What is GPIB / IEEE 488 Bus

GPIB is an interface bus or connection system used

primarily to link electronics test equipment to a central
controlled to run automated tests although it can be
used for many data communication requirements.

The GPIB or General Purpose Interface Bus or IEEE 488 bus is still one of
the more popular and versatile interface standards available today.

GPIB is widely used for enabling electronics test equipment to be controlled

remotely, although it was also used in a many other applications including
general computer communications.

It can be used to control a host of test instruments: everything from digital

multimeters and signal generators of all sorts to switching matrices, spectrum
analyzers, vibration meters . in fact any form of electronics test equipment. At
one time it even became popular for linking computers to their printers and
many low cost printers used GPIB.

Today most bench electronics test equipment has either a GPIB option or are
fitted with it as standard. Even though it has been surpassed by other
technologies, it is still widely used and often fitted as a basic option.

GPIB connectors are still incorporated onto modern test equipment to maintain
compatibility
GPIB origins
Originally GPIB was named the HP-IB. This came from the words: Hewlett
Packard Interface Bus as it was originally introduced by HP for controlling
their electronics test equipment (later the test equipment arm of HP became a
separate company with the name Agilent and later still Keysight).

As it has gained popularity, the HPIB as it was initially called has gained a
number of other names over the years. GPIB has been adopted by a number
of major institutions that have given it their numbers. The Institute of Electrical
and Electronic Engineers in the U.S.A. have given it their specification
number 488 in 1978, and as a result it is sometimes referred to as the IEEE
488 bus or IEEE488 bus.

The IEEE specification defines the basic mechanical electrical and protocol
parameters. The IEEE 488.2 standard released in 1987 defines the related
software specifications.

Other organisations have also adopted the standard as well and given it their
own numbers which will occasionally be seen.. The American National
Standards Institute as has the IEC. The IEC standard numbers were
IEC-60625-1 and IEC-60625-2, but these were later replaced by IEC-60488
to provide number compatibility.

Despite the proliferation of names and numbers for it, the specifications are
all virtually the same and can be used interchangeably. Of all the names
GPIB is the most common, followed by IEEE 488 bus, referring to the most
commonly used standard for the bus.

In 2004 the IEEE and IEC combined their own standards into combined work:
IEEE/IEC standard IEC-60488-1. The IEEE 488.2 standard was similarly
combined and became IEC-60488-2.

Basic GPIB concept

The GPIB or IEEE 488 bus is a very flexible system, allowing data to flow
between any of the instruments on the bus, at a speed suitable for the
slowest active instrument. Up to fifteen instruments may be connected
together with a maximum bus length not exceeding 20 m.

A further requirement for the bus is that there must also be no more than 2 m
between two adjacent test instruments.
It is possible to purchase GPIB cards to incorporate into computers that do
not have the interface fitted. As GPIB cards are relatively cheap, this makes
the inclusion of a GPIB card into the system a very cost effect method of
installing it. That said, the falling usage of GPIB means that GPIB cards are
not nearly as widely available as they used to be.

GPIB / IEEE 488 connector

Devices have a unique address on the bus. Test instruments are allocated
addresses in the range 0 to 30, and no two instruments on the same bus are
allowed to have the same address. The addresses on the instruments can be
changed and this may typically be done via the front panel, or by using
switches often located on the rear panel.

Active extenders are available and these items allow longer buses: up to 31
devices theoretically possible, along with a greater overall length dependent
upon the extender.

In the original HPIB protocol, transfers utilise three wire handshaking system.
Using this the maximum data rate achievable is around 1 Mbyte per second,
but this is always governed by the speed of the slowest device. A later
enhancement often referred to as HS-488 relaxes the handshaking conditions
and enables data rates up to about 8 Mbytes / second.

The connector used for the IEEE 488 bus is standardised as a 24-way
Amphenol 57 series type. This provides an ideal physical interface for the
standard. The IEEE 488 or GPIB connector is very similar in format to those
that were used for parallel printer ports on PCs although the type used for the
GPIB has the advantage it has been changed so that several connectors can
be piggy-backed. This helps the physical setting up of the bus and prevents
complications with special connection boxes or star points.
Within IEEE 488, the equipment on the bus falls into three categories,
although items can fulfil more than one function:

• Controller: As the name suggests, the controller is the entity that

controls the operation of the bus. It is usually a computer and it signals
that instruments are to perform the various functions. The GPIB
controller also ensures that no conflicts occur on the bus. If two talkers
tried to talk at the same time then data would become corrupted and
the operation of the whole system would be seriously impaired. It is
possible for multiple controllers to share the same bus; but only one can
act as a controller at any particular time.
• Listener: A listener is an entity connected to the bus that accepts
instructions from the bus. An example of a listener is an item such as a
printer that only accepts data from the bus. It could also be a test
instrument such as a power supply or switching matrix that does not
take measurements.
• Talker: This is an entity on the bus that issues instructions / data onto
the bus.
Many items of test equipment will fulfil more than one function. For example a
voltmeter which is controlled over the bus will act as a listener when it is
being set up, and then when it is returning the data, it will act as a talker. As
such it is known as a talker / listener.

