-3488A or PXI­3488A without any modification. VISA library is also supported to ensure compatibility with applications utilizing VISA. The ADLINK LPCI-3488A and PXI-3488A thus provides the “Plug and Play” compatibility with all your existing applications.
2Introduction
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1.2 Features

1.2.1 LPCI-3488A

The LPCI-3488A IEEE 488 GPIB interface card provides the fol­lowing advanced features:
X Fully compatible with the IEEE 488 standard X Up to 1.5 MB/s data transfer rates X Built-in 2 KB FIFO for read/write operations
X Provides APIs compatible with NI-488.2 X Supports industrial-standard VISA Library X Interactive utility for testing and diagnostics X Fully low-profile MD1 PCB compliant

1.2.2 PXI-3488A

The PXI-3488A IEEE 488 GPIB interface card provides the follow­ing advanced features:
X PXI specifications Rev. 2.0 compliant X 3U Eurocard form factor, CompactPCI compliant (PICMG
2.0 R3.0)
X Fully compatible with the IEEE 488 standard X Up to 1.5 MB/s data transfer rates X Built-in 2 KB FIFO for read/write operations
X Provides APIs compatible with NI-488.2 X Supports industrial-standard VISA Library X Interactive utility for testing and diagnostics
1
driver software
1
driver software
1. NI-488.2 is a trademark of National Instruments Corporation.
Introduction 3
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1.3 Specifications

1.3.1 GPIB Bus Properties

X Up to 14 instruments can be connected to one controller X Maximum 1.5 MB/s data transfer rate X Cable length
Z 2 meters between each instrument (suggested)
Z 20 meters total cable length X Data transfer mode: 8 bits parallel X Handshake: 3 wire handshake, reception of each data byte
is acknowledged

1.3.2 Certificates

X EMC/EMI: CE, FCC Class A
4Introduction
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1.3.3 General Specifications

X I/O Connector: IEEE 488 standard 24-pin connector
X Operating temperature: 0 to 55ºC
X Storage temperature: -20 to 80ºC at 10 to 90% humidity
X Relative humidity: 10 to 90%, non-condensing
X Power requirements
Z LPCI-3488A
+5 V
250 mA (typical)
300 mA (maximum)
Table 1-1: Power Requirements, LPCI-3488A
Z PXI-3488A
+5 V
250 mA (typical)
300 mA (maximum)
Table 1-2: Power Requirements, PXI-3488A
X Dimensions (not including connectors) :
Z LPCI-3488A: 120 mm x 64 mm Z PXI-3488A: 160 mm x 100 mm
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1.4 Software Support

The ADLINK LPCI-3488A and PXI-3488A GPIB interface cards provide a device driver package: ADL-GPIB for Windows 98/2000/ XP/Vista. The ADGPIB driver package also provides a diagnostic utility to test GPIB interface cards, as well as programming sam­ples and source code examples for Microsoft Visual C++. The ADL-GPIB driver package can be found in the included All-in-one CD. Please refer to the Software Installation section (2.6), o n p age 16 for detailed software installation instructions.
For other OS support, please contact ADLINK for more informa­tion.
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2 Installation

This chapter outlines the contents of package, describes unpack­ing information, and describes how to install the hardware and software.

2.1 Contents of Package

2.1.1 LPCI-3488A

The LPCI-3488A includes the following items:
X LPCI-3488A
X An additional low-profile bracket
X ADLINK All-in-One CD
X This User’s Manual

2.1.2 PXI-3488A

The PXI-3488A includes the following items:
X PXI-3488A
X ADLINK All-in-One CD
X This User’s Manual
If any of these items are missing or damaged, contact your ADLINK dealer. Please save the shipping materials and carton to ship or store the product if needed.
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2.2 Unpacking

