VISA vs GPIB

[RTSLVU]

---

@AnalogEE wrote:

I agree with your statements. The one question I have is this: if you are using old HP devices that are connected through GPIB to some old PC, if you buy a new PC (Win. 10), how would you be able to connect the GPIB devices to the new PC without installing your own GPIB card and port on the PC?

---

I would use something like this. (NI USB-GPIB HS+)

I abandoned internal GPIB cards over a decade ago.

Mainly because as I was automating out lab it dawned on me that all of the computers in all of the tests systems should be %100 "off the shelf". So if I have a computer fail I can replace it with whatever our cooperate IT is buying this quarter. Because the will probably have one on hand and all I will have to do is install software and go.

[AnalogEE]

Let's assume the company is very cheap and wants the cheapest solution. Would I have to resort to installing my own GPIB card on the new Win. 10 PC to be able to connect with the old HP equipment? I can already tell they won't like this $1k GPIB-USB option haha

[billko]

They do make GPIB to LAN servers, which work somewhat like printer servers, but I don't know if that is a cost-effective solution or not.  You could get one for each instrument.

[AnalogEE]

At this point my practical solution would be to just install a GPIB card into the new PC. I guess the next question would be whether the new PC has a spot for GPIB card(s) on the motherboard and whether LabVIEW 2020 will be able to communicate with our old meas. equipment using VISA GPIB.  

[RavensFan]

I'd be worried about if your old GPIB card will fit in a new PC.  Does it have the right bus to plug into? 

I remember our first NI board was an old dynamic signal analyzer from the mid-90's.  It was an ISA bus and was so long that it only fit in the monster desktop size of that time.  That ISA bus went obsolete after a few years and would never have fit in any computer after that.

[crossrulz]

---

@RavensFan wrote:

I'd be worried about if your old GPIB card will fit in a new PC.  Does it have the right bus to plug into? 

I remember our first NI board was an old dynamic signal analyzer from the mid-90's.  It was an ISA bus and was so long that it only fit in the monster desktop size of that time.  That ISA bus went obsolete after a few years and would never have fit in any computer after that.

---

Along the same lines, PCI slots are becoming harder and harder to find.  Everything is going PCIe, assuming you are even using a desktop (most places are going more toward laptops).

And when it comes to drivers for modern software, it is unlikely your old GPIB card will still work.

So, I agree with a comment above.  Going with a USB-GPIB-HS is the safest route.

[RTSLVU]

---

@AnalogEE wrote:

Let's assume the company is very cheap and wants the cheapest solution. Would I have to resort to installing my own GPIB card on the new Win. 10 PC to be able to connect with the old HP equipment? I can already tell they won't like this $1k GPIB-USB option haha

---

Well GPIB is an expensive option, it always has been and National Instruments hardware is on the higher end of hardware prices.

There are cheaper GPIB cards and interfaces out there but...

Regardless of choosing internal or USB you should buy a National Instruments GPIB because NI plays some dirty tricks to make it a P.I.T.A. to use GPIB interfaces from other companies. Like the VISA "Tulip Passport" that many other brands like Agilent/Keysite USB-GPIB need to operate is disabled by default.

Yes NI has a racket going on here...