HP-IB Need a kick in the right direction

[markgreco]

I have several pieces of HP test equipment that use the HP-IB interface bus.
I’m a hobbyist
I own a Prologix HP-IB to USB converter
I can send one command at a time using the software they recommend, and it works well.

Can anyone steer me in the right direction on a program I can use on my laptop? As much as I want a HP 75c it’s hard to justify 325$.

Thanks and happy holidays

[Dave Frederickson]

Well, for instrument control I kinda like LabVIEW.
https://www.ni.com/en-us/shop/labview/se...ition.html

I see there's a 75D on eBay for $250 with a Make Offer option but I think a 71B would be a better choice.

Dave

[markgreco]

Thanks I want to try a blinkinlights type program. I will look at the 71b

[Garth Wilson]

71B is outstanding for this, although the HP-IL controllers will need the HP82169A HPIL-to-HPIB interface converter. I originally got my 41cx for controlling such lab equipment, using the '169 with the HP-IL module and Extended I/O module (combined in my case, so together they only take one port). Later I got the 71. The whole set today would get pretty expensive, although maybe still a fraction of the cost of all the lab equipment you'll control with it.

[markgreco]

Thanks, your SO SO RIGHT! I’m not scared of the 350.00 calculator as much as the module on eBay being DOA.
I guess I made it this far in the hobby I should be patient and get a HP calculator to play with his cousins.

[KeithB]

(12-21-2021 12:17 AM)markgreco Wrote:  Can anyone steer me in the right direction on a program I can use on my laptop? As much as I want a HP 75c it’s hard to justify 325$.

Thanks and happy holidays

For general GPIB control I like C# .Net and the NI NI488 libraries (Though they might not work with your GPIB controller). I have written some very large control programs to control multiple instruments and allow for configurations (And other people actually use it!). The NI software comes with NI Max which lets you manually talk to instruments, no computer required.

[markgreco]

I downloaded the suite and will give it a go

Thanks Keith!

[Dave Frederickson]

(12-21-2021 05:07 PM)KeithB Wrote:  The NI software comes with NI Max which lets you manually talk to instruments, no computer required.

Software that doesn't require a computer? Tell me more.

[KeithB]

Oops!, Sorry, no custom application required!

Of course you can do the same thing, though a bit more clumsily, on the HP71.