Interface board set links digital signals to GPIB
-- Test & Measurement World, 3/8/2007 6:25:00 AM
A two-board set from ICS Electronics, the Model 4813H interfaces devices using TTL, CMOS, or other digital signals with the IEEE 488.2 (GPIB) bus. You can use the 4813H to expand the number of digital I/O lines available in OEM boards to up to 256 lines.
Comprising a master board and an expansion board, the 4813H provides 256 parallel I/O lines that can be configured as inputs or outputs in 8-bit bytes. I/O lines can be controlled as individual bits, or data can be transferred directly to or from a specific byte or by strings of data characters to multiple bytes. A transparent mode lets the 4813H output high-speed binary data to multiple bytes. The 4813H provides the parallel device with an IEEE 488.2-compatible interface that responds to all of the 488.2 common commands and includes an expanded 488.2 status reporting structure that monitors up to 15 inputs for signal changes. It also responds to SCPI commands, which allows you to set the GPIB address, configure the parallel interface to match the application, and enter a custom IDN message. All configuration parameters are stored in nonvolatile flash memory.
The master and expansion boards are interconnected by a short flat-ribbon cable. The master board provides diagnostic LEDs for troubleshooting GPIB problems, a reset button, a GPIB header, and a 150-pin connector for the first 128 digital I/O signals. The expansion board has a similar 150-pin connector for the second 128 digital I/O signals. Both boards are 7.0x5.5 in. and mount against a panel or on a PC board.
Base price: $795. ICS Electronics, www.icselect.com.