GPIB / IEEE 488 cable

Often GPIB cards can be used in a variety of roles, but these GPIB cards are
most often used as controllers as they tend to reside in the controlling
computer. Most test instruments that might be intended for use with the GBIP
interface would have this fitted as standard and would therefore not require
and additional GPIB card.
GPIB features / parameters summary
Although the full specification for GPIB / IEEE 488 is held by the IEEE and
IEC, there key features for the bus can be seen in the short table below.

IEEE 488 BUS / GPIB FEATURES SUMMARY

PARAMETER DETAILS
Max length of 20 metres
bus
Max individual 2 metres average 4 metres
distance maximum in any instance.
between
instruments
Maximum 14 plus controller, i.e. 15
number of instruments total with at least two-
instruments thirds of the devices powered on.
Data bus width 8 lines.
Handshake 3
lines
Bus 5
management
lines
Connector 24-pin Amphenol (typical) D-type
occasionally used.
Max data rate ~ 1 Mbyte / sec (HS-488 allows up
to ~8Mbyte / sec).

Advantages & disadvantages of GPIB

Like any other technology, GPIB has advantages and disadvantages that
need to be weighed up when considering its use.

Advantages

• Simple & standard hardware interface

• Interface present on many bench instruments
• Rugged connectors & connectors used (although some insulation
displacement cables appear occasionally).
• Possible to connect multiple instruments to a single controller
 Disadvantages

• Bulky connectors
• Cable reliability poor - often as a result of the bulky cables.
• Low bandwidth - slow compared to more modern interfaces
• Basic IEEE 422 does not mandate a command language (SCPI used in
later implementations but not included on all instruments.
GPIB capability is included on a large number of bench instruments, but when
opting to use the facility to build a system, it is necessary to consider all the
advantages and disadvantages before committing time and cost to its use.

GPIB / IEEE 488 today

The GPIB has been available since the late 1960s, but despite its age, it is
still a valuable tool that is widely used throughout the industry. Most bench
instruments have GPIB fitted as standard or as an option making it easy to
use test equipment in a variety of applications apart from being dedicated to
use in an ATE test stack. Additionally GPIB or IEEE 488 is used in a wide
number of other applications including data acquisition.

Although computers tend not to have GPIB interfaces fitted as standard

today, a GPIB card may be bought and installed. In view of its flexibility and
convenience and it is likely to remain in widespread use for some years

During the 1960s, HP developed many different tests and

measuring devices like logic analyzers and multimeters. In order to
achieve smoother interconnection between controllers and
measuring instruments, the HP-IB was introduced (HP Interface
Bus). HPIB is the original name for GPIB (General Purpose
Interface Bus), whereas later it got many other names. Finally, the
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers has provided a
speci cation number to GPIB which is 488 in the year 1978. From
then, GPIB was also termed IEEE 488 or IEEE 488 bus. Today, this
article helps us in understanding the detailed concept regarding the
basics of GPIB, its architecture, working principles, and advantages
& disadvantages.
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What is GPIB or IEEE 488 Bus?
The IEEE 488 (GPIB) bus is an 8-bit parallel multi-master interface
bus that is used for short-distance communications. As the bus
became the key interface meeting multiple standards, it was termed
as General Purpose Interface Bus. Because of its exibility, the data
transmission can take place between any instruments present in the
bus having a speed appropriate for the slowest active instrument.

Achieve proper communication between the devices in GPIB

requires three components which are:

Talker – This holds the ability to transmit device-dependent

information from one device to another device on the bus when it is
addressed to talk. On the whole device, only one GPIB instrument
can function as an active talker at a time.

Listener – It is responsible to receive device-dependent information

from another device present in the bus when it is addressed to
listen. On the whole device, more number of GPIB instruments can
function as active listeners at a time.

Controller – The name of the controller itself signi es that it is an

entity that manages the entire functionality of the bus. The controller
is generally a computer that provides the signal to the instruments
to execute multiple activities making sure that no issues take place
in the bus. When two talker devices try to talk at the same time
instant, it leads to data corruption and shows the impact on the
entire system.

