Contents

  1. Linux-GPIB Info
    1. Compile and Install
    2. Configuration gpib.conf
    3. Test with new interface driver
    4. Use of xconsole
    5. Test of the circuit
    6. Firmware Comands
    7. Extensions to GPIB_USB.c
    8. Application Program hp1630.py for Logic Analyzer
    9. Test with Python
    10. Screen Shots
    11. Troubleshooting
    12. Links
    13. List of pages in this category:

Linux-GPIB Info

The Linux GPIB Package is a support package for GPIB (IEEE 488) hardware, please see at Linux-GPIBInfo#Links. The package contains kernel driver modules, and a C user-space library with Guile, Perl, PHP, Python and TCL bindings. The API of the C library is intended to be compatible with National Instrument's GPIB library.

I like to have a GPIB interface with open source code and low cost. Because this can not archived with a commercial version, I build my own.

I started in 2010 with an open source version from lpvo. The commercial version of the lpvo USB-GPIB interface is no longer open source. Unfortunately I did not got it to work. The lpvo driver in linux-gpib (since 2011) is named lpvo_usb_gpib.
It looks like, that it is no longer in use (2016).

In 2011 an interface from Elektor was build up and works, please see at GPIBtoUSB2.

In 2016 several open source projects are using the Prologix (R) command set.

Because the CPU R8C is a little bit exotic and the output drive current capacity is quite low, I ported the program to an Arduino Nano 3 module, please see at GPIBtoUSB_Nano3.

My target was to port the driver lpvo_usb_gpio to my own interface, but it looks like to be not so easy.

The used Linux version is Ubuntu 12.04 with actual patches.

If you like to debug linux-gpib, it works with Netbeans ver. 7.4. The version 7.0.1 from the Ubuntu 12.04 repository does not work.

Compile and Install

Do the following steps: 

Extract the .tgz file and change directory.

$ ./configure 

$ make

$ sudo make install

$ sudo depmod -a

$ sudo ldconfig

Configuration gpib.conf

The file /etc/gpib.conf is the main configuration file for the GPIB library. For my interface it looks like: 

interface {
        minor = 0       /* board index, minor = 0 uses /dev/gpib0, minor = 1 uses /dev/gpib1, etc. */
        board_type = "rwan_usb_gpib"    /* type of interface board being used */
        name = "rwan"   /* name for ibfind */
        pad = 0         /* primary address of interface             */
        sad = 0         /* secondary address of interface           */
        timeout = T3s   /* timeout for commands */

        eos = 0x0a      /* EOS Byte, 0xa is newline and 0xd is carriage return */
        set-reos = yes  /* Terminate read if EOS */
        set-bin = no    /* Compare EOS 8-bit */
        set-xeos = no   /* Assert EOI whenever EOS byte is sent */
        set-eot = yes   /* Assert EOI with last byte on writes */

        master = yes    /* interface board is system controller */

The abstact interface board, mostly a GPIB Controller, will usually have the minor number of 0. Then the Linux device name is /dev/gpib0.

The name is a comfort issue, which allows to search for the board with a handy name, e.g in the test program ibtest.

Test with new interface driver

The already installed driver can now be loaded, until a udev rule is setup for USB hotplug. 

$ sudo modprobe rwab_usb_gpib

$ lsmod | grep rwan
rwan_usb_gpib          18498  0 
gpib_common            33177  1 rwan_usb_gpib

# Now test it (with modified ibutil.c, see at Troubleshooting):
$ sudo ibtest
Do you wish to open a (d)evice or an interface (b)oard?
        (you probably want to open a device): b
enter name of interface board (or device) you wish to open: rwan
trying to open board named 'rwan'
handle: pad 0 sad -96 board 1
handle: retval -1
libgpib: IBOPENDEV ioctl failed
libgpib: ibfind failed to get descriptor
failed to open board

$ sudo ibtest
Do you wish to open a (d)evice or an interface (b)oard?
        (you probably want to open a device): d
enter primary gpib address for device you wish to open [0-30]: 7
trying to open pad = 7 on /dev/gpib0 ...
handle: pad 7 sad -96 board 0
handle: retval -1
libgpib: IBOPENDEV ioctl failed
libgpib: error in is_cic()!
ibdev error

ibsta = 0x8000  < ERR >
iberr= 0
EDVR 0: OS error

ibcnt = 19

From /var/log/kernel.log you can see the start: 

13:52:41 usb 2-3: FTDI USB Serial Device converter now attached to ttyUSB0
17:01:00 Linux-GPIB 3.2.19 Driver
17:32:42 show_signal_msg: 39 callbacks suppressed

19:11:05 gpib: registered rwan_usb_gpib interface
19:11:05 rwan_usb_gpib:usb_gpib_init_module - done

