The NI GPIB-USB IEEE 488 Card Converter bridges legacy GPIB instruments to modern USB-equipped computers, enabling full-featured data transfer and instrument control without external power. Operating as a Hi-Speed USB 2.0 device, it provides deterministic connectivity for up to 14 programmable GPIB instruments while maintaining complete IEEE 488.1 and IEEE 488.2 compliance.
Technical Specifications
Interface & Connectivity
• 24-pin IEEE 488 GPIB connector
• USB Type A connector with integrated 2 m cable
• Hi-Speed USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/s) with USB 1.1 backward compatibility
Data Transfer Performance
• Standard IEEE 488 handshake: 880 kB/s maximum
• HS488 mode: 7.7 MB/s (56.4844 Mbps)
• IEEE 488.1 three-wire protocol: 1830 kB/s
• IEEE 488.1 HS488: 7920 kB/s
Power & Physical Characteristics
• USB bus-powered; no external supply required
• GPIB-USB-HS: 500 mA maximum draw; 10.7 cm × 6.6 cm × 2.6 cm; 180 g
• GPIB-USB-HS+: 500 mA maximum draw; 8.0 cm × 6.1 cm × 2.0 cm; 153 g
• GPIB jackscrew torque: 0.56 N·m maximum (M3.5 × 0.6)
Environmental Operating Range
• Temperature: 0 °C to 55 °C (operating); -20 °C to 70 °C (storage)
• Humidity: 10% to 90% noncondensing (operating); 5% to 95% noncondensing (storage)
• Functional shock: 30 g peak, half-sine, 11 ms pulse
– Key Features
• Plug-and-play USB enumeration across supported operating systems
• Included NI-488.2 driver software license
• Supports Windows 7/Vista/XP/2000/Me/98, Mac OS X, and Linux platforms
• Compact design with integral 2 m USB cable
• Selectable standard and high-speed handshake protocols
– Typical Applications
Legacy test equipment integration, automated test systems, measurement instrument control, bench-top laboratory automation, and system migration from parallel GPIB networks to USB host architectures.
– Compatibility & Integration
Fully compatible with LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI, and Measurement Studio development environments. The NI-488.2 driver stack provides industry-standard GPIB command syntax across all supported host platforms.
