my lab
in [Design]
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From: Jim Thompson on 9 Oct 2009 20:31 On Fri, 09 Oct 2009 20:18:14 -0400, Phil Hobbs <pcdhSpamMeSenseless(a)electrooptical.net> wrote: >Joerg wrote: >> Phil Hobbs wrote: >>> Joerg wrote: >>>> a7yvm109gf5d1(a)netzero.com wrote: >>>>> Well I got a HP 5316A universal counter, with the 1GHz channel and the >>>>> OCXO. >>>>> Very nice, I think. Although I suppose I still have the problem of not >>>>> knowing exactly the frequency of the OCXO is, after all there are >>>>> coarse and fine adjustments on the can... >>>> >>>> >>>> Well, there is WWV :-) >>>> >>>> >>>>> Eh, still, I'm pretty happy with the cheap stuff you can get with a >>>>> bit of patience. >>>>> I think that I will build a 10V "standard" from my AD588s, in a nice >>>>> box. >>>>> >>>>> So, what kind of connectivity do you guys have in yuor lab? Is >>>>> everything GPIB, USB, or some mix? >>>> >>>> >>>> A mix, and that's unavoidable. Older gear that is irreplaceable >>>> (because they simply don't make some of the good stuff anymore) >>>> inevitably comes with those dreaded HPIB garden hose connections. The >>>> logic analyzer and some other gear I rarely use is from the RS232 >>>> era. Modern gear like the DSO is USB. And I will absolutely not have >>>> HPIB garden hoses here anymore. >>>> >>>> So, there is a Prologix HPIB/USB adaptor, an RS232/USB adaptor plus >>>> the traditional USB spreader octopus. I raised the equipment rack by >>>> 1-1/2" to make all that fit underneath, plus scope probes, chargers, >>>> international outlets, a flat vise and whatever else is needed during >>>> lab work. Nice thing is, a laptop can now talk to all the important >>>> boxes. >>>> >>> >>> I'm so used to GPIB that I'm probably not a good example. It's a >>> great deal nicer than RS232, and given that it's been around so long, >>> I don't have to worry much about OSes not supporting it in >>> detail--unlike USB. >>> >> >> GPIB is terrible. The topper happened a long time ago, after I had just >> laid new carpet. Connector slipped off, the garden hose cable >> ricocheted, hit my coffee mug which was half full ... *THWACK* ... flew >> off and crashed onto new carpet. That was the end of GPIB for me. There >> sure are better busses out there. I used to prefer RS232 but now >> everything is USB. >> >> >>> A nice Prologix GPIB-Ethernet is next on my list. >>> >> >> If you have to use equipment at clients a lot and its legacy HP stuff >> the USB version is very practical. Plug it in, hit print on the >> analyzer, done. But Abdul (the Prologix designer) and I had to iron out >> a bias problem before it liked HP legacy gear. >> > >Spilling coffee is a criticism of a bus? GPIB can do about 1 MB/s when >externally clocked, which is better than good enough for most things I >need to do in the lab, and if I tighten the screws I can even keep my >coffee and my carpet. ;) > >Cheers > >Phil Hobbs Joerg is accident prone... always *PHUT*ing ;-) ...Jim Thompson -- | James E.Thompson, CTO | mens | | Analog Innovations, Inc. | et | | Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus | | Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | | | Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat | | E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 | "What would happen to [Obama's] vanity if he didn�t have us to throw alms to? What would become of his strength if he didn�t have weaker people to dominate? What would he do with himself if he didn�t keep us around as dependents? It�s quite alright, really, I�m not criticizing him, it�s just a law of human nature." -Ayn Rand, "Atlas Shrugged"
From: Phil Hobbs on 9 Oct 2009 20:32 Jim Thompson wrote: > On Fri, 09 Oct 2009 20:18:14 -0400, Phil Hobbs > <pcdhSpamMeSenseless(a)electrooptical.net> wrote: > >> Joerg wrote: >>> Phil Hobbs wrote: >>>> Joerg wrote: >>>>> a7yvm109gf5d1(a)netzero.com wrote: >>>>>> Well I got a HP 5316A universal counter, with the 1GHz channel and the >>>>>> OCXO. >>>>>> Very nice, I think. Although I suppose I still have the problem of not >>>>>> knowing exactly the frequency of the OCXO is, after all there are >>>>>> coarse and fine adjustments on the can... >>>>> >>>>> Well, there is WWV :-) >>>>> >>>>> >>>>>> Eh, still, I'm pretty happy with the cheap stuff you can get with a >>>>>> bit of patience. >>>>>> I think that I will build a 10V "standard" from my AD588s, in a nice >>>>>> box. >>>>>> >>>>>> So, what kind of connectivity do you guys have in yuor lab? Is >>>>>> everything GPIB, USB, or some mix? >>>>> >>>>> A mix, and that's unavoidable. Older gear that is irreplaceable >>>>> (because they simply don't make some of the good stuff anymore) >>>>> inevitably comes with those dreaded HPIB garden hose connections. The >>>>> logic analyzer and some other gear I rarely use is