18:10:18 rsyslogd-2039: Could not open output pipe '/dev/xconsole' [try http://www.rsyslog.com/e/2039 ]

Use of xconsole

In order to use the debug messages from the driver with fprintf (KERN_ALERT you have to do: 

$ sudo apt-get install xconsole

$ xconsole

But program xconsole is no longer supported from Unbuntu. Instead use for test: 

$ sudo logger -p kern.alert -t Test "alert"
Nov  9 19:11:26 rudi-VB Test: alert

# read continuing the log:
$ tail -f /var/log/syslog

Test of the circuit

In order to test the basic function of the program and the interface, you need a terminal program. May I suggest PUTTY for Win32 and CoolTerm for Mac OS X. 

PUTTY Parameters, Session:
  Connection Type: serial
  Serial line: COMx (x = USB Serial Emulation Nummer, z.B. 6)
  Speed: 38400

Keyboard input (blind, no Echo): "I", strg"J" (upper case I, Control+J = LineFeed)

Answer:
GPIB/USB converter rwan V1.2

or
Set local echo ON
Text from the clipboard is inserted into the terminal window via the middle mouse key.

Firmware Comands

The commands can be sent manually in a terminal to the GPIB-USB converter. All commands must be terminated with Linefeed (Ctrl + J).

Extensions to GPIB_USB.c

To be able to operate my HP Logic Analyzer HP1631D in a useful manner with this interface a few commands were added:

The extended files are here for download: GPIB_USB_nano.ino , GPIB_functions.ino and header file GPIB_nano.h.

Application Program hp1630.py for Logic Analyzer

/!\ 2016-08-21 Software update - you can find an actual software version here. The renewed program hp1630_p23.py was made compatible for Python 2 and 3, and tested on Linux Ubuntu 16.04-32, Mac OS X 10.11.6 El Capitan, and Windows 7-64. Now it can be used as an example program also for other GPIB instruments.

For comfortable using the HP Logic Analyzer HP1631D, I have written a Python command line program hp1630.py. It actually runs under MAC OS X, but should be easily ported to Win32 or Linux. If you run the programm without parameter you get get a help message. The GPIB Address of the device is coded to 4. The following commands are build in, as Command Line Parameter:

If you want to run a different GPIB device so you have to adjust the program accordingly. Since Python is a multi-platform interpreter programming language, an adoption should not be so difficult.

Test with Python

I will use a HP Logic Analyser 1652B for test: 

import Gpib
a = Gpib.Gpib('rwan')
a.clear()
a.write('*IDN?')
print a.read(60)

Screen Shots

For screen shots please have a look at GPIBtoUSB2#Screen_Shots.

Troubleshooting

# edit file util/create_xconsole.sh

#!/bin/sh
# 2013-11-08 Rudolf Reuter
# http://askubuntu.com/questions/108924/missing-dev-xconsole-causes-rsyslog-to-stop-as-well-as-all-other-services
# restore xconsole device descriptors
# call with: sudo ./create_xconsole.sh
# test with: ls /dev/xconsole

service rsyslog stop

# make device descriptor
mknod -m 640 /dev/xconsole c 1 3

# change owner
chown syslog:adm /dev/xconsole

service rsyslog start

# give execute rights
$ chmod ug+x create_xconsole.sh

# create device descriptor
$ sudo ./create_xconsole.sh

# edit file in util/create_gpib0.sh

#!/bin/sh
# restore gpib device descriptors
# call with: sudo ./create_gpib0.sh
# test with: ls /dev/gp*

for i in `seq 0 15`;
    do
        mknod -m u=rw,g=rw,o= /dev/gpib${i} c 160 ${i} || exit 1;
        chown root:gpib /dev/gpib${i};
    done

# give execute rights
$ chmod ug+x create_gpib0.sh

# create device descriptors gpib0 ... gpib15
$ sudo ./create_gpib0.sh
$ sudo ls -ls /dev/gpib0
0 crw-rw---- 1 root gpib 160,  0 Nov  8 17:45 /dev/gpib0

# edit lib/ibutil.c, function open_gpib_handle()
# add print statements:

# after: open_cmd.is_board = conf->is_interface;
    fprintf( stderr, "handle: pad %d sad %d board %d\n", open_cmd.pad, open_cmd.sad, open_cmd.is_board);

# after: retval = ioctl( board->fileno, IBOPENDEV, &open_cmd );
    fprintf( stderr, "handle: retval %d\n", retval);

$ udevadm monitor --environment
UDEV  [21066.566555] add      /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1f.4/usb2/2-3/2-3:1.0 (usb)
ACTION=add
DEVPATH=/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1f.4/usb2/2-3/2-3:1.0
DEVTYPE=usb_interface
INTERFACE=255/255/255
MODALIAS=usb:v0403p6001d0600dc00dsc00dp00icFFiscFFipFF
PRODUCT=403/6001/600
SEQNUM=1542
SUBSYSTEM=usb
TYPE=0/0/0
UDEV_LOG=3
USEC_INITIALIZED=21066514524

