Keithley Instruments
KPCI-488LPA GPIB Controller Interface Card
28775 Aurora Road
Cleveland, Ohio 44139
1-800-935-5595
tek.com/keithley
Quick Start Guide
Welcome
Thank you for choosing a Keithley Instruments product. The KPCI-488LPA has the following features:
Full compatibility with the IEEE48 8.2 st and ar d
Up to 1.5 MB per second data transfer rates
Supports a 32-bit 3.3 V or 5 V PCI bus
A built-in 1 KB first-in first-out (FIFO) for read/write operations
Half-sized printed circuit board
Supports up to 14 stand-alone instruments
An interactive utility for testing and diagnostics
Command-compatible driver API (application program interfaces) for Keithley Instruments, National
TM
Instruments NI
, and VISA (Virtual Instrument Software Architecture) libraries.
Contact and support information
This guide is designed to help you to install your KPCI-488LPA. For more detailed information, refer to the
Models KPCI-488LPA and KUSB-488B Reference Manual (part number KI488-901-01), available from the
Keithley Instruments website (tek.com/keithley
From the website, you can also access updated drivers and information about related products.
Your local Field Applications Engineer can help you with product selection, configuration, and usage. Check the
website for contact infor mation.
).
Inspection for damage
The KPCI-488LPA was carefully inspected electrically and mechanically before shipment. After unpacking all
items from the shipping carton, check for any obvious signs of physical damage that may have occurred during
transit. Report any damage to the shipping agent immediately. Save the original packing carton for possible
future shipment.
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KPCI-488LPA GPIB Controller Interface Card Quick Start Guide
Repacking for return shi pme nt
Should it become necessary to return the KPCI -488LPA for repair, carefully pack the entire instrument in its
original packing carton or the equivalent, and follow these instructions:
Call Keithley Instruments’ repair department at 1-800-935-5595 for a Return Material Authorization (RMA)
number.
Let the repair department know the warranty status of the KPCI-488LPA.
Write ATTENTION REPAIR DEPARTMENT and the RMA number on the shipping label.
Software and hardware installation
To download the latest software drivers, visit tek.com/keithley.
You must install the software driver before you connect the KPCI-488LPA to your computer.
Driver installation
Make sure that your user account has Administrator privileges, or log into your computer's
Administrator account before installing the driver
To install the drivers:
1. Remove any existing GPIB interfaces and GPIB drivers from your computer.
2. Download the latest KPCI-488LPA software from the Product Support web page (tek.com/product-support
The software is available in a compressed (.zip) format.
3. Extract the files to your computer.
4. Launch setup.exe to begin the driver installation.
Figure 1: Selecting setup.exe from the extracted files
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KPCI-488LPA GPIB Controller Interface Card Quick Start Guide
5. The driver installation dialog window opens, as shown in the following figure.
Figure 2: KUSB-488 driver installation screen
6. Install one of the following drivers. The InstallShield Wizard provides guidance on which driver to install.
NI command-compatible driver (32- or 64-bit)
Keithley command-compatible driver (32-bit)
You can install either a Keithley command-compatible driver or an NI command-compatible driver.
See the Models KPCI-488LPA and KUSB-488B Reference Manual (part number KI488-901-01) for
the available functions of each driver.
For LabVIEW™ and LabWindows/CVI™ support, Keithley Instruments recommends that you install
the NI command-compatible driver. For LabVIEW programming, you can also install the LabVIEW
GPIB virtual instruments (VIs) that are optimized for use with the KPCI-488LPA.
For ACS and ACS Basic support, insta ll the Ke ith ley command-compatible driver.
To use VISA or an application that uses VISA (such as KickStart Instrument Control Software), install
either driver.
7. Follow the prompts to complete the setup procedure.
8. When the installation finishes, select Yes to restart your system.
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KPCI-488LPA GPIB Controller Interface Card Quick Start Guide
Hardware installation
The KPCI-488LPA contains sensitive components that can easily be damaged by static
electricity. Handle the module on a grounded anti-static mat. The operator should be wearing
an anti-static wristband, grounded at the same point as the anti-static mat.
You must install the drivers before installing the hardware. See Driver installation (on page 2).
To install the KPCI-488LPA:
1. Turn off your computer and all accessories connected to your computer.
2. Disconnect the power cord from the power source.
3. Open your computer case.
4. Select a vacant PCI slot.
5. Discharge any static buildup on your body by touching the metal case of the computer before touching the
KPCI-488LPA card.
6. Position the board into the PCI slot you selected.
7. Secure the card in place at the rear panel of the system.
8. Replace your computer's case.
®
In most Microsoft Windows
operating system when you power on your computer. However, previous versions of Windows may display the
Found New Hardware Wizard.
You can initiate the wizard manually with older versions of Windows.
To manually initiate the Found New Hard ware Wizard:
1. From the Control Panel on your computer, select Add Hardware. The Add Hardware Wizard dialog box
displays.
2. Select Next. The wizard searches for an y new hardware that has not yet been installed.
3. The Found New Hardware Wizard will display. Click Next and follow the prompts.
If the wizard does not find any new hardware, turn your computer off and turn it on again. Once it has rebooted,
the Found New Hard war e Wizard should launch.
10 configurations, the KPCI-488LPA hardware is automatically configured by the
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KPCI-488LPA GPIB Controller Interface Card Quick Start Guide
Cabling
For optimal GPIB throughput, adhere to the following cabling guidelines:
The longest distance between two devices cannot exceed 4 m.
The average GPIB bus distance between all devices should be less than 2 m.
The total GPIB bus distance should be less than 20 m.
The total number of connected devices must be less than 15 (including your computer) with at least
two-thirds of all devices powered on.
You can connect devices in a linear configuration, star configuration, or a combination of the two configurations.
See the next figures.
Figure 3: Linear connection configurati o n
To lower the total current load of the configuration, limit the number of cable connections on each
individual instrument to three or less. For example, to lower the required current load when using the
configuration shown in the next figure, move one of the cable connections from Instrument A to a
different instrument. This makes the configuration a combination of linear and star configurations.
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