Keithley releases USB-to-GPIB interface adapter

Keithley Instruments Inc . has released its Model KUSB-488 USB-to-GPIB interface adapter, which can transform any computer with a universal serial bus (USB) port into a full-function, IEEE 488.2 controller able to control up to 14 programmable general-purpose instrumentation bus (GPIB) instruments.

KUSB-488’s small size and light weight makes it ideal for portable applications using a laptop computer, or applications in desktop computers, where I/O slots are scarce or non-existent and where several USB ports are available, the company says. KUSB-488 works with Microsoft Windows 2000/XP/Me/98 computers with a USB port, is USB 2.0 compatible, and has an IEEE data transfer rate of 880 kbytes/sec.

KUSB-488 also has a built-in, two-meter USB cable that supplies power, eliminating the need for external power sources.

In addition, KUSB-488 is easier to install and use because there are no external DIP switches and no need to restart the computer for the system to recognize the IEEE 488.2 interface. KUSB-488 is a plug-and-play interface that the operating system automatically recognizes and configures as soon as it is physically attached to the USB port on the computer.

Also, KUSB-488 eliminates the need to “crack open” the computer to install a plug-in GPIB interface. Potential users include test-system engineers, system integrators, researchers, and OEMs involved in instrument control, rack-and-stack test stands for production, laboratory research, and portable applications.

Finally, KUSB-488 is compatible with Microsoft Visual Studio and Visual Studio.NET, including Visual C#, National Instruments’ LabView, LabWindows, Microsoft Excel VBA, Borland’s Delphi, and Capital Equipment’s TestPoint. KUSB-488 is IEEE-488.1- and IEEE 488.2-compatible. Connectors are IEEE-488 standard 24-pin and USB standard series-B plug. Power comes from the USB connection with a maximum power consumption of 200 mA.

—Jim Montague, news editor, Control Engineering, jmontague@reedbusiness.com

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