[time-nuts] Linux code for Prologix GPIB/USB

[Ulrich Bangert]

Hi John,

I am doing serial communication stuff since more than 20 years now but I
have never found the truth expressed as elegant as

> Robust serial code is surprisingly non-trivial.

For the manual of my EZGPIB utility for the Prologix board I have just
written:

...This driver allocates a virtual RS232 port and you may use any
software from ready to go terminal programs up to self written stuff to
communicate over this virtual RS232 with the ATMEL AVR microcontroller
on the Prologix board.

This microcontroller in turn features a firmware that works as kind of
interpreter for serial commands into GPIB actions. It has an easy to
learn command syntax and the complete issue of GPIB programming is
reduced to handling strings on a serial port. 

While this is a worth to mention reduction in complexity concerning GPIB
programming it may still leave a problem for the non-programmer to get a
GPIB measurement up and running...

That backs up your opinion and has been the reason for me to start
writing my tool. It wraps all the low level problems as serial
communication, handling timeouts and so on into high level commands.
Nevertheless a certain understanding of the GPIB itself is a necessary
prerequisite to use it. I am currently working on the manual and will
need a few days to complete it.

73 de Ulrich Bangert, DF6JB

> -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
> Von: time-nuts-bounces at febo.com 
> [mailto:time-nuts-bounces at febo.com] Im Auftrag von John Miles
> Gesendet: Mittwoch, 10. Januar 2007 23:53
> An: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement
> Betreff: Re: [time-nuts] Linux code for Prologix GPIB/USB
> 
> 
> Robust serial code is surprisingly non-trivial.  Especially 
> in Windows (don't know about Linux), it's on a par with 
> dealing with network sockets.
> 
> To begin with, I'd suggest using Google's code search to look 
> for line-oriented serial communications code.  I have some 
> decent serial-port code, but it's all Win32-specific.
> 
> -- john, KE5FX
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: time-nuts-bounces at febo.com 
> [mailto:time-nuts-bounces at febo.com]On
> > Behalf Of Hal Murray
> 
> > Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2007 2:47 PM
> > To: time-nuts at febo.com
> > Subject: [time-nuts] Linux code for Prologix GPIB/USB
> >
> >
> > I've got a new toy but I can't get off the ground.
> >
> > Does anybody have some simple starter code I can try?  My straw man 
> > would be to read the version string or address switches.
> >
> > I'm usually good at this sort of code.  I'm probably overlooking 
> > something simple.  (Or it will be simple after I know what it is.)
> >
> >
> >
> 
> 
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