Re: [Linux-gpib-general] Which Agilent GPIB PCI card to buy?

[dave p. <dpe...@gm...>]

Hallo Alexander,
>From a user perspective they are pretty much the same as they use the same
driver. The main difference is that the 82350A requires a firmware
udownload when initialising it. So the 82350B is preferable from that
point. See aslo
https://linux-gpib.sourceforge.io/doc_html/supported-hardware.html#AGILENT-82350B

Regarding the non-system controller aspect: the cards can be used in this
mode but you need to understand the gpib protocol to program it.
A simple example is here:
https://sourceforge.net/p/linux-gpib/code/HEAD/tree/trunk/linux-gpib-user/examples/slave_read_to_file.c
cheers,
-Dave

On Fri, 10 Jan 2020 at 13:41, Alexander Huemer <ale...@xx...>
wrote:

> Hi
>
> I would like to build a small box based on a Soekris 5501 to be able to
> interface various pieces of old test equipment via GPIB.
>
> In case that matters, the test equipment I have with GPIB interfaces
> are:
> * HP 54200A (Oscilloscope)
> * HP 66311B (Power supply)
> * HP  3478A (Multimeter)
> * Rohde & Schwarz CMD53 (Digital Radiocommunication Tester)
>
> I am considering to buy either:
> * HP 82350A Rev. B
> * HP 82350B Rev. A
>
> My question is whether there are any real-world differences between
> these cards from user perspective.
> Looking at pictures of the boards, the implementations seems to be
> significantly different. Having no practical experience with linux-gpib
> yet, I cannot say whether those differences have any effect to the user.
>
> * HP 82350A Rev. B -> Xilinx XC5202 + PLX PCI9050
> * HP 82350B Rev. A -> Xilinx XC2S100, no PLX
>
> My guess would be 'no difference', though I thought I'd ask before I
> buy.
>
> Second question:
> Can these boards act as non-controllers on the bus? I wasn't able to
> find a good explanation of the technical situation in English, only in
> German[1] (my mother tongue).
> Long story short: Some GPIB adapters for general purpose computers can
> react to ATN messages on the bus quickly enough to be able to act as
> non-controllers, some aren't. The time budget is pretty tight for that,
> 200ns, too quickly for interrupt-based implementations.
>
> I believe the ATN responses are the reason one would want to use a PCI
> board instead of a 82357A/B.
> Whether that ATN thing is significantly relevant in another can of
> worms, though we don't have to open that can of worms right now.
>
> -Alex
>
> [1] https://www.mikrocontroller.net/articles/GPIB-RS232-Schnittstelle
>
>
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