schmid@boulder.Colorado.EDU (Peter Schmid) (06/06/91)
We have an HP 9000/370 workstation in our laboratory that we use to collect data through HPIB and GPIO interfaces. We then analyze the data and send commands through the HPIB back to the experiment for control. The HPIB is also connected to an HP2563 line printer and an HP9144 cartridge tape unit. In addition to those tasks, the workstation also acts as a gateway to a subnet of pc-s in the lab. The computer was one of about 20 acquired in a consortium with other researchers which is now breaking up. The consortium collected fees from the members to purchase an HP-UX site license and acquire software and hardware support from HP. The problem we are faced with is the site license for HP-UX may be dropped leaving us with two options. Either we can come up with the big bucks and stay with HP-UX and thereby ensure that we will be able to reliably carry out our experiments using the present HPIB/GPIO setup, or we can switch to Berkeley Unix (BSD) which will cost us close to nothing and can be supported by the campus computing organization. I know a port of BSD Unix has been made to the HP 9000/300 series of computers. My question is if the port includes routines that will use the HPIB and GPIO interfaces like the DVIO routines built into the HP-UX kernel. Does anyone out there use BSD on an HP9000/370 and have interfaced to lab equipment other than printers/plotters/tape drives? Do BSD drivers for HPIB and GPIO interfaces exist? Would it be difficult to take data and control an experiment via HPIB using BSD? Any help or pointers would be greatly appreciated. You may respond via e-mail or post if you think it may be of general interest. Thanks in advance! -- pete Peter Schmid <schmid@plasma.Colorado.EDU>
luism@genesis.Berkeley.EDU (Luis Miguel) (06/06/91)
In article <1991Jun5.185523.14905@colorado.edu>, schmid@boulder.Colorado.EDU (Peter Schmid) writes: |> |> We have an HP 9000/370 workstation in our laboratory that we use to collect |> data through HPIB and GPIO interfaces. We then analyze the data and send |> software and hardware support from HP. The problem we are faced with is the |> site license for HP-UX may be dropped leaving us with two options. Either we |> can come up with the big bucks and stay with HP-UX and thereby ensure that we |> will be able to reliably carry out our experiments using the present HPIB/GPIO |> setup, or we can switch to Berkeley Unix (BSD) which will cost us close to |> nothing and can be supported by the campus computing organization. I know a Peter, my experience is the following: I have an hp9000-350. There are 3 diff. unix options: hpux, u of utah 4.3 bsd port, and mt. xinu 4.3bsd port. I was first using u of utah's port, but switched to mt. xinu (2 years ago) when they gave us (uc berkeley) the system for free. It was better (not great, but better). Then, mt. xinu refused to continue giving us updates and support without $$$, and we just could not come up with it. SO, when the time came for me to add some peripherals, extra cards, etc. I found no idea or guidance about how to do it with mt. xinu's product. So, since HP ODES give us support, I switched back to hpux. I am quite happy I did, even thopugh hpux SEEMS slower than 4.3bsd, and presents problems when porting stuff to it. But, having the reliability and support of HP behind us is wonderful. BTW, Mt. Xinu is located in Berkeley (I think(). /Luis -- Luis Miguel. Computer Science Division, UC Berkeley. arpanet: luis@postgres.Berkeley.EDU uucp: {ihnp4,decvax}!ucbvax!postgres!luis at&t: (415) 642-8234