from the RS232 >>>>> era. Modern gear like the DSO is USB. And I will absolutely not have >>>>> HPIB garden hoses here anymore. >>>>> >>>>> So, there is a Prologix HPIB/USB adaptor, an RS232/USB adaptor plus >>>>> the traditional USB spreader octopus. I raised the equipment rack by >>>>> 1-1/2" to make all that fit underneath, plus scope probes, chargers, >>>>> international outlets, a flat vise and whatever else is needed during >>>>> lab work. Nice thing is, a laptop can now talk to all the important >>>>> boxes. >>>>> >>>> I'm so used to GPIB that I'm probably not a good example. It's a >>>> great deal nicer than RS232, and given that it's been around so long, >>>> I don't have to worry much about OSes not supporting it in >>>> detail--unlike USB. >>>> >>> GPIB is terrible. The topper happened a long time ago, after I had just >>> laid new carpet. Connector slipped off, the garden hose cable >>> ricocheted, hit my coffee mug which was half full ... *THWACK* ... flew >>> off and crashed onto new carpet. That was the end of GPIB for me. There >>> sure are better busses out there. I used to prefer RS232 but now >>> everything is USB. >>> >>> >>>> A nice Prologix GPIB-Ethernet is next on my list. >>>> >>> If you have to use equipment at clients a lot and its legacy HP stuff >>> the USB version is very practical. Plug it in, hit print on the >>> analyzer, done. But Abdul (the Prologix designer) and I had to iron out >>> a bias problem before it liked HP legacy gear. >>> >> Spilling coffee is a criticism of a bus? GPIB can do about 1 MB/s when >> externally clocked, which is better than good enough for most things I >> need to do in the lab, and if I tighten the screws I can even keep my >> coffee and my carpet. ;) >> >> Cheers >> >> Phil Hobbs > > Joerg is accident prone... always *PHUT*ing ;-) > > ...Jim Thompson Great sound effects, though. Cheers Phil Hobbs -- Dr Philip C D Hobbs Principal ElectroOptical Innovations 55 Orchard Rd Briarcliff Manor NY 10510 845-480-2058 hobbs at electrooptical dot net http://electrooptical.net
From: a7yvm109gf5d1 on 9 Oct 2009 20:40 On Oct 9, 6:50 pm, Joerg <inva...(a)invalid.invalid> wrote: > a7yvm109gf...(a)netzero.com wrote: > > Well I got a HP 5316A universal counter, with the 1GHz channel and the > > OCXO. > > Very nice, I think. Although I suppose I still have the problem of not > > knowing exactly the frequency of the OCXO is, after all there are > > coarse and fine adjustments on the can... > > Well, there is WWV :-) I see, I see. > > So, what kind of connectivity do you guys have in yuor lab? Is > > everything GPIB, USB, or some mix? > > A mix, and that's unavoidable. Older gear that is irreplaceable (because > they simply don't make some of the good stuff anymore) inevitably comes > with those dreaded HPIB garden hose connections. The logic analyzer and > some other gear I rarely use is from the RS232 era. Modern gear like the > DSO is USB. And I will absolutely not have HPIB garden hoses here anymore. I'm wondering how you control all this on the software side? Tcl? > So, there is a Prologix HPIB/USB adaptor, an RS232/USB adaptor plus the > traditional USB spreader octopus. I raised the equipment rack by 1-1/2" > to make all that fit underneath, plus scope probes, chargers, > international outlets, a flat vise and whatever else is needed during > lab work. Nice thing is, a laptop can now talk to all the important boxes. Ah yes, the equipment rack. I could use one of those. Are you talking about a 19 inch cabinet type thing?
From: a7yvm109gf5d1 on 9 Oct 2009 20:42 On Oct 9, 7:09 pm, Joerg <inva...(a)invalid.invalid> wrote: > GPIB is terrible. The topper happened a long time ago, after I had just > laid new carpet. Connector slipped off, the garden hose cable > ricocheted, hit my coffee mug which was half full ... *THWACK* ... flew Can you use ribbon cable? I've got a vintage GPIB controller here that works on the Commodore 64. I've never tested it but it comes with a ribbon cable. I suppose you lose stackability and probably some performance with ribbon.
From: krw on 10 Oct 2009 02:15
On Fri, 9 Oct 2009 17:42:58 -0700 (PDT), a7yvm109gf5d1(a)netzero.com wrote: >On Oct 9, 7:09 pm, Joerg <inva...(a)invalid.invalid> wrote: > >> GPIB is terrible. The topper happened a long time ago, after I had just >> laid new carpet. Connector slipped off, the garden hose cable >> ricocheted, hit my coffee mug which was half full ... *THWACK* ... flew > >Can you use ribbon cable? I've got a vintage GPIB controller here that >works on the Commodore 64. I've never tested it but it comes with a >ribbon cable. >I suppose you lose stackability and probably some performance with >ribbon. There is no performance to give up. It was a lucky day when GPIB worked at all. ...and often the stackabiity was need *to* get it to work. What a nightmare. |