Both the LPCI-3488A and PXI-3488A contain electrostatic sensi­tive components that can be easily be damaged by static electric­ity.
Therefore, these modules should be handled on a grounded anti­static mat. The operator should be wearing an anti-static wrist­band, grounded at the same point as the anti-static mat.
Inspect the module for obvious damage. Shipping and handling may cause damage to the module. Be sure there is no shipping and handling damage on the module before continuing.
Note: DO NOT APPLY POWER TO THE CARD IF IT HAS BEEN
DAMAGED.
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2.3 Mechanical Drawing

2.3.1 LPCI-3488A

Figure 2-1: PCB Layout of the LPCI-3488A
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2.3.2 PXI-3488A

Figure 2-2: PCB Layout of the PXI-3488A
The ADLINK PXI-3488A is packaged in a Eurocard form factor compliant with the PXI Specification and measuring 160 mm in length and 100 mm in height (not including connectors). The IEEE488 standard 24-pin connector is located at the front panel and the J1 IEC connectors in the rear are used to link the chassis backplane. With its modular, rugged, and high shock resistant mechanical features, the IEEE488 GPIB Interface module func­tions exceptionally well in harsh environment applications.
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2.4 PCI Configuration

2.4.1 Plug and Play

As a plug-and-play component, the card requests an interrupt number via its PCI controller. The system BIOS responds with an interrupt assignment based on the card in format ion and on know n system parameters. These system parameters are determined by the installed drivers and the hardware is acknowledged by the sys­tem.

2.4.2 Configuration

Board configuration is accomplished on a board-by-board basis for all PCI/PXI boards in the chassis. Because configuration is controlled by the system and software, there is no jumper setting required for base-address, DMA, and interrupt IRQ.
The configuration is subject to change with every boot of the sys­tem as new boards are added or removed.

2.4.3 Troubleshooting

If the system doesn’t boot or you experience erratic operation with the PCI/PXI board in place, it’s likely caused by an interrupt con­flict (perhaps the BIOS settings are incorrectly configured). In gen­eral, the solution, once you determine it is not a simple oversight, is to consult the BIOS documentation that comes with your sys­tem.
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2.5 Hardware Installation

2.5.1 LPCI-3488A Installation Procedures

Please follow the instructions to install LPCI-3488A in your sys­tem.
1. Turn off the computer
2. Turn off all accessories (printer, modem, monitor, etc.)
connected to the computer.
3. Open the computer case.
4. Select a 32-bit PCI slot. PCI slots are shorter than ISA or
EISA slots, and are usually white or ivory.
5. Before handling the PCI cards, discharge any static
buildup on your body by touching the metal case of the
computer. Hold the edge of the board and do not touch
the components.
6. Position the board into the selected PCI slot.
7. Secure the card in place at the rear panel of the system.
8. Replace the computer case cover.
Turn on the computer, and install the software according to the instructions in the Software Installation section (2.6), on page 16.
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2.5.2 PXI-3488A Installation Procedures

Please follow the instructions to install the PXI-3488 into your PXI chassis.
1. Turn off the system.
2. 2.Align the module’s edge with the card guide in the PXI chassis.
3. 3.Slide the module into the chassis, until resistance is felt from the PXI connector
4. 4.Push the ejector upwards and fully insert the module into the chassis.
5. 5.Once inserted, a “click” can be heard from the ejector latch.
6. 6.Tighten the screw on the front panel.
Turn on the computer, and install the software according to the instructions in the Software Installation section (2.6), on page 16.

