PARALLEL INTERFACES IN DAQ

GPIB (tutorial according to Agilent and National Instruments sources Parallel port Nonstandard interfaces (see lectures on
multifunction plugin boards) System and computer busses PCI, VXI, ... (see lectures on plugin boards

History
1965 HewlettPackard designsHPIB for instrumentation systems 1975 HPIB becomes IEEE 488standard 1987 IEEE 488.2 adopted; IEEE 4881978 becomes IEEE 488.11987 1992 SCPI Specification introducedfor IEEE 488 instruments 1990 IEEE 488.2 Standard revised
1993 National Instruments proposes highspeed extensions to IEEE 488.1 called HS488

Basic characteristics
Any instrument can be used Each instruments (up to 15) has its unique address within range 031 in basic addressing mode Linear or star cable configuration

24/25 wires 3 types of connectors (Amphenol CHAMP or Cinch Series 57 MICRO RIBBON type) Total length of cable 20m, max. 4m per instrument TTL levels, negative logic, drivers: 3state or open collector (NDAC, NRFD, SRQ)

Types of GPIB messages

Communication is based on various messages:

Devicedependent messages related (mainly) to the instrument measuring functions Interface messages (command messages commands as some device dependant messages according IEEE488.2) related to the communication (interface) functions

Main communication functions System Controller and Active Controller controls communication, send interface messages, e.g. monitors bus activities, addresses (enables) instruments, etc. Listener receives the device dependent messages Talker sends the device dependent messages Simple system does not need controller the device work always in the modes talkonly and listenonly

 Data bus (8 lines) similar

to any computer data bus: commands/data Handshaking lines = asynchronous control of transfer on DIO Interface management lines = control of some interface functions

 NRFD (Not Ready for Data) Acceptor of HS

NDAC (Not Data Accepted) Acceptor of HS DAV (Data Valid) Source of HS

Interface Management Lines

ATN (Attention) controller drives ATN true when it uses the DIO to send commands, and false when a Talker can send data messages. EOI (end or identify) two purposes:

Talker: to mark the end of a message string, Controller: to tell devices to identify their response in a parallel poll.

IFC (interface clear) The System Controller drives the IFC line to initialize the bus and become CIC. REN (remote enable) The System Controller drives the REN line to place devices in remote or local program mode. SRQ (service request) Any device can drive the SRQ line to asynchronously request service from the Controller.