National Instruments 777463-01 GPIB Interface

Part Number 777463-01 is the identifying part number for the National Instruments GPIB-PCII GPIB Interface. The 777463-01 comes equipped with the NAT4882 ASIC and is capable of transforming any IBM PC, PC/XT, PC AT, or other compatible computers into an IEEE 488.2 Talker/Listener/Controller. With standard GPIB cables, this device can be used to connect up to 14 instruments. Furthermore, if your application requires more instruments, you can use a bus extender or expander. The device supports a maximum GPIB transfer rate of 280 kbytes/s through the 3-wire (IEEE 488) transfer method. However, actual speed may vary according to the system and instrumentation capabilities. 

On the software side, the 777463-01 works with the GPIB software, which includes a native, 32-bit multitasking driver that also supports hot plug-and-play. If you are using the Windows operating system, the GPIB software for this platform supports the concurrent use of multiple types of GPIB hardware. The GPIB software consists of multiple components that ease the process of interfacing, configuration, testing, and application development: a device driver, a diagnostic test utility, a configuration utility, an interactive control program, utilities for software development, language interface libraries for Microsoft Visual C/C++ 2.0 or later, Borland C/C++ 4.0 or later, and Microsoft Visual Basic 4.0 or later, and sample applications that use NI-488 functions and NI-488.2 routines.

In addition to the basic software required to set up and use the device, some tools speed up development time. These include LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI, and GPIB analyzer. The 777463-01 typically consumes 50 mA of current from a +5 VDC supply and this can reach up to a maximum of 120 mA.  The module measures (4.2 in. by 4.35 in.) in physical dimensions. An IEEE 488 Standard 24-pin connector is used for I/O purposes. The 778769-01 is recommended for operation between temperatures of  0 °C to 70 °C at a relative humidity of 10% to 90%. Likewise, it can be stored at temperatures between -20 °C to 70 °C at a relative humidity of 5% to 90%.