base I/O address for pci-gpib

[gdb]

I am trying to run TestPoint v4.0 software with a NI PCI-GPIB card in a Dell 4100 under Win98 but TestPoint cannot find the card. The card works fine with NI software.

According to the TestPoint folks "The TestPoint IEEE-488 Driver for National Instruments and IO Tech supports National Instruments PCI-GPIB boards. Consult your NI documentation for the default address." I can't find any reference to the base I/O address in any of the documentation I received withthe card. The old ISA cards used I/O addresses like "02B8". What would the address be for the PCI-GPIB card or how do I set it?

[Rob Cole]

If you have an NI card, then you should have MAX. Run MAX, find your GPIB card under the devices, right click on it and choose Properties. Choose Configure from the new window that pops up and you have all the information that you can get on that card. The PCI-GPIB card is plug-and-play and the interrupt and I/O base are set automatically at boot time. As such, there is no guarantee that the next time you boot, the card will have the same address and IRQ.
Another method is (and I'm doing this from memory) to use the Windows Control Panel, click on System, Devices tab, click on the PCI-GPIB card and Properties. The resources tab should show what the current setting is. Hopefully, you can get enough information to get the card running.

Rob

[gdb]

Rob,
Thank you for taking time to answer my question. I had done as you describe but I did not find anything that helps me with TestPoint. I thought that the I/O base address was dynamically assigned but I have so little knowledge about PCI that I wasn't sure. I think the guy at TestPoint is giving me the runaround so I will go back to him and see if I can get a straight answer. Thanks again for your help.

[Randy Solomonson]

Hello-

The TestPoint software may need to be updated. Good GPIB applications use VISA to communicate to the GPIB. It appears that this program talk directly to the registers of the GPIB card, thus an I/O address is needed. This is not necessary with VISA. Try running NI-Spy, if nothing is captured when NI-488.2 and NI-VISA is installed the program is probably not using the driver.

Randy Solomonson
Application Engineer
National Instruments

[gdb]

Randy,
You are correct about the software needing updated. I had a very old copy of their interface software that address the registers directly but the TestPoint folks have come out with newer "TPgpibuv.dll" software that uses the NI driver and does not need the I/O addresses. I received the updated dll file ( after a couple of phone calls) and TestPoint is now able to talk to the NI PCI-GPIB interface with no problems.

[syc]

Hello gdb,
I have the same problem with you.
Can you put the "TPgpibuv.dll" file to me?
Please mail to pulong@mail.educities.edu.tw
THANK YOU VERY A LOT

[gdb]

syc,
I cannot send you the file as it is not freeware and therefore would be software piracy. You can however purchase this software from Testpoint as I did. What you need is "Testpoint IEEE-488 Driver for National Instruments and IO Tech". If you already have this software but have the old version they can update it for you. If you don't have it the software is around $500. If you are using Capital Equipment,or Keithley GPIB cards you don't need this addon driver. I have some CE cards and they work fine without it. You only need it for NI and IOTech boards (I have also used it successfully with Measurement Computing,formerly Computer Boards, ISA bus GPIB cards). It is just Capital Equipment's way of "encouraging" 😞
you into using their GPIB cards with Testpoint. Sorry, I can't help you more.

[syc]

gdb
It's all right.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH