[time-nuts] Could someone please recommend GPIB card

Bob Camp lists at rtty.us
Mon Oct 10 15:10:15 UTC 2011


Hi

64 bit Windows 7 is the most restrictive OS I have seen so far in terms of drivers. 32 bit is a bit more forgiving. I would *guess* that 32 bit Windows will be a bit of a dinosaur three to five years from now. Just as you are still running Win 98, that does not mean other versions will be dead and gone. Only that a pretty cheap PC down at the big box store of your choice likely will not have a 32 bit OS on it. I think the restrictions in 64 bit Win 7 are the ones you need to worry about for a "compatible with everything" long term purchase. 

That said, The newer NI PCI cards do have drivers. The same is true of the current production NI cards (all flavors). I'd bet it's true of the current production Prologix. Strictly speaking, the serial to GPIB boxes don't need drivers as much as they need software adapted to them. The same is true of the ethernet to GPIB boxes. That software may be a bear to write, but it's still easier than writing a driver that Windows will accept as valid.

Bob

On Oct 10, 2011, at 10:47 AM, paul swed wrote:

> Though I think this thread may be wrapping up.
> I have run into many of the same issues.
> The old isa cards are cheap at hamfests $5 most folks have no clue any
> longer as to what they are.
> I have never actually seen a pci card at a swap.
> 
> So at the moment I have both an isa card and NI network box in a mother
> board running Win 98. All of it kind of nuts and messy. Also picked up a
> circa 2002 NI lab. To be honest until now I really did not have a real use
> for it.
> ?????? I don't suppose timelab would run on win 98??
> 
> Anyhow many of these things have no drivers or support for more modern OS's.
> I do fortunately have numbers of rs232 to gpib boxes and actually want to
> try that on the 5370 with time lab.
> 
> So as far as getting the prologix I suspect thats a wise approach actually.
> If your goal is to simply "Get it done".
> Regards
> Paul.
> 
> On Mon, Oct 10, 2011 at 10:02 AM, Azelio Boriani
> <azelio.boriani at screen.it>wrote:
> 
>> Yes, I recommend switching to a networked GPIB interface. I have long
>> waited to acquire a used E5810A and at last I succeeded. Of course it
>> was not so cheap (380$) but very versatile to use. At work I use an
>> Agilent 82357B, highly recommended. Frequently pops up on eBay, not
>> cheap but you can find the IOAgilentSuite (free) library (to write in
>> MicrosoftC/BorlandC your code) directly on the Agilent website.
>> 
>> On 10/10/11, Paul A. Cianciolo <paulc at snet.net> wrote:
>>> Folks,
>>> 
>>> Thank you for all the suggestions on the GPIB interface.
>>> 
>>> I have decided to go with the Prologix USB/GPIB interface, for all the
>>> reasons mentioned.
>>> 
>>> I have 3 types of card busses here, but all the computers have usb.
>>> Many of the folks here already have  Prologix interfaces.
>>> Later I can sell this device or keep it and move up to a networked Gpib
>>> interface, for remote access with my wireless laptop.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Thank you everyone for all the suggestions
>>> There is always help to had here and I appreciate being able to ask
>>> questions
>>> 
>>> Thank you again,
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Paul A. Cianciolo
>>> W1VLF
>>> http://www.rescueelectronics.com/
>>> 
>>> "Time is relative"  Abert Einstien circa 1950
>>> "Relatives use up all my time"  Lisa Cianciolo circa 1983
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
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