National Instruments AT-GPIB/TNT User manual

© Copyright 1994 National Instruments Corporation.
All Rights Reserved.
Getting Started with Your
AT-GPIB/TNT and the NI-488.2M™
Software for LynxOS
October 1994 Edition
Part Number 320808A-01

National Instruments Corporate Headquarters
6504 Bridge Point Parkway
Austin, TX 78730-5039
[phone]
Technical support fax: [phone]
[phone]
Branch Offices:
Australia [phone], Austria [phone], Belgium 02/757.00.20,
Canada (Ontario) [phone], Canada (Québec) [phone],
Denmark 45 76 26 00, Finland (90) 527 2321, France (1) 48 14 24 24,
Germany 089/741 31 30, Italy 02/48301892, Japan [phone],
Mexico 95 800 010 0793, Netherlands 03480-33466, Norway 32-84 84 00,
Singapore 2265886, Spain (91) 640 0085, Sweden 08-730 49 70,
Switzerland 056/20 51 51, Taiwan 02 377 1200, U.K. 0635 523545

Limited Warranty
The AT-GPIB/TNT is warranted against defects in materials and workmanship for a
period of two years from the date of shipment, as evidenced by receipts or other
documentation. National Instruments will, at its option, repair or replace equipment that
proves to be defective during the warranty period. This warranty includes parts and
labor.
The media on which you receive National Instruments software are warranted not to fail
to execute programming instructions, due to defects in materials and workmanship, for a
period of 90 days from date of shipment, as evidenced by receipts or other
documentation. National Instruments will, at its option, repair or replace software media
that do not execute programming instructions if National Instruments receives notice of
such defects during the warranty period. National Instruments does not warrant that the
operation of the software shall be uninterrupted or error free.
A Return Material Authorization (RMA) number must be obtained from the factory and
clearly marked on the outside of the package before any equipment will be accepted for
warranty work. National Instruments will pay the shipping costs of returning to the
owner parts which are covered by warranty.
National Instruments believes that the information in this manual is accurate. The
document has been carefully reviewed for technical accuracy. In the event that technical
or typographical errors exist, National Instruments reserves the right to make changes to
subsequent editions of this document without prior notice to holders of this edition. The
reader should consult National Instruments if errors are suspected. In no event shall
National Instruments be liable for any damages arising out of or related to this document
or the information contained in it.
EXCEPT AS SPECIFIED HEREIN, NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS MAKES NO
WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY
WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
CUSTOMER'S RIGHT TO RECOVER DAMAGES CAUSED BY FAULT OR NEGLIGENCE
ON THE PART OF NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE AMOUNT
THERETOFORE PAID BY THE CUSTOMER. NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS WILL NOT BE
LIABLE FOR DAMAGES RESULTING FROM LOSS OF DATA, PROFITS, USE OF
PRODUCTS, OR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF ADVISED OF
THE POSSIBILITY THEREOF. This limitation of the liability of National Instruments will
apply regardless of the form of action, whether in contract or tort, including negligence.
Any action against National Instruments must be brought within one year after the cause
of action accrues. National Instruments shall not be liable for any delay in performance
due to causes beyond its reasonable control. The warranty provided herein does not
cover damages, defects, malfunctions, or service failures caused by owner's failure to
follow the National Instruments installation, operation, or maintenance instructions;
owner's modification of the product; owner's abuse, misuse, or negligent acts; and power
failure or surges, fire, flood, accident, actions of third parties, or other events outside
reasonable control.

Copyright
Under the copyright laws, this publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any
form, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, storing in an
information retrieval system, or translating, in whole or in part, without the prior written
consent of National Instruments Corporation.
Trademarks
NAT4882®, NI-488®, Turbo488®, NI-488.2™, NI-488.2M™, and TNT4882C™are
trademarks of National Instruments Corporation.
Product and company names listed are trademarks or trade names of their respective
companies.
WARNING REGARDING MEDICAL AND CLINICAL
USE OF NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS PRODUCTS
National Instruments products are not designed with components and testing intended to
ensure a level of reliability suitable for use in treatment and diagnosis of humans.
Applications of National Instruments products involving medical or clinical treatment can
create a potential for accidental injury caused by product failure, or by errors on the part
of the user or application designer. Any use or application of National Instruments
products for or involving medical or clinical treatment must be performed by properly
trained and qualified medical personnel, and all traditional medical safeguards,
equipment, and procedures that are appropriate in the particular situation to prevent
serious injury or death should always continue to be used when National Instruments
products are being used. National Instruments products are NOT intended to be a
substitute for any form of established process, procedure, or equipment used to monitor
or safeguard human health and safety in medical or clinical treatment.

