sutherla@qtp.ufl.edu (scott sutherland) (05/23/89)
Okay all you hardware experts out there, I need some info.. I recently acquired (for free) an Hewlett Packard HP 9111A Graphics Tablet. I noticed that it has something called an HP-IB interface on the back of it. Can anyone tell me what this is AND, more importantly, can it be interfaced to any of the Amiga ports (serial, parallel, joystick, etc.)? I called HP and they told me that I could order a technical specs manual for it and a user's manual (apparently it originally came with some software). IF, and only if, the HP-IB interface can be connected to the Amy 2000 (by an electronics NOVICE like me), will I purchase the tech specs book. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks, Scott "GROUNDER" Sutherland
jafo@hpfcdc.HP.COM (Sean Reifschneider) (05/24/89)
>I noticed that it has something called an HP-IB interface on the back of
I'm not an expert on the HP-IB. I do know that it won't hook directly to
any of the ports of the Amy. About the only thing that I suggest is to
try to find out if there's an interface for it made (does anyone know if
there is one for the Amy?) Otherwise, it would take a lot of hacking
(both hardware and software) to get it to work. You'd have to make a
HP-IB to <serial/parallel> converter, and write a special driver, at
least.
Seanstroyan@hpfcdc.HP.COM (Mike Stroyan) (05/24/89)
The HP-IB interface, (aka IEEE-488 or GP-IB), is a type of bi-directional 8 bit parallel interface. The only way I know to interface an HP 9111A to an Amiga would be through an ASDG Twin-X board and an IEEE-488 interface daughter board. It would be decidedly not free. Mike Stroyan, stroyan@hpfcla.hp.com
ewhac@well.UUCP (Leo 'Bols Ewhac' Schwab) (05/24/89)
In article <560@orange6.qtp.ufl.edu> sutherla@orange6 (scott sutherland) writes: >I recently acquired (for free) an Hewlett Packard HP 9111A Graphics Tablet. >I noticed that it has something called an HP-IB interface on the back of >it. Can anyone tell me what this is AND, more importantly, can it be >interfaced to any of the Amiga ports (serial, parallel, joystick, etc.)? #define HP-IB IEEE-488 The IEEE-488 bus is a parallel interface specification created by Hewlett-Packard. It is widely used in laboratory instrument control (voltmeters, 'scopes, signal generators, etc.). You can hook up all your neat gizmos up to your computer and control them from there. The Amiga doesn't have an IEEE-488 port, and I doubt you could fake one without extra hardware. However, the ASDG TOPS-20.... uh, sorry, Twin-X board is purported to have an IEEE-488 module available for it. If you have a system that speaks it correctly, IEEE-488 can be a neat thing. _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ Leo L. Schwab -- The Guy in The Cape INET: well!ewhac@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU \_ -_ Recumbent Bikes: UUCP: pacbell > !{well,unicom}!ewhac O----^o The Only Way To Fly. hplabs / (pronounced "AE-wack") "Work FOR? I don't work FOR anybody! I'm just having fun." -- The Doctor
kent@swrinde.nde.swri.edu (Kent D. Polk) (05/24/89)
In article <11640022@hpfcdc.HP.COM> stroyan@hpfcdc.HP.COM (Mike Stroyan) writes: >The HP-IB interface, (aka IEEE-488 or GP-IB), is a type of >bi-directional 8 bit parallel interface. The only way I know to >interface an HP 9111A to an Amiga would be through an ASDG Twin-X board >and an IEEE-488 interface daughter board. It would be decidedly not >free. ACDA Corp. also lists a GPIB card. It is a dedicated half-length card that sells for $395 from the info I got from them. Supposedly also fits some A1000 card-cages. Last I heard it didn't support DMA transfers. I have no affiliation with ACDA, nor is this a recommendation, I just got the info when looking at their other I/O products. ACDA Corp, 220 Belle Meade Avenue, Setauket, NY 11733 - 516 689-7722 ======================================================= Kent Polk - Southwest Research Institute kent@swrinde.nde.swri.edu ------------------------------------------------------- "Anything worth doing is worth overdoing" (at least enough to be able to get this message posted) =======================================================
tomb@hplsla.HP.COM (Tom Bruhns) (05/26/89)
Another way to do HP-IB or IEEE488 on Amy is with a converter box. I believe "Black Boxes" (whose phone number and address I can't lay my hands on right now) makes converters from RS-232 to IEEE488. I'd expect it to run about $200. (Frankly, my Amy RS-232 port is already **HEAVILY** overloaded by a plotter, two printers and a modem...) How much interest is there in HP-IB for Amy? Would it be worth some of us who deal with HP-IB professionally coming up with a product or a construction article? What sort of software would have to be provided to make it interesting? Cheers, Tom Bruhns tomb%hplsla@hplabs.hp.com
tomb@hplsla.HP.COM (Tom Bruhns) (05/27/89)
Well, here's another bright idea. From _Electronic_Design_, 25 May 1989, Page 136 (New Products: Computers and Peripherals): "Controller Links SCSI With IEEE-488. An interface unit, the SCSI488, brings high-speed bidirectional communication between SCSI and IEEE-488 devices. The unit allows 488 instrument control from a computer's SCSI port or SCSI control from a computer's 488 bus. ..." From stock, it costs $795. Contact IOtech Inc., (216)439-4091. Somehow probably not quite what you wanted, but some Amiga user may find this interesting...