IEEE 488 bus allows different controllers to share a similar bus

whereas only one controller will be active at any speci c time.
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GPIB bus consists of eight data lines in order to transmit 8 bits of
data at a single instance. And command messages work with seven
bits out of 8 and the message format is shown below:

Message Format
Bits 0 through 4 indicate the primary address of the device, for
which the Talker/Listener assignment is intended. If bit 5 is high, the
device should listen. If bit 6 is high, the device should talk. Bit 7 is a
“don’t care” bit. Its value is ignored, so it is interpreted as a value of
zero in command messages.

IEEE 488 Bus Features

As the main functionality of GPIB is to establish interconnection
between various instruments and devices, it is recommended to
know the features of the IEEE 488 bus. A few of those are:

1. The transaction between the messages is a hardware three-

wire-handshake.
2. Communication happens in digital format and it transmits only
one byte of data at a time.
3. To a single IEEE 488 bus, approximately 15 devices can be
connected at a time.
4. The bus length can be 20 meters, but the distance between
each device can be 2 meters.
5. The maximum data rates can be up to 1 Megabyte/second.
6. The width of the data bus is 8 lines.
 7. The connector used in GPIB is a 24-pin Amphenol or
sometimes a D-type connector is also used.
8. The bus can support 31 5-bit primary devices which are
addressed from 0-to 30 by assigning a unique address for
every device.
9. The topology used in GPIB is linear or forked type.
10. The protocol supports both half-duplex and full-duplex
communication modes so that two devices can send data
while at the same time receiving data from each other
simultaneously
IEEE 488 Bus Block Diagram
The IEEE 488 bus architecture, consists of 16 signaling lines that
are used to carry information and allow to pass commands between
various devices that have connections with the bus. These 16

signals are classi ed into three groups which are

IEEE 488 Bus Architecture

Data Bus – 8 lines, Data Byte Transfer Control Bus – 3 lines,s, and
General Interface Management Bus – 5 lines.

All three functional groups explain the IEEE 488 bus working
principle.
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Data Bus

The data bus acts as a channel for data transmission and passage
of commands across the device connected to the GPIB device. The
8 signals are named DIO 1 to DIO 8 which are bidirectional in
nature and active low lines. The data transmission using the
commands takes place in bit-parallel and byte-serial approaches
which correspond that only one data byte can be transmitted at a
time. DIO 1 is the LSB bit and DIO 8 is the MSB bit.

Every byte which is placed in the data bus denotes either a data
byte or a command. At the time of data transmission, when the ATN
pin is TRUE, then the data bus carries a command that is to be
received by each device in the GPIB bus. Whereas when the ATN is
FALSE while data transmission, then the data bus carries a data
byte. Here, only the active listeners are able to receive the carried
byte.

Data Byte Transfer Control Bus

The control over data transmission of every byte that happens in

the data bus can be achieved through an approach named “three-
wired-handshake”. Using this approach, the data transmission
happens at the speed level of the slowest listener so that every
listener can be able to hear, ensuring data integrity.

The handshake signaling approach is explained below:

• Initially, the DAV signal will be made to LOW by the talker and
observes the NRFD and NDAC lines which are regulated by
the listener.
• On the DIO lines, data bytes are placed by the talker.
• Then the talker holds its time for NRFD in order to make the
listener LOW.
 •
Now, the talker af rms the DAV line and the listener
instantaneously af rms the NRFD which concedes to the talker
that the present data bye is under process.
• Later, the listener receives the data byte and lows down the
NDAC signal. At this time, the talker will make the DAV signal
Low.
• In the process of the next byte to transmit, the listener makes
NDAC high.
The DAV (Data Available) is managed by the talker, and the NRFD
(Not Ready For Data) and NDAC (Not Data Accepted) which are
wired-OR lines are shared by all the active listeners. All the three
DAV, NRFD, and NDAC are active-low signals.

Handshake Process in GPIB

General Interface Management Bus

This is a group of 5 lines that controls the data ow all over the
GPIB device. The functionality of each line is explained below:

ATN (Attention) – Every byte which is placed in the data bus

denotes either a data byte or a command and ATN is used to decide
whether the byte is a data byte or a command. When ATN turns low,
the bus signi es command mode and when ATN turns HIGH, the
bus signi es data byte mode.

EOI (End/Identify) – In the multi-byte data transfer, this bit signi es

the last byte. At the time of the last data byte, the talker sets the
EOI pin to TRUE. In order to start a parallel poll sequence, the
active controller works along with the ATN line and EOI line.

IFC (Interface Clear) –This line is used only by the system

controller. When the IFC line is LOW, all the devices which are
placed on the bus are not addressed to listen, talk and even IFC
Low makes the bus to be in a service request idle state.
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SRQ (Service Request) – This pin transmits an interrupt request to
the controller. The request indicates that there may be an issue or
the device is ready to transmit thus making the SRQ line TRUE.
This states to the controller that the device which has a connection
with the bus is requesting a service.