2.5.3 Cabling

The following connection configuration can ensure that the GPIB throughput achieves optimal performance. These configurations include the number of instruments and cable distances:
X Cable lengths should be no longer than 4 meters (2 meter
lengths maximum is suggested).
X The total GPIB BUS distance should be less than 20 meter. X The total number of devices must less than 15 (including
computer itself), and at least two-thrids (2/3) of the devices are powered on.
Devices can be connected in a linear configuration, star configur a­tion, or combination the two. The following figures show both lin­ear and star connections.
Note: For a star connection, the total current load will be less if
there are less than three cable connections on an individual instrument.
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Figure 2-3: LPCI-3488A Linear Connection Configuration
Figure 2-4: LPCI-3488A Star Connection Configuration
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Figure 2-5: PXI-3488A Linear Connection Configuration
Figure 2-6: PXI-3488A Star Connection Configuration
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2.6 Software Installation

ADLINK GPIB interface cards are delivered with an ADL-GPIB driver package for Windows 98/2000/XP/Vista. The ADL-GPIB is designed to be fully compatible with your current applications and includes APIs and a binary-compatible gpib-32.dll for users using
LabVIEW GPIB interface cards also adequately support VISA to work with most available instrument drivers. Please visit the ADLINK web­site (www.adlinktech.com) to download the latest version of ADL­GPIB.
Note: You must install ADL-GPIB revision 2.0 or later to use the
This section will illustrate the procedure to install the ADL-GPIB driver package.

2.6.1 Driver installation

1
, LabWindow/CVI2, VC++, VB, and Delphi. ADLINK
LPCI-3488A and PXI-3488A.
For Windows 98/2000/XP/Vista users:
1. Insert the ADLINK ALL-In-One CD.
2. Execute x:\Software Package\ADL-GPIB\Setup.exe to launch the setup program. (x: denotes your CD-ROM drive). A InstallShield® wizard appears to guide you through the setup procedure.
1. LabVIEW is a trademark of National Instruments Corporation
2. LabWindow/CVI is a trademark of National Instruments Corporation
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3. Reboot the system to complete setup
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2.6.2 Using the ADLINK GPIB Utility

The ADL-GPIB driver package also provides an “ADLINK GPIB Utility”
utility program to diagnose and verify GPIB connections. It is located on the All-in-one CD: x:\ADLINK\ADL-GPIB\Utili- ty\GPIB Utility.exe.
1. Launch GPIB Utility.exe. A window appears to show all installed GPIB interfaces and instruments
2. Click on a GPIB interface (GPIB0, GPIB1, etc.) and select “Setting” > “GPIB Preference”. A “GPIB Interface & Bus Setting” dialog appears to enable configuration of the GPIB interface.
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Installation 19
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3. Double click on a connected GPIB instrument. A ‘”GPIB Interactive control” dialog appears to allow write com-
mand strings to be inputted into the GPIB instrument and read the result.
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3 Operation Theory

This chapter describes the operation theory of GPIB bus and the basic architecture of ADLINK’s GPIB interface cards.

3.1 Connection Configuration

The GPIB bus has 24 lines which are divided into 16 signal lines and 8 ground return or shield drain lines. The 16 signal lines can be divided into 8-bit parallel data transfer bus and 8 control lines. The 8 control lines contain 5 system management lines and 3 handshake lines.
Figure 3-1: Standard GPIB Connector
Operation Theory 21
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GPIB BUS Type Function Pin
No. Description
1DIO1 2DIO2 3DIO3
4DIO4 13 DIO5 14 DIO6 15 DIO7 16 DIO8
5EOI
9IFC 10 SRQ 11 ATN 17 REN
6DAV
7 NRFD
8NDAC
18 GND 19 GND 20 GND 21 GND 22 GND 23 GND
SIGNAL
24
GROUND
24 lines
16 signal lines
8 ground lines
8 data lines
5 system management
lines
8 control
lines
3 handshake lines
1 shield drain line 12 SHIELD
7 ground return lines
Table 3-1: GPIB Bus
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3.1.1 Data Lines

DIO1 to DIO8 carry both data and command messages. All com­mands and most data use 7-bit ASCII codes, the 8th bit, DIO8, is either unused or used as a parity check.