perry@madnix.UUCP (Perry Kivolowitz) (05/29/89)
In article <170005@hplsla.HP.COM> tomb@hplsla.HP.COM (Tom Bruhns) writes: >How much interest is there in HP-IB for Amy? Would it be worth some >of us who deal with HP-IB professionally coming up with a product or >a construction article? What sort of software would have to be >provided to make it interesting? Why don't some of you who deal with HP-IB professionally come up with some high powered software for the hardware which already exists? ASDG has been shipping a Twin-X based GPIB solution for about a year now. The GPIB hardware is fully compliant with the latest specifications. If cost is an issue, I might point you towards the example of the SBX-Serial/2. This was a Twin-X based multiple serial port solution which has been availble (also) for about a year. Just recently we introduced the Dual Serial Board which comes in at half or less than the price of the Twin-X based solution. In other words, it is quite reasonalble to expect that any Twin-X based product which proves itself to be commercially viable can be made into a dedicated board utilizing the same software at a higher performance and lower cost. -- Perry Kivolowitz, ASDG Inc. ARPA: madnix!perry@cs.wisc.edu {uunet|ncoast}!marque! UUCP: {harvard|rutgers|ucbvax}!uwvax!astroatc!nicmad!madnix!perry CIS: 76004,1765 (what was that about ``giggling teenagers''?)
FelineGrace@cup.portal.com (Dana B Bourgeois) (05/31/89)
This question is not strictly speaking connected with this thread but please bear with me. The last comment I read was about a a1000 owner whose RS-232 port was "already overloaded with a printer, plotter, and modem". My question is: Since most RS-232 peripherals run at 9600 baud or less (printers, plotters and modems<mostly>), would it be a neat hardwaresoftware hack to allow multiple 'channels' to use the 1 megabit bandwidth of the Amy RS-232 port? I'm VERY hazy about the details but I have this glimpse of the Amy hardware running flatout with a multi- plexer of some sort running off it splitting up the bit stream say eight ways to eight UARTs(?). Maybe Ser: would have a problem with it. But couldn't a custom device driver handle it? OK, OK. Go ahead and let me have it. *WHY* won't it work? Dana
kent@swrinde.nde.swri.edu (Kent D. Polk) (06/02/89)
In article <672@madnix.UUCP> perry@madnix.UUCP (Perry Kivolowitz) writes: >In article <170005@hplsla.HP.COM> tomb@hplsla.HP.COM (Tom Bruhns) writes: >>How much interest is there in HP-IB for Amy? Would it be worth some >>of us who deal with HP-IB professionally coming up with a product or >>a construction article? What sort of software would have to be >>provided to make it interesting? > >Why don't some of you who deal with HP-IB professionally come up with >some high powered software for the hardware which already exists? Ok, I'm not high powered, but I write 'realtime' software on HP & PC machines to access HPIB devices at usually higher rates than is supported :-), but only for one or two GPIB devices at a time, and always special-purpose software though. I would be interested in an HP-IB software project though. (Maybe something like LabVIEW (Ha). More likely, a combination project to create/use GPIB and corresponding graphics libraries for 'typical' lab applications. Sure would be nice to take it further though. >ASDG has been shipping a Twin-X based GPIB solution for about a year >now. The GPIB hardware is fully compliant with the latest specifications. > >If cost is an issue, I might point you towards the example of the SBX-Serial/2. [...] > >-- > Perry Kivolowitz, ASDG Inc. Does this mean that you would consider making a single-board GPIB controller which would be cheaper and faster than the Twin-X based counterpart or what? BTW, a while back, I requested info on your Twin-X capabilities via net mail but got no reply, do I need to send all inquiries via US land mail? Does your controller support high-speed DMA transfers? What kind of software support is provided? (if any) How do you support access to other iSBX boards? (I understood that Twin-X was iSBX compatible, or the same thing). Please respond via email, I'll respond with my mailing address for tech info. Thanks, Kent Polk