Chapter 1
Introduction
©
National Instruments Corporation
1-3
PC/104-GPIB for Windows 95
8-bit and 16-bit versions, which correspond to the PC and PC AT bus
implementations, respectively.
The PC/104-GPIB, equipped with a TNT4882C ASIC, transforms any
PC/104 system into a fully-functional GPIB Talker/Listener/Controller.
The TNT4882C chip combines the circuitry of the NAT4882 ASIC, the
Turbo488 performance-enhancing ASIC, and GPIB transceivers to
create a single-chip IEEE 488.2 Talker/Listener/Controller interface.
The TNT4882C also implements the HS488 high-speed protocol, which
increases the maximum data transfer rate of the PC/104-GPIB up to
1.8 MB/s. For more information about HS488, refer to Chapter 7, GPIB
Programming Techniques, in the GPIB User Manual for Windows 95 and
Windows NT.
The PC/104-GPIB is available in an 8-bit version and a 16-bit version.
You can plug the 16-bit version into an 8-bit stack if you disable DMA
transfers. The PC/104-GPIB is equipped with a 20 in. ribbon cable
terminated with a panel-mount GPIB connector. You can use standard
GPIB cables to connect the PC/104-GPIB with up to 14 instruments.
If you want to use more than the maximum number of instruments, you
can order a bus extender or expander from National Instruments. Refer
to Appendix C,
, for more information about the GPIB
hardware specifications and recommended operating conditions.
GPIB Software Overview
The GPIB software includes a native, 32-bit multitasking Windows 95
driver that is fully Plug and Play aware. Because the PC/104-GPIB is a
non Plug and Play module, Windows 95 is unable to detect its addition
to or removal from your system dynamically. You must manually
inform Windows 95 about the insertion or removal of the PC/104-GPIB
from your system. This manual describes the insertion and removal
procedures for the PC/104-GPIB.
The GPIB software for Windows 95 supports the concurrent use of
multiple types of GPIB hardware. For example, you can communicate
with GPIB devices through both a PC/104-GPIB and an AT-GPIB/TNT
in the same system at the same time. The GPIB software is integrated
into the Windows 95 operating system. It is configurable through the
System Properties applet and uninstallable through the Add/Remove
Programs applet of the Control Panel.
