National Instruments GPIB-120B User Manual

GPIB

GPIB-120B User Manual

GPIB-120B User Manual

February 2019
371851C-01

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1

.

circuits.

1

for product installation requirements.

1

.

1

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Contents

About This Manual

Related Documentation .................................................................................................... ix

Chapter 1
Introduction

Description of the GPIB-120B ......................................................................................... 1-1

What You Need to Get Started ......................................................................................... 1-3

Optional Equipment.................................................................................................. 1-3

Unpacking Your GPIB-120B ................................................................................... 1-4

Chapter 2
Hardware Overview

GPIB-120B LEDs............................................................................................................. 2-1

Power On (PWR)...................................................................................................... 2-1

System Controller Detection (SC) ............................................................................ 2-1

Active Controller Detection (AC) ............................................................................ 2-1

Source Handshake Detection (SH) ........................................................................... 2-2

Data Transfer Modes ........................................................................................................ 2-2

Selecting a Data Transfer Mode ............................................................................... 2-2

Unbuffered Mode ............................................................................................. 2-2

Buffered Mode.................................................................................................. 2-2

Setting the Data Transfer Mode................................................................................ 2-3

Data Direction Control ..................................................................................................... 2-3

Parallel Poll Detection ...................................................................................................... 2-3

Parallel Poll Operation...................................................................................................... 2-4

Chapter 3
Configuring and Using Your Hardware

Connecting the GPIB-120B.............................................................................................. 3-1

Appendix A
GPIB Basics

Appendix B
Multiline Interface Messages

Appendix C
Specifications

© National Instruments | vii

Contents

Appendix D
NI Services

Index

viii | ni.com

About This Manual

This manual describes how to install, configure, and operate the National Instruments
GPIB-120B.

Related Documentation

The following documents contain information that you may find helpful as you read this manual:

• ANSI/IEEE Standard 488.1-1987, IEEE Standard Digital Interface for Programmable

Instrumentation

• ANSI/IEEE Standard 488.2-1992, IEEE Standard Codes, Formats, Protocols, and

Common Command

© National Instruments | ix

1

Introduction

This chapter contains a description of the GPIB-120B, lists what you need to get started and
optional equipment you can order, and explains how to unpack the GPIB-120B.

Description of the GPIB-120B

The GPIB-120B is a high-speed bus isolator/expander with the following features:

• It is transparent to user software.

• It electrically isolates two GPIB systems from each other and from the power supply.

• It expands the GPIB to interface up to 28 devices.

• It extends the GPIB by effectively doubling the 20 m cable limit.

• It has optional rack or DIN rail mount hardware accessories.

The high-speed GPIB-120B bus isolator/expander connects two GPIB (IEEE 488) bus systems
in a functionally transparent manner.

The two bus systems are electrically isolated from each other. The two bus systems are also
isolated from the power supply. Isolation is maintained up to 2500 VDC (withstand 5 s).
Isolating an instrument or group of instruments from an IEEE 488 bus Controller can eliminate
ground loop noise and induced common-mode noise, which may cause measurement problems
in both analog and digital systems. The two isolated bus systems are physically separate, as
shown in Figure 1-1; however, the devices logically appear to be on the same bus, as shown in
Figure 1-2.

Figure 1-1. Typical GPIB-120B Expansion System (Physical Configuration)

GPIB-120BGPIB GPIB

Computer

(Controller, Talker,

and Listener)

Printer

(Listener)

Multimeter

(Talker and Listener)

Unit Under Test

Signal Generator

(Listener)

© National Instruments | 1-1

Chapter 1 Introduction

Figure 1-2. Typical GPIB-120B Expansion System (Logical Configuration)

GPIB

Computer

(Controller, Talker,

and Listener)

Printer

(Listener)

Multimeter

(Talker and Listener)

Unit Under Test

Signal Generator

(Listener)

With the GPIB-120B, you can overcome the following two configuration restrictions imposed
by the ANSI/IEEE Standard 488.1-1987:

• An electrical loading limit of 15 devices per contiguous bus.

• A cable length limit of 20 m total per contiguous bus or 2 m multiplied by the number of
devices on the bus, whichever is smaller.

With each GPIB-120B, you can add up to 14 additional devices to the bus. The GPIB-120B
appears as a device load on each side of the expansion; therefore, one GPIB-120B increases the
maximum load limit from 15 devices to 28 devices. The cable length limit for the system is also
increased an additional 4 m to 20 m, depending on the number of devices on that side of the
expansion.

All signal expansion is bidirectional, meaning that Controllers, Talkers, and Listeners can be on
either side of the expander. The GPIB-120B light-emitting diodes (LEDs) indicate the location
of the System Controller, Active Controller, and Source Handshaker, with respect to the two
sides of the expansion.

Because the GPIB-120B is a functionally transparent expander, the same GPIB communications
and control programs that work with an unexpanded system can work unmodified with an
expanded system.

1-2 | ni.com

GPIB-120B User Manual

What You Need to Get Started

* GPIB-120B

* 10 –18 VDC 9 W power supply

* Standard GPIB cables to connect both sides of the GPIB-120B to buses on either side

Optional Equipment

Contact National Instruments to order any of the following optional equipment.

• Rack-mount kit (part number 194906-01, shown in Figure 1-3)

Figure 1-3. Rack Mount Kit

© National Instruments | 1-3