User`s manual

CHAPTER 1 GENERAL INFORMATIQN 1
1. GENERAL INFORMATIQN
1.1. Introduction to the Product
The PCL-848A/B IEEE-488 interface card is a valuable addition to your PC that
allows you to communicate with over 2000 products, made by over 200 manufactur-
ers, in over 14 countries. The IEEE488-1978 standard that this IEEE-488 card
implements is the most widely used international standard for information transfer
between computer and electronic instruments. There are numerous publications and
articles that may be used in conjunction with this manual to assist you to understand
the interface standard. The IEEE reference document may be ordered by writing to the
IEEE Service Center, 445 Uoes Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
The IEEE-488 interface card provides the hardware (electrical and mechanical) and
software required for you to interface your PC to the IEEE-488 bus. The software is
packaged in read-only-memory (firmware) to provide versatile and easy-to-use IEEE-
488 function extensions for your current programming language or operating system.
Firmware cannot be accidentally erased or overwritten and it is always available for
use by application programs. This manual provides a programming reference (Section
3.) and programming techniques (Section 4. and 5.) to assist you in writing your own
application programs.
The key features of this interface card include:
* Operating in one of the two modes (switch selectable).
Mode A : Compatible with PCL-748 and use the on-board firmware driver.
Mode N : Software compatible with National Instrument PC-II and IBM-PC GP-
IB adaptor and use the driver and software developed for them.
* Implementation of the entire IEEE-488 standard.
* Powerful and easy-to-use software command set. Fewer arguments and simple
initialization.
* Software driver is in on-board firmware. Requires no additional disk operation when
using BASIC or Turbo Pascal.
* On-board RAM for working space. No system memory space is needed for the
IEEE-488 interface operation.
* Built-in 16 bit digital output port provides a convenient and economical solution for
signal switching and digital control applications. The D/O port is compatible with
the daughter boards: PCLD-785 Relay Output Eoard, PCLD-786 SSR & Relay
Driver Board and PCL-789 Amplifier Multiplexer Board.