HP 8753E manual HP-IB Operation, Device Types

HP-IB Operation

The Hewlett-Packard Interface Bus (HP-IB) is Hewlett-Packard’s hardware, software, documentation, and support for IEEE 488.2 and IEC-625 worldwide standards for interfacing instruments. This interface allows you to operate the analyzer and peripherals in two methods:

nby an external system controller

nby the network analyzer in system-controller mode

Device Types

The HP-IB employs a party-line bus structure in which up to 15 devices can be connected on one contiguous bus The interface consists of 16 signal lines and 8 ground lines within a shielded cable. With this cabling system, many different types of devices including instruments, computers, power meters, plotters, printers, and disk drives can be connected in parallel.

Every HP-IB device must be capable of performing one or more of the following interface functions:

mlker

A talker is a device capable of transmitting device-dependent data when addressed to talk. There can be only one active talker at any given time. Examples of this type of device include:

npower meters

ndisk drives

nvoltmeters

w counters

ntape readers

The network analyzer is a talker when it sends trace data or marker information over the bus

Listener

A listener is a device capable of receiving device-dependent data over the interface when addressed to listen. There can be as many as 14 listeners connected to the interface at any given time. Examples of this type of device include:

1 printers

npower supplies

nsignal generators

The network analyzer is a listener when it is controlled over the bus by a system controller.

A controller is dellned as a device capable of:

1.managing the operation of the bus

2.addressing talkers and listeners

There can be only one active controller on the interface at any time. Examples of controllers include desktop computers, minicomputers, workstations, and the network analyzer. In a multiple-controller system, active control can be passed between controllers, but there can only be one q#t?m controller connected to the interface. The system controller acts as the master and can regain active control at any time. The analyzer is an active controller when it plots, prints, or stores to an external disk drive in the pass-control mode. The analyzer is also a system controller when it is operating in the system-controller mode.

11-16 CompatiblePeripherals