Sonsivri

Ideally NI compatible on Windows 7 and have the drivers to where it can be accessed via a USB com port in the event I put together a quick BASIC routine in future (hey, it's fast and not fussy, so no speeches from C-snobs, please).

Needs to be turn-key and zero development other than fabbing and building the circuit board. I have too many real projects to do anything more than assemble this.

Best off the shelf I've found is close to $200, and eBay pricing on used interfaces is INSANE.

I'd like to do it for $20-$30 in parts. Since I'm worthless  :P ,assembly labor is not an issue.

thanks!

Can't say if this will suit your needs, and it's in German but Google should translate it well enough...

http://www.ringwelt.de/messgeraete/17-gpib/41-gpib-usb-adapter.html

Or this site

http://www.rudiswiki.de/wiki9/GPIBtoUSB_PIC

Interesting.

See attached for members

I'm guessing $80 in components and the board

EDIT: added another converter that has all the files needed to build one

Wow they like to sock it too you on the chip and board for that Gee Whiz unit...

I had no experience with GPIB things, what kind of connector is that? Expensive?

-ichan

Hi Ichan,

the cheapo version is to use two crimpconnectors (male and female) on both sides of the cable
and a matching ribboncable.

And yes, the normal version is expensive.


Best Regards

The one from www.prologix.biz may do the job. But is more of a GPIB to virtual serial converter. Based on a FTDI chip. I used it a few years ago with labview. But it was very basic GPIB commands i used it with. Do not know if it support low level GPIB commands from labview

The prologix is more than double what I can spend, having been unemployed for longer than I want to admit.

There's that pesky food habit my body has which keeps getting in the way of buying stuff I'd like to get.

The connector is $10 plus shipping

This also looks like a quite well documented project http://scasagrande.blogspot.no/2012/04/gpibusb-for-sale.html. If you scroll down you will find links to code++ in the Items of note:
section

Just a side rant.  GPIB SUCKS.  I can't believe how much it costs to use such a mediocre interface.  I've spent a lot of time looking for decent interfaces and a few hundred $$$ was the best I could find (though I wasn't looking to build one).  Really a big rip off.

Posted on: December 28, 2013, 10:40:32 22:40 - Automerged

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I never really understood the prologix adapter.  Why would they design a converter that doesn't really support GPIB(you need to use several unique commands in addition to whatever GPIB commands you want to send).  I don't get it.

Have a look at Elektor 2012 july/august 2012. There's a circuit that's basically a pic 18f2550 (available as a free sample from microchip!) and a few ttl chips.
The whole year is available here:
http://www.sonsivri.to/forum/index.php?topic=526.msg142760#msg142760
the firmware and pcb layout is here:
http://www.elektor.com/magazines/2012/july-047-august/gee-whiz-a-gpib-to-usb-converter.2188340.lynkx
looks simple and cheap!!
the whole circuit consists of the pic, a crystal, resistors,capacitors, one 74ls245 (to drive 8 status leds if you need them - you could leave this out though)
if you can get the connectors off old boards then the whole thing could be made as a 'junkbox-project' and cost next to nothing!
hope this helps.
Andy

It's not cheap. You missed the discussion in reply 2 and 3 of this thread. It'll be about $80

Yes Yes I read that, and had no problem understanding your goal. But if you quit monkeying around  :D;D. You will see that this person also share code and layout. If you scroll down to the Items of note: section. And  use the link at the 3. bullet point. However I do not have any knowledge on how good or bad this project is. But it is what you asked for a complete project. Hope you give us word on how this project ended then done

My reply was to andybiker, Bob.....

Still camping out to see what else comes in from those 8000 active members we have here.

Not in a hurry (this time...). I kind of like the Gee Whiz one right now, as it's the most turnkey one.

There's an interesting emulator here for capturing HP-GL/2 plots off your IEEE bus: http://www.thegleam.com/ke5fx/gpib/7470.htm which is what I'd like to do with the old, used, oscilloscope Santa brought me.

I did a little bit of looking and I think I ran across someone on EEVBlog who said that the firmware for the elektor device was pretty buggy.  Don't quote me on it but you might take a look before committing to an approach.  Sorry I wasn't smart enough to save the link for you.

I think I have read that article on EEVBLOG just google this eevblog usb gpib
And it should pop up on one of the first hits

I can confirm this to work on a HP 8920A.

All those devices that are homemade will use a serial port driver. As far as i know those from NI that are fully compatible with labview have a dedicated GPIB driver. Having to fiddle around hours in labview to enable a third party interface seems like an unhealthy option.

edit: you may allready have discovered this list: http://sigrok.org/wiki/GPIB_interface_comparison

I use the prologix to talk to a HP spectrum analyzer. Seems expensive for what it is, but still the cheapest I could find to do the job. Sigh.

Have you seen this project ?

http://dangerousprototypes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=56&t=6120#p56282

Hello,

this one looks promising:
http://www.microlab.ti.bfh.ch/wiki/huce:microlab:projects:internal:gecko:gecko-system:gecko3com:start

Best Regards