UDEV  [21066.567972] add      /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1f.4/usb2/2-3/2-3:1.0/ttyUSB0 (usb-serial)
ACTION=add
DEVPATH=/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1f.4/usb2/2-3/2-3:1.0/ttyUSB0
SEQNUM=1543
SUBSYSTEM=usb-serial
UDEV_LOG=3
USEC_INITIALIZED=21066567907

UDEV  [21066.645399] add      /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1f.4/usb2/2-3/2-3:1.0/ttyUSB0/tty/ttyUSB0 (tty)
ACTION=add
DEVLINKS=/dev/serial/by-id/usb-FTDI_FT232R_USB_UART_A900FYDY-if00-port0 /dev/serial/by-path/pci-0000:00:1f.4-usb-0:3:1.0-port0
DEVNAME=/dev/ttyUSB0
DEVPATH=/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1f.4/usb2/2-3/2-3:1.0/ttyUSB0/tty/ttyUSB0
ID_BUS=usb
ID_MM_CANDIDATE=1
ID_MODEL=FT232R_USB_UART
ID_MODEL_ENC=FT232R\x20USB\x20UART
ID_MODEL_FROM_DATABASE=FT232 USB-Serial (UART) IC
ID_MODEL_ID=6001
ID_PATH=pci-0000:00:1f.4-usb-0:3:1.0
ID_PATH_TAG=pci-0000_00_1f_4-usb-0_3_1_0
ID_REVISION=0600
ID_SERIAL=FTDI_FT232R_USB_UART_A900FYDY
ID_SERIAL_SHORT=A900FYDY
ID_TYPE=generic
ID_USB_DRIVER=ftdi_sio
ID_USB_INTERFACES=:ffffff:
ID_USB_INTERFACE_NUM=00
ID_VENDOR=FTDI
ID_VENDOR_ENC=FTDI
ID_VENDOR_FROM_DATABASE=Future Technology Devices International, Ltd
ID_VENDOR_ID=0403
MAJOR=188
MINOR=0
SEQNUM=1544
SUBSYSTEM=tty
UDEV_LOG=3
USEC_INITIALIZED=21066644818

Nov 10 19:38:08 rudi-VB-SL kernel: [ 1289.675596] Linux-GPIB 3.2.19 Driver
Nov 10 19:38:08 rudi-VB-SL kernel: [ 1289.694440] gpib: registered lpvo_usb_gpib interface
Nov 10 19:38:08 rudi-VB-SL kernel: [ 1289.694504] lpvo_usb_gpib:usb_gpib_init_module - done
Nov 10 19:54:00 rudi-VB-SL kernel: [ 2241.723856] lpvo_usb_gpib:usb_gpib_attach configuring lpvo_usb_gpib#0 as ttyUSB0
Nov 10 19:54:00 rudi-VB-SL kernel: [ 2241.757821] lpvo_usb_gpib:usb_gpib_attach - found f5fbe780 0
Nov 10 19:54:00 rudi-VB-SL kernel: [ 2241.757906] kernel tried to execute NX-protected page - exploit attempt? (uid: 0)
Nov 10 19:54:00 rudi-VB-SL kernel: [ 2241.757908] BUG: unable to handle kernel paging request at f6691964
Nov 10 19:54:00 rudi-VB-SL kernel: [ 2241.757911] IP: [<f6691964>] 0xf6691963
Nov 10 19:54:00 rudi-VB-SL kernel: [ 2241.757921] *pdpt = 00000000019fc001 *pde = 80000000366001e3 
Nov 10 19:54:00 rudi-VB-SL kernel: [ 2241.757924] Oops: 0011 [#1] SMP

USBTMC

Debugging

List of pages in this category:

  1. GPIBtoUSB
  2. GPIBtoUSB2
  3. GPIBtoUSB_Nano3
  4. GPIBtoUSB_PIC
  5. GPIBtoWLAN_Mega
  6. HP1631Info
  7. HP1652GPIBProbe
  8. HP1652InverseAssembler
  9. HxCFloppyDiskEmulator
  10. Linux-GPIBInfo
  11. SerialToBrowser
  12. SigrokDecoder
  13. SigrokDecoderGPIB
  14. sigrokLogic16

-- RudolfReuter 2013-11-07 18:02:17

Go back to CategoryLogicAnalyzer or StartSeite ; KontaktEmail (ContactEmail)

Linux-GPIBInfo (last edited 2016-08-22 04:57:38 by RudolfReuter)