GPIB-To-Parallel Interface Provides 256 I/O Lines

The Model 4813H from ICS Electronics is an IEEE 488.2/GPIB-to-parallel interface that connects devices with TTL, CMOS, or other digital signals to the GPIB bus, providing 256 parallel I/O lines that can be configured in 8-bit bytes. The 256 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 IEEE-488.2 Common Commands and includes an expanded 488.2 Status Reporting Structure that monitors up to 15 inputs for signal changes. The device also responds to SCPI commands, which let the user set its GPIB address, configure the parallel interface to match the application, and enter a custom IDN message. All configuration parameters are saved in nonvolatile flash memory.

The 4813H is a two-board set with a master board and expansion board interconnected by a short flat-ribbon cable (see the Figure). The master board contains ICS's standard diagnostic LEDs for troubleshooting GPIB problems, a reset button, a GPIB header and a 150-pin connector with the first 128 digital I/O signals. The expansion board has a similar 150-pin connector with the second 128 digital I/O signals. Both boards are 7.0- by 5.5-in. boards that can be mounted against a panel or on a pc board. When mounted on another pc board, the mated height is less than 0.5 in. The two boards use less than 900 mA of regulated 5-Vdc power.