J.A.Jones@lut.ac.uk (Jeff Jones) (05/21/91)
Hi We have a number of Hewlett-Packard instruments, many of which have built in floppy disks for the storage of measurement data. It would be very useful to be able to read these disks on a PC. The various manuals say that the disks are readable on HP9000/200 and HP9000/300 under BASIC 3.0 and 4.0 but they do not give us the disk format. All the manuals give the stored file format but this is not useful if you can't read the disks !. We have no access to an HP9000 computer within our institute and hence would like to use a PC compatible to read these 3.5 inch disks. Does any body know of any utilities, PD or commercial, that will allow this ? alternativly if someone knows the disk format, or a reference to it, we could have a go at writing such a routine ourselves. Thanks for your assistance in advance. Jeff ================================================================================ = Jeff Jones = IERI = International Electronics Reliability Institute = = = Dept of Electrical and Electronic Engineering = = = Loughborough University of Technology = = = Loughborough, Leics. LE11 3TU, UK = = = Telephone - +44-509-263171 ext 4196 = = = Fax - +44-509-222854 = = = Email - J.A.Jones@lut.ac.uk = ================================================================================
eljaj@lut.ac.uk (Jeff Jones) (05/21/91)
Sorry about posting (almost) the same article twice, but the posting system told me it had failed completely to post losing my article in the meanwhile hence I reposted only to find that some of the cross-postings had got out. Sorry about that. ================================================================================ = Jeff Jones = IERI = International Electronics Reliability Institute = = = Dept of Electrical and Electronic Engineering = = = Loughborough University of Technology = = = Loughborough, Leics. LE11 3TU, UK = = = Telephone - +44-509-263171 ext 4196 = = = Fax - +44-509-222854 = = = Email - J.A.Jones@uk.ac.lut = ================================================================================
harper@convex.com (David Harper) (05/22/91)
In article <1991May21.090824.12630@lut.ac.uk> J.A.Jones@lut.ac.uk (Jeff Jones) writes: >Hi > >We have a number of Hewlett-Packard instruments, many of which have >built in floppy disks for the storage of measurement data. It would be >very useful to be able to read these disks on a PC. There is a company called Oswego Software (or something like that) that markets a utility that runs on a DOS machine and reads floppys generated by an HP instrument. I would have liked to have used it, but at $495 a copy I found an alternative solution. You might check with your local HP rep - they were the ones that put me on to this outfit. Dave Harper - Convex Computer Corp. E-mail address: 3000 Waterview Pky. Richardson, TX 75081 harper@convex.COM (214) 497-4525 (W) (214) 727-4206 (H)
kelley@vet.vet.purdue.edu (Stephen Kelley) (05/22/91)
In article <1991May21.090824.12630@lut.ac.uk> J.A.Jones@lut.ac.uk (Jeff Jones) writes: >Hi > >We have a number of Hewlett-Packard instruments, many of which have >built in floppy disks for the storage of measurement data. It would be >very useful to be able to read these disks on a PC. I use ANADISK, found on simtel20 and wuarchive in the msdos/dskutil directories. It is a little clunky to use, but for a $25 shareware fee, it provides huge bang for the buck, and has worked extremely well for us. It doesn't completely convert the disk, but it does cope with non-PC sectoring and generates a file image of the floppy (with an optional embedded sector map), which you then can manipulate however necessary. Steve Kelley kelley@flowcyt.cyto.purdue.edu Cancer Center Cytometry Laboratories Purdue University
gbastin@x102c.harris-atd.com (Gary Bastin 60293) (05/23/91)
In article <1991May21.090824.12630@lut.ac.uk> J.A.Jones@lut.ac.uk (Jeff Jones) writes: >Hi > >We have a number of Hewlett-Packard instruments, many of which have >built in floppy disks for the storage of measurement data. It would be >very useful to be able to read these disks on a PC. > > We had the same need here last year. We found a software package by Oswego that does the HP to PC conversion very well. The only 'feature' that I really dislike is that it requires a key disk to run. It is also possible to load it to a hard-drive, but you lose your software if the HD crashes. I _hate_ copy protection schemes that force you to buy a new copy of software when a machine crashes (or argue with vendors for weeks)! As I recall, the cost is around $400 or so. We bought two copies, and have had no problems at all converting data files to IBM pc format for more data analysis, or for uploading to mainframes. Oswego advertises in Dr. Dobbs, Machine Design, EDN, and several other trade magazines. Gary Bastin, WB4YAF /-/-/ Internet: gbastin@x102c.ess.harris.com Mail Stop 102-4858 | phone: (407) 729-3045 Harris Corporation GASD | P.O.B. 94000, Melbourne FL 32902 Speaking from, but not for, Harris!
