Are PIL-Boxes still available?

[Frido Bohn]

(08-28-2024 02:11 AM)John Ioannidis Wrote:  I'm curious... is HPIL used anywhere in the real world? or is it just we old-timers who just want to play with it again?

Hi John,

I'd say that the HP-IL module was essential to communicate with the HP-IL printer (HP 82162A) and the mass storage device (HP 82161A). Anyone who has one of those needs the IL module. There were also other devices such as the video interface (HP 82163), serial interface (HP 82164A), GPIO interface (HP 82165A) etc. I personally own a digital multimeter with HP-IL connectivity (HP 3468A).
Apart from those old-days devices, the recent HP-IL box offers a serial connectivity through USB. The software bundle from Jean-François Garnier and Christoph Giesselink allows the connectivity to and within a computer (via TCP/IP). With this it is not only possible to get data to and from the computer but it would be therotically also possible to e.g., read out a device in Tokyo, print the results in Cape Town, store the data in Buenos Aires and control this from New York - that is the HP-IL loop taken to its extremes.
Maybe not something essential in the real world but a convenient tool that outsiders would categorize as toy.

Cheers
Frido