As the controller will not be aware of which device is requesting a

service, it creates a poll to nd the device that requests the service
and then analyzes the request.

REN (Remote Enable) – This line is used only by the system

controller. When the REN pin is LOW (True), then the bus moves to
a remote state, and the devices will be addressed either to talk or
listen. When the REN pin is HIGH (False), the devices along with
the bus returns to the local state.

Types of Message Transmissions in GPIB

There are mainly three types of message transmissions in the IEEE
488 bus.

Interface Function Transmission – The data ow over GPIB is

mainly controlled by the controller through interface function
messages which are termed commands. These messages execute
the activities of addressing/unaddressing the devices, switching the
device modes for local and remote functionality, and initializing the
bus.

There exist two kinds of commands which are inline and multiline.
The commands are said to be multiline in that the bytes are
transferred by the active controller through DIO1 – DIO8 pins
having the ATN line set as TRUE. Whereas the commands are said
to be online when the signals are carried by the interface
management bus.
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Device Correspondent Commands – These are either the
mnemonic codes or keywords transmitted by the external controller
in order to regulate the functionality and setup of the addressed
instrument. These commands are distinctive for each instrument.
The device correspondent commands will transmit in ASCII pattern
having codes/one or more keywords.

These ASCII format messages are then decoded by an internal

controller in the device and allow multiple activities to be executed.

Data & Instrument Status Messages – Through the GPIB, the

messages are transmitted to the external controller. These
messages hold the data of device status, measurement output, or
the data les that the device sends in response to corresponding
requests from an external controller. The information present in the
messages varies from device to device and is in the form of binary
data/ASCII.

Connectors for GPIB

The standard connector used in IEEE 488 bus in 24-way Amphenol.
This connector has a D shape metal shell but the size of 24-way
Amphenol is more than D-subminiature connectors.

IEEE 488 Bus Connector

The below table details the pin con guration of the connector.

GPIB
Abbreviation Line Name
Pin
Data Input/Output
1 DIO1
1
Data Input/Output
2 DIO2
2
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 Data Input/Output
3 DIO3
3
Data Input/Output
4 DIO4
4
5 End or Identify EOI
6 Data Valid DAV
Not Ready for
7 NRFD
Data
8 Not Data Accepted NDAC
9 Interface Clear IFC
10 Service Request SRQ
11 Attention ATN
Shield (Connected
12
to Earth)
Data Input / Output
13 DIO5
5
Data Input / Output
14 DIO6
6
Data Input / Output
15 DIO7
7
Data Input / Output
16 DIO8
8
17 Remote Enable REN
Twisted pair with Wire twisted with
18
pin 6 DAV line
Twisted pair with Wire twisted with
19
pin 7 NRFD line
 Twisted pair with Wire twisted with
20
pin 8 NDAC line
Twisted pair with Wire twisted with
21
pin 9 IFC line
Twisted pair with Wire twisted with
22
pin 10 SRQ line
Twisted pair with Wire twisted with
23
pin 11 ATN line
24 Signal Ground

Difference between GPIB and Ethernet

1. Ethernet is a type of data communication protocol that uses a
local area network (LAN) to transmit data between multiple
devices whereas GPIB uses twisted pair cables similar to the
one used for RS232C or RS422 to connect to devices.
2. The GPIB protocol uses differential driver signals for
transmissions. This allows for high noise immunity and reliable
transmission over long distances without requiring expensive
shielded cabling whereas the Ethernet cables are multiple
pairs and require an expensive shielding to avoid noises.

3. Ethernet is based on packet-switching technology, which

allows for faster and more ef cient communication between
devices than parallel-wire systems like GPIB. While Ethernet
does not offer the bandwidth of other networking technologies
like ATM or FDDI, it is much easier to install and manage
because it doesn’t require any special cabling or connectors
between devices.

4. A single GPIB controller can control up to 63 instruments at

once using the daisy chain method whereas Ethernet is able to
connect more than 100,000 devices together using LAN
technology.
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Advantages and Disadvantages of IEEE 488
Bus
Here are the advantages and disadvantages of the GPIB bus.

Advantages
• This interface is widely used in most bench instruments.
• This bus allows connecting multiple instruments for a single
controller.
• The hardware interface is not complex and standard also.
• The connectors that are used in the bus are rugged in nature.
• Shows enhanced performance levels.
Disadvantages
• These are hard to maintain as they occupy heavy spacing and
are bulky too.
• When compared with modern-day interfaces, IEEE 488 bus
offers minimal bandwidth.
• Because of heavy cables, the device exhibits less reliability.
• Used only for minimal-speed data transmissions.
• Its use is mostly limited to laboratories and manufacturing
facilities where there are multiple instruments connected
together.
IEEE 488 Bus Applications
A few of the applications of GPIB are:

• Used in computers and measuring devices.

