National Instruments GPIB-100A Bus Extender

The National Instruments GPIB-100A (part number: 180240-01) is a reliable Bus Extender designed to enhance the capabilities of GPIB (General Purpose Interface Bus) modules. This extender is often used paired with a parallel data transmission cable in order to transparently link two independent GPIB or IEEE-488 bus systems. With bus extenders, GPIB-100A systems are able to increase the payload limit to 30 devices without compromising speed or performance. Additionally, these flexible devices increase the system distance restriction by 300 meters. For longer connections, the point-to-point extenders can be linked into any combination of linear or star patterns. 

For short distances, the data transfer rate across the GPIB-100A bus extender is able to reach up to 250 kbytes/sec with a minimum of 135 kbytes/sec. One of the most useful features of the extender is that regardless of distance, transfers between devices on the same side of the extension have no speed loss at all. 

The architecture of the GPIB-100A is an asynchronous parallel design. It has point-to-point transmission and does not include a clock. The device can operate as a Talker, Listener, and Controller or as just a Talker and Listener mode. In addition, the module has two parallel poll response mode options- buffered or unbuffered. Equipped with one standard GPIB interface load with either AC and DC, and GPIB-100A have a typical voltage of 18 W. 

Designed for robust operation in different environmental conditions, the bus extender has an operating temperature range from 0° to 55° C and a noncondensing relative humidity range of 5 to 95%. The compact GPIB-100A measures dimensions of 3.5 x 8.5 x 13 in. (89 x 216 x 330 mm).