MODEL 488-USB2 GPIB CONTROLLER MODULE

Today ICS Electronics announced a new USB to GPIB Controller Module for controlling test instruments. Designated the Model 488-USB2, this new module converts any desktop or portable PC with a USB 1.1 or USB 2.0 interface into a full-function, IEEE 488.2 compatible Bus Controller. The 488-USB2 with its 1 Mbyte per second data rate is 10x faster than the 488-USB Controller it replaces. Applications include controlling instruments, collecting data and running test programs. The 488-USB2 Controller is a small module that plugs onto any open GPIB connector. The open GPIB connector can be the open end of a cable stack, on the back of an instrument or an unused connector on ICS’s GPIB BusStrip™. Finger size jackscrews secure and hold the 488-USB module in any position. Three LEDs provide visual status and diagnostic help for troubleshooting system problems. The 488-USB2 Module is a Plug&Play device and is extremely simple to install. The 488-USB2 comes with ICS's new 488.2V3 Driver Library for Windows 2K, XP and Vista 32-bit operating systems. The 488.2V3 Driver Library supports up to 16 GPIB Controllers and installs a GPIB-32.DLL that is compatible with the National Instruments command sets. The 488.2V3 Driver Library supports test programs written Microsoft Visual Basic 6, Visual Basic.NET (2005), Visual C/C++ and C#. The 488.2V3 Driver Library is also compatible with VISA Libraries from National Instruments and Agilent so it can run LabVIEW, Matlab, VEE and other test applications programs that make VISA calls. The 488.2V3 Driver also includes ICS's new Explorer utility, which provides the user with an integrated Explorer-Communicate-Configure capability. When run, Explorer automatically configures any new GPIB Controllers it finds and then locates and displays all compatible GPIB Controllers and Devices in the system. ICS's Explorer can display up to 16 GPIB Controllers and their instruments. The user can examine every device, link to the Configuration and Communicate with Instrument forms or verify the software installation. The Configure form lets the user quickly view and change the Controller's settings. The Communicate with Instrument form lets the user interactively control any GPIB device from the computer keyboard without having to write a program. The Communicate form is ideal for testing the 488-USB2 Module, for exercising GPIB devices or for trying out device commands before using them in a program.