• Employed for application debugging purposes.
• Used for RS232 interfacing.
BACKGROUND
Instrumentation has always leveraged off
widely used electronics technology to drive
its innovation. The jeweled movement of the
clock was first used to build analog meters.
The variable capacitor, the variable resistor,
and the vacuum tube from radios were used to
pioneer the first electronic instruments.
Display technology was leveraged off the
television for use in oscilloscopes and
analyzers.
Today, cost-effective and powerful desktop
and notebook computers are paving the way
for new types of instruments --virtual
instruments--. Virtual instruments are
designed and built by the user to match
specific needs by leveraging off the power
and low cost of PCs and workstations.
Software is the key to virtual instruments.
Application software empowers the user with
the tools necessary to build virtual
instruments and expand their functionality by
providing connectivity to the enormous
capabilities of PCs, workstations, and their
assortment of applications, boosting
performance, flexibility, reusability and
reconfigurability while diminishing at the
same time development and maintenance
costs.

FUNDAMENTALS OF VIRTUAL INSTRUMENTS

Tradtional Instruments Virtual Instruments
Vendor-defined User-defined
Function-specific, stand- Application-oriented system with
alone with limited connectivity to networks, peripherals,
connectivity
Hardware is the key and applications
Software is the key
Expensive Low-cost, reusable
Closed, fixed Open, flexible functionality leveraging
functionality
Slow turn on technology off
Fastfamiliar
turn on computer technology
technology (1-2 year life
(5-10 year life cycle)
Minimal economics of cycle)
Maximum economics of scale
scale
High development and Software minimizes development and
maintenance costs maintenance costs
INTRODUCTION

In 1965, Hewlett-Packard designed the

Hewlett-Packard Interface Bus ( HP-IB ) to
connect their line of programmable
instruments to their computers. Because of its
high transfer rates (nominally 1 Mbytes/s),
this interface bus quickly gained popularity. It
was later accepted as IEEE Standard
488-1975, and has evolved to ANSI/IEEE
Standard 488.1-1987. Today, the name G
eneral Purpose Interface Bus (GPIB) is more
widely used than HP-IB. ANSI/IEEE
488.2-1987 strengthened the original standard
by defining precisely how controllers and
instruments communicate. S tandard
Commands for Programmable Instruments
(SCPI ) took the command structures defined
in IEEE 488.2 and created a single,
comprehensive programming command set
that is used with any SCPI instrument. Figure
1 summarizes GPIB history.
TYPES OF GPIB MESSAGES
GPIB devices communicate with other GPIB
devices by sending device-dependent
messages and interface messages through the
interface system.
• Device-dependent messages, often called
data or data messages, contain device-
 specific information, such as
programming instructions, measurement
results, machine status, and data files.
• Interface messages manage the bus.
Usually called commands or command
messages, interface messages perform
such functions as initializing the bus,
addressing and unaddressing devices, and
setting device modes for remote or local
programming.
The term "command" as used here should not
be confused with some device instructions
that are also called commands. Such device-
specific commands are actually data messages
as far as the GPIB interface system itself is
concerned.
TA L K E R S , L I S T E N E R S A N D
CONTROLLERS
GPIB Devices can be Talkers, Listeners, and/
or Controllers. A Talker sends data messages
to one or more Listeners, which receive the
data. The Controller manages the flow of
information on the GPIB by sending
commands to all devices. A digital voltmeter,
for example, is a Talker and is also a Listener.
The GPIB is like an ordinary computer bus,
except that a computer has its circuit cards
interconnected via a backplane - the GPIB has
stand-alone devices interconnected by
standard cables.
The role of the GPIB Controller is
comparable to the role of a computer CPU,
but a better analogy is to compare the
Controller to the switching center of a city
telephone system.
The switching center (Controller) monitors
the communications network (GPIB). When
the center (Controller) notices that a party
(device) wants to make a call (send a data
message), it connects the caller (Talker) to the
receiver (Listener).
The Controller usually addresses (or enables)
a Talker and a Listener before the Talker can
send its message to the Listener. After the
message is transmitted, the Controller may
address other Talkers and Listeners.
Some GPIB configurations do not require a
Controller. For example, a device that is
always a Talker, called a talk-only device, is
connected to one or more listen-only devices.
A Controller is necessary when the active or
addressed Talker or Listener must be
changed. The Controller function is usually
handled by a computer.
A computer with the appropriate hardware
and software could perform the roles of
Talker/Listener and Controller.
THE CONTROLLER-IN-CHARGE AND
SYSTEM CONTROLLER
Although there can be multiple Controllers on
the GPIB, at any time only one Controller is
the Controller-In-Charge (CIC). Active
control can be passed from the current CIC to
an idle Controller. Only the System Controller
can make itself the CIC.
GPIB SIGNALS AND LINES
The GPIB interface system consists of 16
signal lines and eight ground-return or shield-
drain lines. The 16 signal lines, discussed
below, are grouped into data lines (eight),
handshake lines (three), and interface
management lines (five) (see Figure 2).

