National Instruments GPIB-1014 Series User manual

© Copyright 1992 National Instruments Corporation.
All Rights Reserved.
Getting Started with Your GPIB-1014
Series Board and the NI-488M™
Software for Motorola UNIX
May 1992 Edition
Part Number 320509-01

National Instruments Corporate Headquarters
6504 Bridge Point Parkway
Austin, TX 78730-5039
[phone]
(800) IEEE-488 (toll-free U.S. and Canada)
Technical support fax: [phone]
Branch Offices:
Australia 03 879 9422, Belgium 02 757 00 20, Canada 519 622 9310,
Denmark 45 76 73 22, France 1 48 65 33 70, Germany 089 714 50 93,
Italy 02 48301892, Japan 03 3788 1921, Netherlands 01720 45761,
Norway 03 846866, Spain 91 896 0675, Sweden 08 984970,
Switzerland 056 45 58 80, U.K. 0635 523545

Limited Warranty
The National Instruments GPIB boards are 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
NI-488M™is a trademark of National Instruments Corporation.
Product and company names listed are trademarks or trade names of their
respective companies.

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 regulatory agencies:
• The limits for a Class A computing device, in accordance with the
specifications in Part 15 of U.S. Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
– This device may not cause harmful interference.
– This device must accept any interference received, including
interference that may cause undesired operation.
• The limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus set out in
the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department of
Communications (DOC).
These regulations are designed to provide reasonable protection against
interference from the equipment to radio and television reception in
commercial 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 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.
• Relocate the equipment with respect to the receiver.
• Reorient 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.

© National Instruments Corp. vii 1014/NI-488M/Motorola UNIX
Preface
This manual contains instructions for installing and configuring the
National Instruments GPIB-1014 series interface boards and the NI-488M
multitasking software for use with the Motorola UNIX Operating System.
This manual is meant to be used with the National Instruments IEEE 488
Multitasking UNIX Device Driver reference (NI-488M Software Reference
Manual, part number 320062-01).
The material in this manual is for users who have extensive knowledge of
the Motorola UNIX operating system and have super-user privilege. This
manual also assumes that the user has already received a GPIB-1014 series
interface board along with a user manual.
Organization of This Manual
This manual is organized as follows:
Chapter 1, Introduction, briefly describes the GPIB-1014 series interface
boards and the NI-488M software, and lists the contents of your NI-488M
kit and optional equipment.
Chapter 2, Installation and Configuration,lists all the files located on the
distribution medium, and contains step-by-step instructions for configuring
and installing the NI-488M software and GPIB-1014 series interface boards,
and verifying the software installation.
Appendix A, Troubleshooting, suggests areas to check if you still have
problems installing the GPIB-1014 series boards and/or the NI-488M
software after following the procedures described in Chapter 2, Installation
and Configuration.
Appendix B, Customer Communication, contains forms for you to complete
to facilitate communication with National Instruments concerning our
products.

Preface
1014/NI-488M/Motorola UNIX viii © National Instruments Corp.
Conventions Used in This Manual
The following conventions are used throughout this manual.
enter Reserved to mean that the commands
immediately succeeding the word must be typed
into the computer, and then executed by pressing
the <Return> key on the keyboard.
GPIB-1014 Refers to any National Instruments VME-to-
IEEE 488 interface board including the
GPIB-1014, GPIB-1014D, GPIB-1014DP, and
GPIB-1014P.
italic Italic text denotes emphasis, a cross reference, or
an introduction to a key concept.
monospace Lowercase text in this font denotes text or
characters that are to be literally input from the
keyboard, sections of code, programming
examples, and syntax examples. This font is also
used for the proper names of disk drives, paths,
directories, programs, subprograms, subroutines,
device names, functions, variables, filenames,
and extensions, and for statements and comments
taken from program code.
Motorola UNIX Refers to the SYS/V68 release 3 version 5.1
Operating System.
Abbreviations
The following abbreviations for units of measure are used in this manual:
A amperes
Hz hertz
in. inches
kbytes 1,024 bytes
M megabytes of memory
M- mega- (106)
m meters

