I personally prefer Ethernet and don't like GPIB. So there are the biases. I still have GPIB adapter, because some of my devices have it. I use what I have.
But as many times as you keep repeating it is not going to make it true. UART +RS2323 electrical interface is the simplest, most standard and easiest serial interface to be implemented.
You set speed and coding (with 8 bit no parity practically being the norm for 20 years) and your good to go.
There are no "alternative" or "trick" with any RS232 devices. It simply works, and parsing of the strings is all the work.
And speaking with serial ports is so trivial from any software, that I won't even talk about that.
Saying Ethernet TCP/IP is simpler is simply not true.
I know, as I have been developing stuff on all kinds of interfaces for 30+ years. UART is simplest to develop and to program for. It is slow but for this purpose fast enough.
No need to be snarky either. I try not to speak up if I don't know what I'm talking about. X-Port IS a Linux computer, a very minimal one.
Look it up. It is simple because if you use X-port, it simply serves as serial to TCP/IP gateway. It can expose a port so you simply establish a socket to it, and speak same strings as on serial port. Which makes it so you can decide to implement RS232 only or drop 50€ and have TCP/IP. Or connect RS232 to Raspberry PI via UART and make software for that.
Look, it is simple.
You posted this as YOUR challenge. You came up with rules that appear heavily slanted towards something you already have been working on and in way you think is right and what is good for you. Me and few other here voiced opinions that it would be more beneficial to community to make something more generic and focused in such a way to spend most of the energy on important "nanovolt" part. Few of us have found some of your requirements unnecessary or not instrumental to core nanovoltmeter requirements.
I spoke up, you don't like it, that's fine. I won't be repeating or
interfere anymore. It is your show.
I also won't be participating, because I would do it either for the good of community, or would make a device that fits my specific requirement, not some other person that have different needs them myself. And I don't have time to participate in this as a pissing contest, just to show off.
So good luck to everybody and will following to see what interesting ideas will be developing here.
Best,