18 Apr
2005
18 Apr
'05
11:03 a.m.
The Zia Tech unit is less of a card and more of a
programmer's panel sort of device. It has a couple of
rows of switches and lights that correspond to the
data lines and some of the HP-IB commands. It doesn't
seem to have any address setting capability on the
outside of the box. Maybe there's a DIP switch inside
or something. Looks fun though.
Regards,
Dave
I'm not familiar with the ZiaTech analyzer but assume it is similar in
function the HP 59401A that I use. The HP 59401A is a very nice device.
Hightly recommended for any HPIB troubleshooting. I ocasionally see them
on eBay in the $35 - $50 range.
The analyzer is a "dumb" device. It can monitor and manipulate the BUS
it cannot automatically generate or respond to the signals. It listens
to everything, it responds to nothing (without operator intervention).
Since the analyzer sees all the data, it doesn't need it's own HPIB
address (no switches).
The analyzer relys on the operator to enter the correct control and data
sequences. By toggling in the proper sequences, the operator can emulate
virtually any device that can be attached to the bus. A few years ago, I
formatted a CS80 disk, and wrote the entire boot sector using just an
analyzer. Later, I was able to boot a HP2100 off the disk!
NOTE: The control sequences for CS80 drives are fairly complex so, I'd
recommend starting with a simpler device. If you have a HPIB multimeter
or printer; you can attach them directly to the analyzer, without a host
computer, and experiment with controlling them. Once you undersand the
HPIB handshaking, you can try a more complicated device like the HP9134.
Do you have any other HPIB devices? If so, I'll help you understand how
to talk to them before tackling the disk drive.
See ya, SteveRob