GPIB-USB Adapter

I recently bought an HP 7475A Pen Plotter. This is a nice retro-electronics device representing the market-leader at the time it was introduced.

However, this one has an HP-IB ("Hewlett Packard Interface Bus") Interface, also called GP-IB ("General Purpose Interface Bus") by non HP-vendors and IEEE-488, when standardized by the IEEE. This interface also was a staple of networking for more upperclass electronic instruments, especially measurement and test equipment, before USB or Ethernet became more ubiquitous.

Unfortunately, GPIB Interfaces for computers, never having been cheap, have climbed to ridiculous prices if not completely gone unobtanium.

A more modestly priced product is made by Prologix:

• Product Page: http://prologix.biz/gpib-usb-controller.html
• FAQ: http://prologix.biz/gpib-usb-6.0-faq.html

Luckily, cheaper clones for more pricey interface products have been devised by makers, this one by "Fenrir":

Https://fenrir.naruoka.org/archives/000944.html

Fenrirs DIY project on Github: https://github.com/fenrir-naru/gpib-usbcdc

This has also be made into a sold product:

EEVblog forum thread: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/chinese-gpib-diy-adapter-and-how-to-use/

Aliexpress Produkt: https://de.aliexpress.com/i/4000159014648.html

Fahrer und einige der verfügbaren software links: https://pan.baidu.com/s/1i1Is4Mn2fG7fngyJAKWWog
Passwort: pxmp

... which has also gone to unobtainium due to the driver chips no longer readily available.

But there is a variant without these special chips, which seems to work quite OK as there are no long cables to be driven:

... which is nowhere to be got, sooooooo let's build one at home from the schematics ...

Update 201-07

Hooray, I found an AliExpress Item offering exactly the simplified "Fenrir-Adapter":

• PUCONUGA01 - AliExpress Artikel 1005001688598509 bought on 2021-07-12 with AliExpress Order 8135230014183825, arrived on 2021-08-02
  • Lagerort: PUCONBOX012011 - Reihe --- - Fach ---
• Youtuber "BitBastelei" has a (German) Clip using this adapter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHaDNVAOMYc&t=2s
  • BTW: I have a YouTube Playlist about GPIB: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHaDNVAOMYc&list=PLz-ePwn2hOw92XCA2Ao3IpDn5ZTeykiLr

Update 2021-08

I purchased the item, it arrived without problems an up to now seems to work as intended.

It shows up as a serial interface (COMx: on Windows).

It supports an own command language for configuring it, including setting the HPIP/GPIB-Address to talk to. Commands have to have a "++" at the start of the line, "++help" gives a rudimentary help message.

Help for using it can be found in the ProLogix-User-Manual: http://prologix.biz/downloads/PrologixGpibUsbManual-6.0.pdf.