National Instruments NI-488.2 User manual

October 2003
323735A-01
INSTALLATION GUIDE
Installing Your SB-GPIB/TNT
and NI-488.2 for Solaris
This document describes how to install NI-488.2 for Solaris and the
SB-GPIB/TNT or SB-GPIB into your Sun SPARC system. The NI-488.2
software included in this kit is intended for use with Sun SPARC systems
running Solaris 2.6 or later.
Other documentation, including the software reference manual, is available
on your NI-488.2 software for Solaris CD in the \documentation folder.
™

Installing Your SB-GPIB/TNT and NI-488.2 for Solaris 2 ni.com
Installing the GPIB Hardware
Before you install your GPIB controller, consult the manual that came with your
workstation for specific instructions and warnings. You must have superuser
privileges to install the hardware and software.
Caution Electrostatic discharge can damage several components on
your GPIB board. To avoid electrostatic damage when you handle the
module, touch the antistatic plastic package to a metal part of your
computer chassis before you remove the board from the package.
Complete the following steps to install the GPIB board.
1. Log on as superuser. To become a superuser, type su root and enter the root
password.
2. Shut down your system by typing the following commands at the command
line prompt:
sync; shutdown
3. Power off your computer after it has shut down. Keep the computer plugged
in so that it remains grounded while you install the GPIB board.
4. Remove the top cover of the system unit.
5. Remove the GPIB connector extender (if your board came with one) by
loosening the thumbscrews.
6. Find an unused DVMA master slot in your computer.

© National Instruments Corporation 3 Installing Your SB-GPIB/TNT and NI-488.2 for Solaris
7. Insert the GPIB board into the slot with the GPIB connector sticking out of the
opening on the back panel, as shown in Figure 1. Do not insert the board into
a slave-only physical slot if you are using DVMA; only programmed I/O
transfers are possible in slave-only slots. Refer to the documentation for your
Sun SPARC system for information about DVMA master and DVMA slave
slots.
8. Replace the system unit cover.
9. Reinstall the GPIB connector extender you removed in step 5 if you have
problems connecting the GPIB cable to the connector on the board due to
space restraints.
10. Power on your computer. The GPIB interface board is now installed.

Installing Your SB-GPIB/TNT and NI-488.2 for Solaris 4 ni.com
Figure 1. Installing the SB-GPIB/TNT or SB-GPIB
1Slot1
2Slot2
3 Back Panel Rail
4 Backplate Adapter
KEY KEY
J1J2
4
1 2 3

© National Instruments Corporation 5 Installing Your SB-GPIB/TNT and NI-488.2 for Solaris
Installing NI-488.2
Complete the following steps to install NI-488.2 for Solaris.
1. Insert the NI-488.2 for Solaris installation CD.
2. You must have superuser privilege before you can install NI-488.2 for Solaris.
If you are not already a superuser, type su root and enter the root password.
3. Add NI-488.2 to the operating system by entering the following command.
a. On Solaris 2.6 or later versions, the CD automatically mounts as soon as
you insert the CD. If this feature is disabled on your workstation, you must
mount the CD by typing the following command:
/usr/sbin/mount -o ro -F hsfs /dev/dsk/c0t6d0s2 /cdrom/cdrom0
b. Enter the following command to add NI-488.2 to your system:
/usr/sbin/pkgadd -d /cdrom/cdrom0 NICsbgpib
4. Follow the instructions on your screen to complete the installation.
Configuring the Software with ibconf (Optional)
ibconf is an interactive utility you can use to examine or modify the
configuration of the driver. You might want to run ibconf to change the settings
of the software parameters. You must have superuser privilege to run ibconf.
ibconf is largely self explanatory and contains help screens that explain all
commands and options. For more information on using ibconf, refer to the
NI-488.2M Software Reference Manual.