Preface
© National Instruments Corp. ix 1014/NI-488M/Motorola UNIX
Acronyms
The following acronyms are used in this manual:
ANSI American National Standards Institute
DMA direct memory access
GPIB General Purpose Interface (IEEE 488) bus
IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers
I/O input/output
PIO programmed input/output
RAM random-access memory
VDC volts direct current
Note: References in this manual to IEEE 488 are referring to the
ANSI/IEEE Standard 488.1-1987 which defines the GPIB.
Related Documentation
This manual is to be used with the following documentation:
•GPIB-1014 User Manual, National Instruments Corporation
(Part Number 320030-01)
•GPIB-1014D User Manual, National Instruments Corporation
(Part Number 320140-01)
•GPIB-1014DP User Manual, National Instruments Corporation
(Part Number 320049-01)
•GPIB-1014P User Manual, National Instruments Corporation
(Part Number 320026-01)
• ANSI/IEEE Standard 488.1-1987, IEEE Standard Digital Interface for
Programmable Instrumentation
•SYSTEM V/68 Release 3 System Administrator's Reference Manual
(For more information on Motorola UNIX documentation, contact the
Literature Distribution Center, 616 West 24th Street, Tempe Arizona
85282.)

Preface
1014/NI-488M/Motorola UNIX x © National Instruments Corp.
Customer Communication
National Instruments wants to receive your comments on our products and
manuals. We are interested in the applications you develop with our
products, and we want to help if you have problems with them. To make it
easy for you to contact us, this manual contains comment and configuration
forms for you to complete. These forms are in Appendix B, Customer
Communication, at the end of this manual.

© National Instruments Corp. xi 1014/NI-488M/Motorola UNIX
Contents
Chapter 1
Introduction.........................................................................................1-1
What Your Kit Should Contain ..................................................1-1
Optional Equipment....................................................................1-2
Software Description ..................................................................1-2
Chapter 2
Installation and Configuration....................................................2-1
Step 1. Prepare for Software Installation .................................2-1
Step 2. Install the Software.......................................................2-1
Set Up a Working Directory.........................................2-1
Install the Utility Files..................................................2-2
Install the C Library .....................................................2-2
Install the NI-488M Driver ..........................................2-3
Step 3. Configure and Install the Hardware .............................2-5
A. Unpack Your GPIB-1014 .....................................2-5
B. Configure the GPIB-1014 Series Board ...............2-5
Configure the GPIB-1014 or GPIB-1014D ..........2-6
Configure the GPIB-1014P or GPIB-1014DP ......2-6
C. Install the GPIB-1014 Series Board......................2-6
Step 4. Verify the Software Installation...................................2-7
Step 5. Configure the Software ................................................2-8
ibconf Example ............................................................2-8
Exiting ibconf...............................................................2-9
Appendix A
Troubleshooting.................................................................................A-1
Appendix B
Customer Communication............................................................B-1

© National Instruments Corp. 1-1 1014/NI-488M/Motorola UNIX
Chapter 1
Introduction
This chapter briefly describes the GPIB-1014 series interface boards and the
NI-488M software, and lists the contents of your NI-488M kit and optional
equipment.
The GPIB-1014 series boards are full-function IEEE 488 interfaces for
systems that have a VMEbus and that run the Motorola UNIX operating
system. The interface boards included in this series are the GPIB-1014,
GPIB-1014D, GPIB-1014P, and GPIB-1014DP.
The GPIB-1014 uses DMA transfers to achieve data transfer rates up to
500 kbytes/sec. The GPIB-1014D also uses DMA transfers and has two
independent GPIB ports.
The GPIB-1014P controls IEEE 488 compatible instruments using
programmed I/O. The GPIB-1014DP also uses programmed I/O and has
two independent GPIB ports.
What Your Kit Should Contain
Your NI-488M driver kit should contain the following components:
Component Part Number
NI-488M Distribution Tape for GPIB-1014 Series
Motorola UNIX System V/68 Driver and C Interface 460754-13
Getting Started with Your GPIB-1014 Series Board
and the NI-488M Driver for Motorola UNIX 320509-01
NI-488M Software Reference Manual 320062-01
Make sure each of these items is in your kit. If any item is missing, contact
National Instruments.

Introduction Chapter 1
1014/NI-488M/Motorola UNIX 1-2 © National Instruments Corp.
Note: This kit does not include an interface board. You need a
GPIB-1014 series board to complete the hardware and software
installation.
Optional Equipment
You can call National Instruments to order the following optional
equipment to go with your kit:
Equipment Part Number
Double Shielded Cables*:
GPIB Type X2 Cable – 1 m
GPIB Type X2 Cable – 2 m
GPIB Type X2 Cable – 4 m
763061-01
763061-02
763061-03
* To meet FCC emission limits for this Class A device, you must
use a shielded (Type X1 or X2) GPIB cable. Operating this
equipment with a non-shielded cable may cause interference to radio
and television reception in commercial areas.
Software Description
The NI-488M software is a comprehensive package of programs and drivers
that transforms any computer running the Motorola UNIX operating system
into a GPIB Controller with complete communications and bus
management capabilities. The NI-488M software also includes a C
language interface and an interactive control utility, ibic.