3.1.2 Handshake Lines

Three handshake lines control the transfer of data/messages between devices.
X DAV (Data Valid): Indicates the condition (availability and
validity) of information on the DIO signal lines
X NRFD (Not Ready For Data): Indicates the condition of
readiness of the device(s) to accept data
X NDAC (Not Data Accepted): Indicates the condition of
acceptance of the data by the device

3.1.3 System management lines

Five system management lines manage the flow of control and data bytes across the interface.
X EOI (End or Identify): Used (by a talker) to indicate the end
of a multi-byte transfer sequence or used in conjunctio n with ATN (by a controller) to execute a polling sequence
X IFC (Interface Clear): Used (by a controller) to place the
interface system, portions of which are contained in all inter­connected devices, in a known quiescent state
X SRQ (Service Request): Used by a device to indicate the
need for attention and to request an interruption of the cur­rent sequence of events
X ATN (Attention): Used (by a controller) to specify how data
on the DIO signal lines are to be interpreted and which devices must respond to the data
X REN (Remote Enable): Used (by a controller) in conjunction
with other messages to enable or disable one or more local controls that have corresponding remote controls.
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3.2 ADLINK GPIB Interface Cards Block Diagram

ADLINK’s LPCI-3488A and PXI-3488A GPIB interface cards include a 2 KB FIFIO inside the FPGA IP to maximize data trans­fer rates. Its state-of-the-art state machine in the the CPLD coordi­nates the data flow between the PCI controller, FIFO and GPIB bus.
Bus
Transceiver/
Receiver
Figure 3-2: Block Diagram of ADLINK GPIB Interface Cards
FPGA
GPIB IP
(Built-in 2 KB FIFO)
PCI
Controller
CPLD
The FIFO can buffer data from the master (either from the PCI controller or external device) when the target is busy. Efficiency is thus significantly improved when transferring large blocks of data.
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Warranty Policy

Thank you for choosing ADLINK. To understand your rights and enjoy all the after-sales services we offer, please read the follow­ing carefully.
1. Before using ADLINK’s products please read the user man­ual and follow the instructions exactly. When sending in damaged products for repair, please attach an RMA appli­cation form which can be downloaded from: http:// rma.adlinktech.com/policy/.
2. All ADLINK products come with a limited two-year war­ranty, one year for products bought in China:
X The warranty period starts on the day the product is
shipped from ADLINK’s factory.
X Peripherals and third-party products not manufactured
by ADLINK will be covered by the original manufactur­ers' warranty.
X For products containing storage devices (hard drive s,
flash cards, etc.), please back up your data before send­ing them for repair. ADLINK is not responsible for any loss of data.
X Please ensure the use of properly licensed software with
our systems. ADLINK does not condone the use of pirated software and will not service systems using such software. ADLINK will not be held legally responsible for products shipped with unlicensed software installed by the user.
X For general repairs, please do not include peripheral
accessories. If peripherals need to be included, be cer­tain to specify which items you sent on the RMA Request & Confirmation Form. ADLINK is not responsible for items not listed on the RMA Request & Confirmation Form.
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3. Our repair service is not covered by ADLINK's guarantee in the following situations:
X Damage caused by not following instructions in the
User's Manual.
X Damage caused by carelessness on the user's part dur-
ing product transportation.
X Damage caused by fire, earthquakes, floo ds , light en in g,
pollution, other acts of God, and/or incorrect usage of voltage transformers.
X Damage caused by unsuitable storage environments
(i.e. high temperatures, high humidity, or volatile chemi­cals).
X Damage caused by leakage of battery fluid during or
after change of batteries by customer/user.
X Damage from improper repair by unauthorized ADLINK
technicians.
X Products with altered and/or damaged serial numbers
are not entitled to our service.
X This warranty is not transferable or extendible. X Other categories not protected under our warranty.
4. Customers are responsible for shipping costs to transport damaged products to our company or sales office.
5. To ensure the speed and quality of product repair, please download an RMA application form from our company web­site: http://rma.adlinktech.com/policy. Damaged products with attached RMA forms receive priority.
If you have any further questions, please email our FAE staff: service@adlinktech.com.
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