GPIB Signals and Lines

Data Lines
The eight data lines, DIO1 through DIO8,
carry both data and command messages. The
state of the Attention (ATN) line determines
whether the information is data or commands.
All commands and most data use the 7-bit
ASCII or ISO code set, in which case the
eighth bit, DIO8, is either unused or used for
parity.
Handshake Lines
Three lines asynchronously control the
transfer of message bytes between devices.
The process is called a 3-wire interlocked
handshake. It guarantees that message bytes
on the data lines are sent and received without
transmission error.
• NRFD (not ready for data) - Indicates
when a device is ready or not ready to
receive a message byte. The line is driven
by all devices when receiving commands,
by Listeners when receiving data
messages, and by the Talker when
enabling the HS488 protocol.
• NDAC (not data accepted) - Indicates
when a device has or has not accepted a
message byte. The line is driven by all
devices when receiving commands, and
by Listeners when receiving data
messages.
• DAV (data valid) - Tells when the signals
on the data lines are stable (valid) and can
be accepted safely by devices. The
Controller drives DAV when sending
 commands, and the Talker drives DAV
when sending data messages.
Interface Management Lines
Five lines manage the flow of information
across the interface:
• ATN (attention) - The Controller drives
ATN true when it uses the data lines to
send commands, and drives ATN false
when a Talker can send data messages.
• IFC (interface clear) - The System
Controller drives the IFC line to initialize
the bus and become CIC.
• REN (remote enable) - The System
Controller drives the REN line, which is
used to place devices in remote or local
program mode.
• SRQ (service request) - Any device can
drive the SRQ line to asynchronously
request service from the Controller.
• EOI (end or identify) - The EOI line has
two purposes - The Talker uses the EOI
line to mark the end of a message string,
and the Controller uses the EOI line to tell
 devices to identify their response in a
parallel poll.
PHYSICAL AND ELECTRICAL
CHARACTERISTICS
Devices are usually connected with a shielded
24-conductor cable with both a plug and
receptacle connector at each end (see
Figure 3). You can link devices in either a
linear configuration (see Figure 4), a star
configuration (see Figure 5), or a combination
of the two.

Linear Configuration Star Configuration

The standard connector is the Amphenol or

Cinch Series 57 MICRORIBBON or AMP
CHAMP type. For special interconnect
applications, an adapter cable with non-
standard cable and/or connectors is used.

