In the previous discussion, the terms Addressed to Talk and Addressed to Listen
were used. These terms require some clarification.
The IEEE 488.1 standard permits up to 15 devices to be configured within one
system. Each of these devices must have a unique address to avoid confusion. In a
similar fashion, every building in town has a unique address to prevent one home
from receiving another home's mail. Exactly how each device's address is set is
specific to the product's manufacturer. Some are set by DIP switches in hardware,
others by software. Consult the manufacturer's instructions to determine how to set
the address.
Addresses are sent with universal (multiline) commands from the Active
Controller. These commands include My Listen Address (MLA), My Talk
Address (MTA), Talk Address Group (TAG), and Listen Address Group (LAG).
4.4 BUS MANAGEMENT LINES
Five hardware lines on the GPIB are used for bus management. Signals on these
lines are often referred to as uniline (single line) commands. The signals are active
low, i.e. a low voltage represents a logic "1" (asserted), and a high voltage represents
a logic "0" (unasserted).
4.4.1 Attention (ATN)
ATN is one of the most important lines for bus management. If Attention is asserted,
then the information contained on the data lines is to be interpreted as a multiline
command. If it is not, then that information is to be interpreted as data for the Active
Listeners. The Active Controller is the only bus device that has control of this line.
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