© National Instruments Corp. 2-1 1014/NI-488M/Motorola UNIX
Chapter 2
Installation and Configuration
This chapter lists all the files located on the distribution medium, and
contains step-by-step instructions for configuring and installing the
NI-488M software and the GPIB-1014 series interface boards, and verifying
the software installation.
Step 1. Prepare for Software Installation
Before installing the NI-488M software, consider the following:
• You must have super-user privilege.
• The distribution medium is in tar format.
The distribution medium should contain the following files:
gpib.o NI-488M driver
cib.c C language library
ugpib.h Include file for user programs
ibtsta Installation test part A
ibtstb Installation test part B
ibic Interactive control utility
ibconf Software configuration utility
gpib1014 Kernel configuration file
Step 2. Install the Software
The following procedures explain how to install the NI-488M software. If
you already have a GPIB-1014 series interface board installed, you do not
need to remove it before installing the software.
Set Up a Working Directory
1. Log on as root.

Installation and Configuration Chapter 2
1014/NI-488M/Motorola UNIX 2-2 © National Instruments Corp.
2. Create a working directory (for example, /usr/gpib)and change to
that directory.
3. Copy the distribution files from the NI-488M distribution medium to
this directory by entering the following command:
tar xvf /dev/rst0
Install the Utility Files
Complete the following steps to install the utility files:
1. Copy the file ugpib.h to /usr/include/sys/ugpib.h by
entering the following command:
cp ugpib.h /usr/include/sys/ugpib.h
2. Copy the file gpib.o to /usr/src/uts/m68k/io/gpib.o by
entering the following command:
cp gpib.o /usr/src/uts/m68k/io/gpib.o
3. Copy the files ibic and ibconf to a directory in the command
search path (for example, /bin or /usr/bin) by entering the
following commands:
cp ibic /usr/bin
cp ibconf /usr/bin
Install the C Library
The file cib.c should be compiled and converted to a library. This
procedure is necessary because the NI-488M Software Reference Manual
assumes that a library has already been created for the C language interface.
To compile the file cib.c and create a C language library, enter the
following commands:
cc -c cib.c
ar r /lib/libgpib.a cib.o
ranlib /lib/libgpib.a

Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration
© National Instruments Corp. 2-3 1014/NI-488M/Motorola UNIX
You can add cib.o to an existing library or include cib.o during the link
phase of each compile operation.
Install the NI-488M Driver
To build a new Motorola UNIX kernel with the NI-488M driver installed,
complete the following steps.
1. Change the Software Settings
a. Edit the file gpib1014 to match the hardware settings. Refer to the
user manual that came with your board for the correct hardware
settings. In the default configuration, the file gpib1014 is set up
for four boards - two DMA boards and two PIO boards. The default
values in the file gpib1014 are as follows:
• The default base addresses are:
gpib0 - 0x3000
gpib1 - 0x3200
gpib2 - 0x4000
gpib3 - 0x4200
• The default interrupt levels are:
gpib0, gpib1 - 4
gpib2, gpib3 - 2
• The default interrupt vectors are:
gpib0 - 0xD4
gpib1 - 0xD5
gpib2 - 0xD7
gpib3 - 0xD8
• The default major device number is 20. The major device number
you choose should be unique.
b. After making changes to the file gpib1014, copy it to
/usr/src/uts/m68k/sysgen/descriptions/gpib1014.
The sysgen utility uses the gpib1014 file in this directory when
it generates the new kernel.

Installation and Configuration Chapter 2
1014/NI-488M/Motorola UNIX 2-4 © National Instruments Corp.
2. Create a Device Node for the Board
Enter the following command to create a special node for device
gpib0:
mknod /dev/gpib0 c xx 255
where xx is the same major device number as in the file gpib1014.
3. Modify the System Parameters
There are two kernel buffers used for DMA. These buffers are system-
tunable parameters that are configured by sysgen, a utility that
generates the new kernel. The default number of buffers is 1. Add an
additional buffer for each DMA board. For example, if you have one
DMA board, set the buffer value to 2.
Follow these steps if you need to change the number of buffers:
a. Enter sysgen to run the utility.
b. Position the arrow on the line which reads Standard
Configuration and type the letter O.
c. Move the arrow next to Kernel & Paging parameters and
type the letter O.
d. Move the arrow next to Raw I/O Buffer Number and type the
letter O.
e. Move the arrow onto the line which shows the buffer value, just
below the default value.
f. Type the letter Cand then enter the correct buffer value.
g. Type Qseveral times to quit sysgen. When prompted, type Yto
save your changes.
For more information on using sysgen, refer to the SYSTEM V/68
Release 3 System Administrator's Reference Manual.

Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration
© National Instruments Corp. 2-5 1014/NI-488M/Motorola UNIX
4. Build a New Kernel
Install the driver and build a new kernel by entering the following
commands:
cd /usr/src/uts/m68k/io
ar rv ../cf/lib.io gpib.o
sysgen -gbi
Step 3. Configure and Install the Hardware
The following are general instructions for configuring and installing the
GPIB-1014, GPIB-1014D, GPIB-1014P, and GPIB-1014DP interface
boards.
A. Unpack Your GPIB-1014 Series Board
If you have not already unpacked your board, follow these unpacking steps.
1. Verify that the pieces contained in the package you received match the
kit parts list given earlier in this chapter.
Caution: Do not remove the board from its plastic bag at this point.
2. Notice that your GPIB-1014 board is packaged in an antistatic plastic
bag to prevent electrostatic damage to the board. Several components
on the board can be damaged by electrostatic discharge. To avoid such
damage in handling the board, touch the plastic bag to a metal part of
your computer chassis before removing the board from the bag.
3. Remove the board from the bag and inspect the board for loose
components or any other sign of damage. Notify National Instruments
if the board appears damaged in any way. Do not install a damaged
board into your computer.
B. Configure the GPIB-1014 Series Board
The following are general instructions for configuring the hardware. For
more detailed information, refer to the Configuration and Installation
chapter in the user manual that came with your board.

Installation and Configuration Chapter 2
1014/NI-488M/Motorola UNIX 2-6 © National Instruments Corp.
Configure the GPIB-1014 or GPIB-1014D
1. Configure the GPIB-1014 or GPIB-1014D board for the following setup:
• privileged access upon power up
• the same base address as in the file gpib1014.
2. Record the board settings on the configuration form in Appendix B,
Customer Communication.
Configure the GPIB-1014P or GPIB-1014DP
1. Configure the GPIB-1014P or GPIB-1014DP board for the following
setup:
• privileged access upon power up
• the same VMEbus base address as in the file gpib1014.
• the same interrupt request and priority code as in the file
gpib1014.
• the same interrupt status/ID vector as in the file gpib1014.
2. Record the board settings on the configuration form in Appendix B,
Customer Communication.
C. Install the GPIB-1014 Series Board
The GPIB-1014 can be installed in any unused expansion slot in your
computer. After you change the settings (if needed) and record the settings
on the configuration form in Appendix B, Customer Communication, you
are ready to install the GPIB-1014 series board.
The following steps are general installation instructions. Consult the
manual that came with your computer for specific instructions and
warnings.
1. Halt the system by entering the command powerdown -y.
2. Turn off the power to the system and unplug the power cord.

Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration
© National Instruments Corp. 2-7 1014/NI-488M/Motorola UNIX
3. Insert the GPIB-1014 in an unused slot with the IEEE 488 receptacle
sticking out of the opening on the back panel. It might be a tight fit,
but do not force the board into place.
4. Check that the board is firmly seated in its slot.
5. Plug the power cord into the wall outlet.
6. Turn your computer back on.
The GPIB-1014 interface board is now installed and ready for verification
testing.
Step 4. Verify the Software Installation
This step verifies that the NI-488M software is installed and functioning
with the GPIB-1014 series hardware.
Power on the computer. The following message should appear on the
screen:
National Instruments DMA(PIO) board installed
If this message does not appear, check that the base address jumper settings
on the board(s) are the same as specified in the file gpib1014.
There are two software installation tests: ibtsta and ibtstb.
•ibtsta checks for a correct node /dev/gpib0 and correct access to
the device driver.
•ibtstb checks for correct DMA and interrupt operation. ibtstb
requires a GPIB bus analyzer and can be omitted if an analyzer is not
available.
Complete the following steps to verify the software installation.
1. Change to /usr/gpib and run ibtsta by entering this command:
ibtsta