TAMS 81488 Guide
TAMS 81488
HP-IB Card for Linux
Installation & Operation
2
TAMS 81488 HP-IB Card for Linux
Installation & Operation
Test & Measurement Systems Inc.
750 14th Street SW
Loveland, Colorado 80537
USA
Telephone (970) 669 6553
Fax (970) 669 3090
Web Site www.tamsinc.com
Email [email protected]
Copyright © Test & Measurement Systems Inc. 1997-2004
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TableofContents
Introduction .....................................................................................4
HardwareWarranty .......................................................................4
Handling Interfaces- SomeWords of Caution...............................5
Configuring the Equivalent Loads .................................................6
Installing the HP-IB Interface ........................................................7
Connectingthe HP-IB Cable .........................................................8
Installing the Software ....................................................................9
Configuring the Card .................................................................... 11
Configuring the Card Using iosetup ............................................ 11
Configuringthe CardManually ...................................................13
AppendixA:SystemsAdministrationReference .........................15
Appendix B: Software LicenseAgreement...................................16
WarrantyInformation....................................................................18
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Introduction
The TAMS HP-IB Interface is intended to add IEEE-488 capabilities to any computer
with a PCI bus.
The TAMS card takes full advantage of the PCI bus performance and delivers the
highest possible level of throughput.
The TAMS Interface supports both the 3.3v and 5v PCI specifications as a universal
card.
Thanks to HP’s software architecture and the design of the TAMS driver, once the
driver is loaded (which is done once at installation) the TAMS card can be used in any
application without requiring more computer overhead or any changes to code
developed for HP’s HP-IB cards.
Whether you are using HP-VEE, HPBASIC/UX, or programming in C with the TAMS I/O
Libraries, your code will now run at full performance without modification.
Hardware Warranty
All TAMS products use the highest quality components and are assembled to the
highest specifications. Should a defect exist, or a failure occur, we apologize. Any
defective unit will be repaired or replaced immediately.
Please follow the instructions below for service response.
• In the US please return it to TAMS. Please call or fax for return instructions.
•Internationally, please contact the local distributor for return instructions.
Any customer may contact TAMS, or return products directly to TAMS, but for
customers outside the US, this may cause a delay, which could be avoided by working
with the local distributor.
The complete hardware warranty information is in Appendix C.
For software warranty information see the Software License in Appendix B.
5
Handling Interfaces- Some Words of Caution
You should note the following guidelines to avoid equipment damage when handling any
interface cards.
• Make sure the computer’s power is turned OFF and the power cord is removed from
theAC power outlet, before removing or installing interfaces.
Caution Plugging or unplugging an interface with the power on can damage the
interface and the computer.
• Most interfaces contain components that are sensitive to damage from electrostatic
discharge. Use protective measures including anti-static workstation and personal
grounding devices, if possible. When installing an interface, do not leave the
interface exposed longer than necessary.
Caution Whenever you remove, install, or handle an interface, hold it by its support
bracket and side edges only. Do not touch its electrical components or traces.
6
Configuring the Equivalent Loads
As shipped, there are two resistor packs installed in sockets J2 and J3. These provide 10
additional equivalent loads, as defined in the IEEE 488.1-1987 standard. For systems with
few devices and long cable lengths, the additional loads provide increased signal
integrity and better transfer rates on the cable. In most situations, they can be left
installed, which gives a total of 11 loads for the card.
However, there is a maximum of 20 equivalent loads per bus system. Most devices
have one equivalent load, so a maximum of nine additional devices can be used while
the resistors are installed. If your bus system will have more than nine additional
devices, carefully remove both of the resistor packs and store them.
If the resistors need to be reinstalled later on, be sure that the visual key aligns with pin
1 on the sockets. The two resistor packs are equivalent, and can be interchanged. Both
resistor packs must be installed together.
For full details on the constraints in configuring a bus system, refer to section 5.2.3 in
the IEEE 488.1-1987 specification. The TAMS card is capable of operation at
1,000,000 bytes per second, and therefore the constraints in that section apply. This
requires 48 mA tri-state drivers be used in all devices, all devices must be powered on,
and cabling must be a maximum of 15 meters total length with at least one equivalent
load per meter of cabling.
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Installing the HP-IB Interface
Before installing the HP-IB card note the setting of the rotary DIP switch setting on the
card. Each 81488 (488-66511) card installed in the computer must have a unique switch
setting. It is a good idea to write the switch setting on the metal support bracket with a
felt tipped pen.
Refer to the Owner’s Guide of your computer for instructions on opening your computer
and installing PCI boards.
Follow the instructions being careful to handle the TAMS interface board only by its
edges. After the board has been plugged in and the retaining screw installed, the
computer should be reassembled.
Depending on the computer, is may be advisable to connect the small Cannon connector
of the required HP-IB cable to theTAMS interface card prior to fully seating the PCI
board. Ensure that the thumbscrews and the small connector are tight for a good
connection.
HP-IB cable required by the TAMS interface.
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Connecting the HP-IB Cable
The IEEE 488 specification is for a daisy chain configuration, and so the standard
connector on the cable supplied can be attached directly to any HP-IB device or to any
device in a chain of HP-IB devices.
The following illustrations show correct connections.
You are now ready to install the software that came with the HP-IB card.
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Installing the Software
Note You must have root permission to install the software. In addition, you must have
permission to write to the directories in Table 3 in Appendix A.
1. Make sure that the I/O Libraries (82091) for Linux is installed.
rpm –q T82091
2. Insert the installation media into the drive and wait for the busy light to remain off.
3. If your system does not automount the CD-ROM, mount the CD-ROM, for
example:
/bin/mount /dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom
/dev/cdrom is the device file for your CD-ROM drive and /mnt/cdrom is a
directory used as a mount point.
4. Change to the directory where the driver is.
cd /mnt/cdrom/81488
5. Use RPM to install the driver. Architecture-specific versions of the software have
been provided for systems running the supported kernels; the whichrpm.sh
program returns the name of the correct RPM for your system. (Note the use of
backquotes (‘) rather than single quotes (‘).)
/bin/rpm -Uvh ‘./whichrpm.sh‘
6. The T81488 RPM will automatically load the t81488 kernel module and create the
necessary device files. Each time you start up your computer after this, the t81488
kernel module will be loaded and related device files will be created.
7. Once the installation is complete, unmount the CD.
cd /
/bin/umount /mnt/cdrom
8. Once the CD is unmounted, remove the media from the drive and store it in a safe
place.
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In general, the installation procedure places the files in the necessary directories by
default. AppendixAis a reference for the Linux systems administrator, who might wish to
know where these files are placed.
You will still need to configure the newTAMS HP-IB card as a SICLinstrument card, as
covered in the next section.
Table of contents