FCC/DOC Radio Frequency
Interference Compliance
This equipment generates and uses radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used
in strict accordance with the instructions in this manual, may cause interference to radio
and television reception. This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the
following two regulatory agencies:
Federal Communications Commission
This device complies with Part 15 of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Rules for a Class B digital device. A Class B device is distinguishable from a Class A
device by the appearance of an FCC ID number located on the Class B device.
Canadian Department of Communications
This device complies with the limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus set
out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department of
Communications (DOC).
Le présent appareil numérique n’émet pas de bruits radioélectriques dépassant les limites
applicables aux appareils numériques de classe B prescrites dans le règlement sur le
brouillage radioélectrique édicté par le ministère des communications du Canada.
Instructions to Users
These regulations are designed to provide reasonable protection against interference from
the equipment to radio and television reception in residential areas.
There is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation.
However, the chances of interference are much less if the equipment is installed and used
according to this instruction manual.
If the equipment does cause interference to radio or television reception, which can be
determined by turning the equipment on and off, one or more of the following
suggestions may reduce or eliminate the problem.
• Operate the equipment and the receiver on different branches of your AC electrical
system.
• Move the equipment away from the receiver with which it is interfering.
• Reorient or relocate the receiver’s antenna.
• Be sure that the equipment is plugged into a grounded outlet and that the grounding
has not been defeated with a cheater plug.

Notice to user: Changes or modifications not expressly approved by National
Instruments could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment
under the FCC Rules.
If necessary, consult National Instruments or an experienced radio/television technician
for additional suggestions. The following booklet prepared by the FCC may also be
helpful: How to Identify and Resolve Radio-TV Interference Problems. This booklet is
available from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402, Stock
Number 004-000-00345-4.
Bescheinigung des Herstellers/Importeurs
Hiermit wird bescheinigt, daß die AT-GPIB in Übereinstimmung mit den Bestimmungen
der Vfg. 1046/1984 funk entstört ist.
Der Detuschen Bundespost wurde das Inverkehrbringen dieses Gerätes angezeigt und die
Berechtigung zur Überprüfung der Serie auf Bestimmungen eingeräumt.

© National Instruments Corp. vii AT-GPIB/TNT for LynxOS
Contents
About This Manual ............................................................................................... ix
Organization of This Manual........................................................................... ix
Conventions Used in This Manual................................................................... x
Related Documentation ................................................................................... xi
Customer Communication ............................................................................... xi
Chapter 1
Introduction.............................................................................................................. 1-1
How to Use This Manual................................................................................. 1-1
What You Need to Get Started ........................................................................ 1-2
Hardware Description ...................................................................................... 1-2
AT-GPIB/TNT .................................................................................. 1-2
AT-GPIB ........................................................................................... 1-2
Software Description ....................................................................................... 1-2
Chapter 2
Hardware Configuration and Installation................................................... 2-1
Install the Hardware......................................................................................... 2-1
Configure the Hardware (Optional)................................................................. 2-3
Selecting the Base I/O Address ......................................................... 2-5
Selecting the Interrupt Request Line ................................................. 2-8
Selecting the DMA Channel ............................................................. 2-10
Using Programmed I/O for GPIB Transfers ..................................... 2-11
Setting the Shield Ground Configuration .......................................... 2-12
Chapter 3
Software Installation and Configuration ..................................................... 3-1
NI-488.2M Software Components................................................................... 3-1
Load the Distribution Disk............................................................................... 3-2
Install the NI-488.2M Software....................................................................... 3-2
Automatic Installation ...................................................................... 3-2
Manual Installation ........................................................................... 3-2
Configure the Software with ibconf (Optional)............................................... 3-4
Running ibconf ................................................................................. 3-4
Exiting ibconf .................................................................................... 3-4
Remove the NI-488.2M Driver (Optional) ...................................................... 3-5
Chapter 4
Installation Verification and Troubleshooting........................................... 4-1
Run the Software Installation Test Program.................................................... 4-1
Troubleshooting Error Messages....................................................... 4-1
Common Questions ......................................................................................... 4-2

