Hardware Description; Software Description - National Instruments GPIB-SCSI-A Getting Started

Chapter 1 Introduction

Hardware Description

Software Description

GPIB-SCSI-A for MacOS
– Type SCSI-G GPIB-SCSI-A (50-pin Champ) to SCSI-2
(50-pin High Density) — 1m
• Shielded GPIB Cables*:
– Type X1 single-shielded cables — 1 m, 2 m, or 4 m
– Type X2 double-shielded cables — 1 m, 2 m, or 4 m
• Rack-Mount Kits:
– Single rack-mount kit (1 unit)
– Dual rack-mount kit (2 units)
• To meet FCC emission limits for this Class A device, you must use
a shielded (Type X1 or X2) GPIB cable. Operating this equipment
with a non-shielded GPIB cable may cause interference to radio
and television reception in commercial areas.
The GPIB-SCSI-A is a high-performance interface product that
transparently handles data transfers between the SCSI and the GPIB.
It is an 8-bit microcomputer that operates as a full-function
IEEE 488/SCSI Controller. The GPIB-SCSI-A can transform any
computer with a SCSI port into a GPIB Talker/Listener/Controller or
make any device on the SCSI bus look like a GPIB device.
The GPIB-SCSI-A has all the software and logic required to implement
the physical and electrical characteristics of the ANSI/IEEE Standard
488.1-1987 and the ANSI Standard X3T9.2. Also, all GPIB protocols
have been updated to comply with ANSI/IEEE Standard 488.2-1987.
It is able to interpret and execute commands that you send to it over
the GPIB or SCSI ports and perform all necessary SCSI-to-GPIB
protocol conversions.
The NI-488.2 software for MacOS is a comprehensive set of programs
and drivers that simplifies the job of programming the GPIB-SCSI-A
to function as a GPIB Controller with complete communication and
bus management capabilities. The NI-488.2 software also comes with
an interactive debugger; FutureBASIC, Macintosh Programmer's
Workshop (MPW) C, THINK C, and Metrowerks CodeWarrior C
language interfaces; and a shared library for C programmers developing
applications for PowerPC.
1-2 © National Instruments Corporation