MANAGEMENT Pin
LINES No.
IFC 9
REN 17
ATN 11
SRQ 10
EOI 5
HANDSHAKE Pin
LINES No.
DAV 6
NRFD 7
NDAC 8

GPIB Connector and Signal Assignment

The GPIB uses negative logic with standard
TTL levels. When DAV is true, for example,
it is a TTL low level (<= 0.8 V), and when
DAV is false, it is a TTL high level (>= 2.0
V).
CONFIGURATION REQUIREMENTS
To achieve the high data transfer rate for
which the GPIB was designed, the physical
distance between devices and the number of
devices on the bus are limited.
The following restrictions are typical for
normal operation:
• A maximum separation of 4 m between
any two devices and an average separation
of 2 m over the entire bus
• A maximum total cable length of 20 m
• No more than 15 device loads connected
to each bus, with no less than two-thirds
powered on
For higher speed systems using the 3-wire
IEEE 488.1 handshake (T1 delay = 350 ns),
and HS488 systems, the following restrictions
apply:
• A maximum total cable length of 15 m
with a device load per 1 m cable
• All devices should be powered on
 • All devices should use 48 mA three-state
drivers
• Device capacitance on each GPIB signal
should be less than 50 pF per device
IEEE 488.2 AND SCPI
The SCPI and IEEE 488.2 standards
addressed the limitations and ambiguities of
the original IEEE 488 standard. IEEE 488.2
makes it possible to design more compatible
and productive test systems. SCPI simplifies
the programming task by defining a single
comprehensive command set for
programmable instrumentation, regardless of
type or manufacturer. The scope of each of
the IEEE 488, IEEE 488.2, and SCPI
standards is shown in Figure 6.
Evolution of GPIB Instrumentation Standards
The ANSI/IEEE Standard 488-1975, now
called IEEE 488.1, greatly simplified the
interconnection of programmable
in s t r u men tatio n b y c l e a r l y d e f i n i n g
mechanical, electrical, and hardware protocol
specifications. For the first time, instruments
from different manufacturers were
interconnected by a standard cable. Although
this standard went a long way towards
improving the productivity of test engineers,
the standard did have a number of
shortcomings. Specifically, IEEE 488.1 did
not address data formats, status reporting,
message exchange protocol, common
configuration commands, or device-specific
commands. As a result, each manufacturer
implemented these items differently, leaving
the test system developer with a formidable
task.
IEEE 488.2 enhanced and strengthened IEEE
488.1 by standardizing data formats, status
reporting, error handling, Controller
functionality, and common commands to
which all instruments must respond in a
defined manner. By standardizing these
issues, IEEE 488.2 systems are much more
compatible and reliable. The IEEE 488.2
standard focuses mainly on the software
protocol issues and thus maintains
compatibility with the hardware-oriented
IEEE 488.1 standard.
SCPI built on the IEEE 488.2 standard and
defined device-specific commands that
standardize programming instruments. SCPI
systems are much easier to program and
maintain. In many cases, you can interchange
or upgrade instruments without having to
change the test program. The combination of
SCPI and IEEE 488.2 offers significant
productivity gains, and finally, delivers as
sound a software standard as IEEE 488.1 did
a hardware standard.
IEEE 488.2
IEEE 488.2-1987 encouraged a new level of
growth and acceptance of the IEEE 488 bus
or GPIB by addressing problems that had
arisen from the original IEEE 488 standard.
IEEE 488.2 was drafted on the premise that it
stay compatible with the existing IEEE 488.1
standard. The overriding concept used in the
IEEE 488.2 specification for the
communication between Controllers and
instruments is that of "precise talking" and
"forgiving listening." In other words, IEEE
488.2 exactly defined how both IEEE 488.2
Controllers and IEEE 488.2 instruments talk
so that a completely IEEE 488.2-compatible
system can be highly reliable and efficient.
The standard also required that IEEE 488.2
devices be able to work with existing IEEE
488.1 devices by accepting a wide range of
commands and data formats as a Listener.
You obtain the true benefits of IEEE 488.2
when you have a completely IEEE 488.2-
compatible system.
CONTROLLERS
Although IEEE 488.2 had less impact on
Controllers than it did on instruments, there
are several requirements and optional
improvements for Controllers that made an
IEEE 488.2 Controller a necessary
component of test systems. IEEE 488.2
precisely defined the way IEEE 488.2
Controllers send commands and data and
added functionality. Because of these IEEE
488.2 Controller requirements, instrument
manufacturers can design more compatible
and efficient instruments. The benefits of this
standardization for the test system developer
are reduced development time and cost,
because it solves the problems caused by
instrument incompatibilities, varying
command structures, and data formats.
Requirements of IEEE 488.2 Controllers
IEEE 488.2 defined a number of requirements
for a Controller, including an exact set of
IEEE 488.1 interface capabilities, such as
pulsing the interface clear line for 100 µs,
setting and detecting EOI, setting/asserting
the REN line, sensing the state and transition
of the SRQ line, sensing the state of NDAC,
and timing out on any I/O transaction. Other
key requirements for Controllers are bus
control sequences and bus protocols.
IEEE 488.2 Control Sequences
The IEEE 488.2 standard defined control
sequences that specify the exact IEEE 488.1
messages that are sent from the Controller as
well as the ordering of multiple messages.
IEEE 488.2 defined 15 required control
sequences and four optional control
sequences, as shown in Table 1.
Description Control Sequence Compli
ance
Mandat
Send ATN-true commands SEND COMMAND
ory
Mandat
Send address to send data SEND SETUP
ory
Mandat
Send ATN-false data SEND DATA BYTES
ory
Mandat
Send a program message SEND
ory
Mandat
Send address to receive data RECEIVE SETUP
RECEIVE/RESPONSE ory
Mandat
Receive ATN-false data
MESSAGE ory
Mandat
Receive a response message RECEIVE
ory
Pulse IFC line SEND IFC Mandat
ory
Mandat
Place device in DCAS DEVICE CLEAR
ENABLE LOCAL ory
Mandat
Place devices in local state
CONTROLS ory
Mandat
Place devices in remote state ENABLE REMOTE
ory
Mandat
Place devices in remote with SET RWLS
local ory
Placelockout
devicesstate
in local lockout SEND LLO Mandat
state
Read IEEE-488.1 status byte READ STATUS BYTE ory
Mandat
ory
Mandat
Send group execution trigger TRIGGER
(GET)control
message ory
Optiona
Give to another device PASS CONTROL
Conduct a parallel poll PERFORM PARALLEL lOptiona
POLL
PARALLEL POLL lOptiona
Configure devices' parallel poll
responses CONFIGURE
PARALLEL POLL lOptiona
Disable devices' parallel poll
capability UNCONFIGURE l
IEEE 488.2 Required and Optional Control
Sequences
The IEEE 488.2 control sequences describe
the exact states of the GPIB and the ordering
of command messages for each of the defined
operations. IEEE 488.2 control sequences
remove the ambiguity of the possible bus
conditions, so instruments and Controllers are
much more compatible. By exactly defining
the state of the bus and how devices should
respond to specific messages, IEEE 488.2
removes such system development problems.
IEEE 488.2 Protocols
Protocols are high-level routines that combine
a number of control sequences to perform
common test system operations. IEEE 488.2
defines two required protocols and six
optional protocols, as shown in Table 2.
Keyword Name Compliance
RESET Reset System Mandatory
FINDRQS Find Device Requesting Optional
ALLSPOLL ServicePoll All Devices
Serial Mandatory
PASSCTL Pass Control Optional
REQUESTC Request Control Optional
TL
FINDLSTN Find Listeners Optional
SETADD Set Address Optional, but requires
TESTSYS Self-Test System FINDLSTN
Optional