Installing Your SB-GPIB/TNT and NI-488.2 for Solaris 6 ni.com
Complete the following steps to change the default parameters of your NI-488.2
software. The driver should not be in use while you run ibconf.
1. Log on as superuser (root).
2. Type the following command to start ibconf:
ibconf
After you have installed and configured the software, you should verify
the installation. Refer to the Installation Verification section.
Removing NI-488.2 (Optional)
If you ever decide to stop using your GPIB board, you can remove NI-488.2 from
your system. To remove NI-488.2 from the kernel configuration, you must have
superuser privilege and the driver must not be in use. Enter the following
command to unload the software:
pkgrm NICsbgpib
Installation Verification
The software installation test ibtsta verifies that the driver is installed correctly.
It checks for correct access to the device driver.
Run ibtsta by entering the following command:
ibtsta
If no error occurs in ibtsta, NI-488.2 is installed correctly.
If ibtsta fails, it displays an error message that explains why the test failed and
how you can correct the problem. If you are unable to run ibtsta successfully

© National Instruments Corporation 7 Installing Your SB-GPIB/TNT and NI-488.2 for Solaris
after you have followed the on-screen instructions, refer to the Common Questions
section.
Using NI-488.2 with Solaris
This section helps you get started with NI-488.2 for Solaris.
Introduction to ibic
The NI-488.2 software includes the Interface Bus Interactive Control utility, ibic.
You can use ibic to enter NI-488 functions and IEEE 488.2-style functions (also
known as NI-488.2 routines) interactively and display the results of the function
calls automatically. Without writing an application, you can use ibic to do the
following:
• Verify GPIB communication with your device quickly and easily
• Become familiar with the commands of your device
• Receive data from your GPIB device
• Learn new NI-488.2 functions and routines before integrating them into your
application
• Troubleshoot problems with your application
• Enter the following command to run ibic:
ibic
• For more information about ibic, refer to Chapter 6, ibic, of the NI-488.2M
Software Reference Manual.

Installing Your SB-GPIB/TNT and NI-488.2 for Solaris 8 ni.com
Programming Considerations
Depending on the programming language you use to develop your application,
you must include certain files, statements, or global variables at the beginning of
your application. For example, you must include the header file sys/ugpib.h in
your source code if you are using C/C++.
You must link the language interface library with your compiled source code. Link
the GPIB C language interface library using one of the following commands,
where example.c is your application name:
cc example.c -lgpib
or
cc example.c -dy -lgpib
or
cc example.c -dn -lgpib
-dy specifies dynamic linking, which is the default method. It links the application
to libgpib.so. -dn specifies static linking in the link editor. It links the
application to libgpib.a. For more information about compiling and linking,
refer to the man pages for cc and ld.
For information about each NI-488 function and IEEE 488.2-style function,
choosing a programming method, developing your application, or compiling
and linking, refer to the NI-488.2M Software Reference Manual.

© National Instruments Corporation 9 Installing Your SB-GPIB/TNT and NI-488.2 for Solaris
Common Questions
What is wrong if ibfind returns a –1?
The driver may not be installed correctly, or the nodes may not have been created
when the driver was loaded. Try removing and reinstalling NI-488.2 from the
CD-ROM.
Also, the file may require read/write privileges you do not have, or you may have
renamed a device. Make sure that the device names in your application program
match the device names in ibconf.
What information should I have before I call National Instruments?
Please have the results of the diagnostic test ibtsta. You also should have run
ibic to try to find the source of your problem.
Does this driver work with 64-bit Solaris?
Yes. NI-488.2 for Solaris works with either 32-bit or 64-bit Solaris. You also can
create 32-bit or 64-bit applications. The driver installs both 32-bit and 64-bit
language interface libraries on the system. For information on using the NI-488.2
language interfaces, refer to the Using NI-488.2 with Solaris section of this
document.

Installing Your SB-GPIB/TNT and NI-488.2 for Solaris 10 ni.com
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© National Instruments Corporation 11 Installing Your SB-GPIB/TNT and NI-488.2 for Solaris
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©2003 National Instruments Corp. All rights reserved.