wehr@fmsrl7.UUCP (Bruce Wehr ) (05/23/91)
harper@convex.com (David Harper) writes: > There is a company called Oswego Software We use Oswego's software. Contact them at: Oswego Software 155 West Washington Street P.O. Box 310 Oswego, IL 60543 (708) 554-3567 (708) 554-3573 FAX -- Bruce Wehr (wehr%dptc.decnet@srlvx0.srl.ford.com) (..!uunet!srlvx0.srl.ford.com!wehr%dptc.decnet) Ford Motor Company - Engineering Technology Services P.O. Box 2053, Room 1153, Dearborn, Michigan 48121-2053 (313)337-5304
mikeh@hplsla.HP.COM (Mike Hall) (05/24/91)
> > We have a number of Hewlett-Packard instruments, many of which have > built in floppy disks for the storage of measurement data. It would be > very useful to be able to read these disks on a PC. The various manuals > say that the disks are readable on HP9000/200 and HP9000/300 under > BASIC 3.0 and 4.0 but they do not give us the disk format. All the > manuals give the stored file format but this is not useful if you can't > read the disks !. We have no access to an HP9000 computer within our > institute and hence would like to use a PC compatible to read these 3.5 > inch disks. Does any body know of any utilities, PD or commercial, that > will allow this ? alternativly if someone knows the disk format, or a > reference to it, we could have a go at writing such a routine > ourselves. > Thanks for your assistance in advance. > Jeff The disk format is LIF (Logical Interchange Format). Commercial ON ;^) The HP 35652A (Dynamic Signal Analyzer) has an option 921 (cost $150) that includes, among other things, a LIF file converter which runs on a PC. It can read/write individual LIF files from 3.5" and 5.25" floppies on the PC's internal drives or it can read/write files on an external HP-IB disk drive (e.g. HP 9122) using the HP HP-IB card or the National GP-IB Card. The LIF utility directly converts ASCII and BDAT files (BASIC binary data files) to a usable format on the PC and any weird files can be copied as "raw" mode (no format conversion). For a commercially available product, I believe it is the cheapest way to go (it is supported). To Order from Hewlett-Packard Co.: HP 3562A Quantity 0, Option 921 Quantity 1. Commercial OFF Mike Hall Hewlett-Packard Lake Stevens Instrument Division My comments are strictly my own, but I did write the LIF utility in the mentioned product, so I hope that counts for something.
gvg@hplvec.LVLD.HP.COM (Greg Goebel) (05/29/91)
HP also has a DOS-based utility called LIFUTIL that will allow you to convert LIF files to DOS. Part number is E2080A, price is $525. The only problem is that if you have a binary (BDAT) file on the LIF disk, you end up with a binary file on your DOS disk. However, if you know the data contained in the binary file you can decode it -- I have written a conversion utility in QuickBASIC to convert all-REAL or all-INTEGER files to ASCII numeric strings. Wile E. Coyote -- +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | DISCLAIMER | +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Who cares what I think? I don't take MYSELF seriously, why should you? | +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Greg Goebel NET: gvg@hpislx | | Hewlett-Packard HP DESK: gvg(hpislx) / HP0900 / UX | | MSO Marketing PHONE: Telnet/303 679-3424 | | POB 301 / MS-CU312 / Loveland CO 80539 FAX: Telnet/303 679-5957 | +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+