IEEE 488.2 Controller Protocols

These protocols reduce development time
because they combine several commands to
execute the most com-mon operations
required by any test system. The RESET
protocol ensures that the GPIB has been
initialized and all devices have been cleared
and set to a known state. The ALLSPOLL
protocol serial polls each device and returns
the status byte of each device. The PASSCTL
and REQUESTCTL protocols pass control of
the bus between a number of different
devices. The TESTSYS protocol instructs
each device to run its own self-tests and
report back to the Controller whether it has a
problem or is ready for operation.
Perhaps the two most important protocols are
FINDLSTN and FINDRQS. The FINDLSTN
protocol takes advantage of the IEEE 488.2
Controller capability of monitoring bus lines
to locate listening devices on the bus. The
Controller implements the FINDLSTN
protocol by issuing a particular listen address
and then monitoring the NDAC handshake
line to determine if a device exists at that
address. The result of the FINDLSTN
protocol is a list of addresses for all the
located devices. FINDLSTN is used at the
start of an application program to ensure
proper system configuration and to provide a
valid list of GPIB devices that can be used as
the input parameter to all other IEEE 488.2
protocols. The bus line monitoring capability
of an IEEE 488.2 Controller is also useful to
detect and diagnose problems within a test
system.
The FINDRQS protocol is an efficient
mechanism for locating and polling devices
that are requesting service. It uses the IEEE
488.2 Controller capability of sensing the
FALSE to TRUE transition of the SRQ line.
You prioritize the input list of devices so that
the more critical devices receive service first.
If the application program can jump to this
protocol immediately upon the assertion of
the SRQ line, you increase program
efficiency and throughput.
IEEE 488.2 INSTRUMENTS
The IEEE 488.2 specifications for
instruments can require major changes in the
firmware and possibly the hardware.
However, IEEE 488.2 instruments are easier
to program because they respond to common
commands and queries in a well defined
manner using standard message exchange
protocols and data formats. The IEEE 488.2
message exchange protocol is the foundation
for the SCPI standard that makes test system
programming even easier.
IEEE 488.2 defines a minimum set of IEEE
488.1 interface capabilities that an instrument
must have. All devices must be able to send
and receive data, request service, and respond
to a device clear message. IEEE 488.2 defines
precisely the format of commands sent to
instruments and the format and coding of
responses sent by instruments.
All instruments must perform certain
operations to communicate on the bus and
report status. Because these operations are
common to all instruments, IEEE 488.2
defined the programming commands used to
execute these operations and the queries used
to receive common status information. These
common commands and queries are shown in
Table 3.
Mnemonic Group Description
*IDN? System Data Identification query
*RST Internal Operations Reset
*TST? Internal Operations Self-test query
*OPC Synchronization Operation complete
*OPC? Synchronization Opearation complete query
*WAI Synchronization Wait to complete
*CLS Status and Event Clear status
*ESE Status and Event Event status enable
*ESE? Status and Event Event status enable query
*ESR? Status and Event Event status register query
*SRE Status and Event Service request enable
*SRE? Status and Event Service request enable query
*STB? Status and Event Read status byte query

IEEE 488.2 Mandatory Common Commands

Because IEEE 488.2 standardizes status
reporting, the Controller knows exactly how
to obtain status information from every
instrument in the system. This status reporting
model builds upon the IEEE 488.1 status byte
to provide more detailed status information.
The status reporting model is shown in Figure
7.