Contents
AT-GPIB/TNT for LynxOS viii © National Instruments Corp.
Chapter 5
Using Your NI-488.2M Software..................................................................... 5-1
Introduction to ibic........................................................................................... 5-1
Programming Considerations........................................................................... 5-1
Appendix A
Hardware Specifications .................................................................................... A-1
Appendix B
Customer Communication................................................................................. B-1
Glossary...................................................................................................................... G-1
Figures
Figure 2-1. Installing the GPIB Board..................................................................... 2-2
Figure 2-2. AT-GPIB/TNT Parts Locator Diagram................................................. 2-4
Figure 2-3. AT-GPIB Parts Locator Diagram ......................................................... 2-5
Figure 2-4. Base I/O Address Switch Settings ........................................................ 2-7
Figure 2-5. IRQ Jumper Setting for IRQ11 (Default Setting) ................................. 2-9
Figure 2-6. Interrupt Jumper Setting for IRQ5 ........................................................ 2-9
Figure 2-7. DMA Channel Jumper Setting for DMA Channel 5 (Default)............. 2-11
Figure 2-8. DMA Jumper Setting for No DMA Channel ........................................ 2-11
Figure 2-9. Ground Configuration Jumper Settings ................................................ 2-12
Tables
Table 2-1. Hardware Default Settings .................................................................... 2-1
Table 2-2. Possible Base I/O Address Switch Settings .......................................... 2-6
Table 2-3. DMA Channels ..................................................................................... 2-10
Table A-1. Electrical Characteristics for the AT-GPIB/TNT ................................. A-1
Table A-2. Electrical Characteristics for the AT-GPIB .......................................... A-1
Table A-3. Physical Characteristics ........................................................................ A-1
Table A-4. Environmental Characteristics .............................................................. A-1

© National Instruments Corp. ix AT-GPIB/TNT for LynxOS
About This Manual
This manual contains instructions to help you install and configure the National
Instruments AT-GPIB or AT-GPIB/TNT interface board and the NI-488.2 multitasking
software (NI-488.2M) driver for the LynxOS operating system, version 2.1 and higher.
The hardware and software are intended for use on personal computers equipped with an
Intel 386 or an Intel 486 processor and an ISA-compatible bus. This manual is meant to
be used with the NI-488.2M Software Reference Manual.
This manual uses the term AT-GPIB/TNT to refer to a National Instruments GPIB board
equipped with the TNT4882C ASIC. The term AT-GPIB refers to a National Instruments
GPIB board equipped with the NAT4882 and Turbo488 ASICs. This manual uses the
term GPIB board in cases where the material can apply to either board. Both boards are
designed for use with the ISA (PC AT) bus.
This manual assumes that you are familiar with the LynxOS operating system.
Organization of This Manual
This manual is organized as follows:
• Chapter 1, Introduction, explains how to use this manual, lists what you need to get
started, and briefly describes the AT-GPIB/TNT and AT-GPIB interface boards and
the NI-488.2M software.
• Chapter 2, Hardware Configuration and Installation, contains instructions to help
you configure and install your GPIB board.
• Chapter 3, Software Installation and Configuration, contains instructions to help you
install and configure your NI-488.2M software.
• Chapter 4, Installation Verification and Troubleshooting, describes how to verify the
software installation and how to troubleshoot problems.
• Chapter 5, Using Your NI-488.2M Software, describes the ibic utility and lists
some programming considerations.
• Appendix A, Hardware Specifications, describes the physical characteristics of the
AT-GPIB/TNT board and AT-GPIB board and the recommended operating
conditions of the boards.
• Appendix B, Customer Communication, contains forms you can use to request help
from National Instruments or to comment on our products and manuals.

About This Manual
AT-GPIB/TNT for LynxOS x © National Instruments Corp.
• The Glossary contains an alphabetical list and a description of the terms, including
abbreviations, acronyms, metric prefixes, mnemonics, and symbols, that this manual
uses.
Conventions Used in This Manual
This manual uses the following conventions.
italic Italic text denotes emphasis, a cross reference, or an
introduction to a key concept.
bold italic Bold italic text denotes a note, caution, or warning.
monospace Lowercase text in this font denotes text or characters that you
literally input from the keyboard. This font also denotes
sections of code, programming examples, syntax examples,
the proper names of disk drives, paths, directories, programs,
subprograms, subroutines, device names, functions, variables,
filenames, extensions, and statements and comments taken
from program code.
bold monospace Bold text in this font denotes the messages and responses that
the computer automatically prints to the screen.
AT-GPIB/TNT AT-GPIB/TNT refers to a National Instruments GPIB board
for the ISA (PC AT) bus equipped with the TNT4882C ASIC.
AT-GPIB AT-GPIB refers to a National Instruments GPIB board for the
ISA (PC AT) bus equipped with the NAT4882 and Turbo488
ASICs.
GPIB board GPIB board refers generically to either the AT-GPIB/TNT or
AT-GPIB board in cases where material can apply to either
board.
NI-488.2M NI-488.2M refers to the NI-488.2M software for LynxOS.
LynxOS LynxOS refers to the LynxOS operating system from Lynx
Real-Time Systems, Inc., which runs on computers equipped
with an Intel 386 or an Intel 486 processor.
The Glossary lists abbreviations, acronyms, metric prefixes, mnemonics, symbols, and
terms.