HP 1631D logic analyzer, some basic questions:

From: Tony Duell <ard_at_p850ug1.demon.co.uk>
Date: Thu Jun 12 18:46:00 2003

> I've just gotten one, without the instruction manual, of course.
>
> Seems that it needs to save to HP-IB instruments and so forth, also
> can us HP-IL....
>
> I'll have to see if I can find data on HP-IL, might be worth rolling
> an interface for it, or just stick to the IEEE-488....

HPIL is logically a bit-serial version of HPIB (IEEE-488), but physically
it's very different -- it's a loop, not a bus and all devices on the loop
are transformer-coupled...

There is an HP custom chip -- the 1LB3 -- that is an HPIL interface
circuit. It handles the talker/listener/controller functions. This chip
is not total unobtainium, but it is quite hard to find -- people who have
a few (like myself) don't want to give them up :-). The special pulse
transformers (HP made a little DIL module containing the 3 transformers
needed for a loop connection) are much harder to find, though.

There are 3 manuals you'll find useful. One is the HPIL specification,
which includes enough detail to design an interface from scratch not
using the HP parts. The second is the 1LB3 data sheet. The third is the
user manual for the 82166C (must be C) kit. This was a kit to design HPIL
interaces, and included 4 1LB3 chips, 4 transformer units, 2
microcontrollers (programmed with code to implement a parallel I/O
device), the necessary passive components, and documentation. The user
manual gives an example circuit for the 1LB3, showing how to connect it
to the transformer assembly, etc.

These manuals are on the MoHPC CD-ROM set (look at
http://www.hpmuseum.org/ and follow the links). This is a set of 7
CD-ROMs (or a DVD-ROM I think) which contain pdf files of scanned images
of HP calculator (and related products) manuals. If you have a system
capable of reading pdf files, and you're interested in HP calculators,
you need these disks. I think they cost me $42 for the 7 CDs, including
postage to England, which I regard as a total bargain. The first manual I
looked at made it work the cost! Of course I still prefer printed manuals
(and actually, I have the HPIL docs as original HP manuals), but these
CDs are better than nothing. A lot better than nothing.

Although in your case it might be simpler just to stick to the HPIB port :-).

-tony
Received on Thu Jun 12 2003 - 18:46:00 BST

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