RF Scientific GPIB Logger v 1.0

[doktor pyta]

I'd like to share with EEVblog users a piece of software. It is a Windows application which allows to acquire data from up to 10 instruments equipped with GPIB bus. The software supports Prologix 6 GPIB-USB converter which is a cost-effective solution. The time between measurements can be set between 1s and 1h. It was created for long-time data logging: checking stability of systems and components.

Here You can download the software and manual: http://rfscientific.eu/rf-scientific-gpib-logger-v10

[Fraser]

Many thanks for sharing.

I do not own the Prologix interface as I use NI PCMCIA controllers. It would be really great if future versions (?) can support the National Instruments GPIB interface standard as well as Prologix but if this was written for your own needs, I totally understand.

Well done 

Aurora

[guido]

  Thank You !! 

Got it up and running with my 3456A with little effort.
Will become handy in the future, comparing voltmeters or using it with a time interval analyser.

A request for a future version would be to have the possibility to have the logs, configuration and settings directories somewhere else (user defined).

by the way, nice rack 

[TerraHertz]

Sounds great. Too bad the site is currently off line.
  "Site off-line The site is currently not available due to technical problems. Please try again later. Thank you for your understanding."

[timb]

Huh, I've been looking for something like this. I wish it supported the NI command set as well, as I use an NI Serial to GPIB adapter.

Though there is a guy who has a rather nice USB to GPIB board based on a PIC and FTDI. He sells them ready to go for $50~ and the latest firmware has a Prologix Emulation Mode.

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=281446665785

Same guy also wrote a really nice Python based Instrument Control library. Supports USBTAM, GPIB, Serial, LAN/LXI, VXI and basic SCPI commands. It's the best thing going for controlling test gear on Mac or Linux, or if you refuse to install VISA et al on Windows.


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[doktor pyta]

Thanks for the feedback guys.
I hope the website is working now.

When talking about compatibility with NI (and other brands) GPIB-USB adapters, there is a possibility to add that feature but I will wait for a while to check how many people are interested. Besides I will have to have this particular adapter in my lab to verify if its working well with the software (eg. timeouts and delays are quite important issue).

[Fraser]

@timb,

IIRC the maker of that USB to GPIB adapter is/was a member of this forum and posted details of it in a posting some time ago.

I may have to buy one of those adapters as it would be useful to have a Prologix capability.

I just found a posting by the chap who makes that USB-GPIB interface :

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/34401a-interface-to-pc-rs232-or-gpib/msg485734/#msg485734

Aurora

[timb]

Oh really? That's cool, didn't know that.

I'm thinking of picking one up as well. I do have a mostly finished design for my own GPIB Cape for the BBB, but, eh, effort... (It uses a couple of the TI driver chips and a level shifter to route the data straight to the Bone's GPIO; on the software side it uses one of the PRU's to handle all the communication; right now the data is accessed directly by some special C calls, but the idea was to have a Kernel driver so it would show up as /dev/GPIB and you could simply pipe data to/from /dev/gpib/[Device#], but I haven't gotten that far. Down side is you lose a lot of I/O this way, so I was toying with using an MSP430 to do the heavy lifting and just taking over I2C or SPI.)

Anyway, only reason I use the NI Serial to GPIB unit for my current setup is because I snagged it due $25 on eBay! Nice unit though, can go in the reverse direction and let you turn talk to serial devices over GPIB as well.


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[chickenHeadKnob]

Oh really? That's cool, didn't know that.

I'm thinking of picking one up as well. I do have a mostly finished design for my own GPIB Cape for the BBB, but, eh, effort... (It uses a couple of the TI driver chips and a level shifter to route the data straight to the Bone's GPIO; on the software side it uses one of the PRU's to handle all the communication; right now the data is accessed directly by some special C calls, but the idea was to have a Kernel driver so it would show up as /dev/GPIB and you could simply pipe data to/from /dev/gpib/[Device#], but I haven't gotten that far. Down side is you lose a lot of I/O this way, so I was toying with using an MSP430 to do the heavy lifting and just taking over I2C or SPI.)

Anyway, only reason I use the NI Serial to GPIB unit for my current setup is because I snagged it due $25 on eBay! Nice unit though, can go in the reverse direction and let you turn talk to serial devices over GPIB as well.


Sent from my Smartphone

Hi tim, when you get around to ordering PCBs please make an extra for me! I was just wanting exactly this kind of cape and I will reimburse of course.

Don't know what you mean by: "Down side is you lose a lot of I/O" ? Are you referring to the overhead of doing it the official unix way, by going through the file system? This would be one case where it is the right design choice, for the obvious reasons. On second reading it looks like you are referring to the number of pins consumed, that wouldn't worry me, as I would  dedicate a bone just for this.

[TerraHertz]

Thanks for the feedback guys.
I hope the website is working now.

Today I tried again. The site is working, and I got the two small files (manual 2 MB, settings a few K), but when I try to download the 12 MB zip of the logger code, it repeatedly fails. Very slow; gets about 8 MB done, then fails with a 'corrupted ZIP' error.

Had you considered uploading it to a fileshare service?

[eurofox]

Thanks for the feedback guys.
I hope the website is working now.

Today I tried again. The site is working, and I got the two small files (manual 2 MB, settings a few K), but when I try to download the 12 MB zip of the logger code, it repeatedly fails. Very slow; gets about 8 MB done, then fails with a 'corrupted ZIP' error.

Had you considered uploading it to a fileshare service?

Download in just 3 seconds 

[TerraHertz]

OK, _this_ time it downloaded fine. Don't know where the bottleneck was the other night.

[HighVoltage]

Hello doktor pyta,

This is something I have been looking for for a long time.
But I do have several Agilent USB2 to GPIB Adapters and don't really want to buy another one.
Any chance you can make it work with the Agilent 82357B Interface?

Thanks so much for sharing this software.
And BTW, I really like your instruments setup.
I do not recognize the standard that is connected to the 3458A. What brand and model is that one?