IEEE-488 HPIB/GPIB Cable

The DataPro 1488 series cable is commonly used to extend an HPIB or GPIB bus (used by Hewlett-Packard). This stands for Hewlett-Packard Interface Bus or General Purpose Interface Bus, and is also known as IEEE 488.

The usual application for this cable is with laboratory test equipment. It is an 8-bit parallel interface for stringing up multiple communicating instruments for control by a single computer and/or other instruments.

What makes the IEEE-488 interface special, even by modern standards, is that each connector contains two bi-directional plug/jacks. This allows HPIB/GPIB runs to snake and fork out as needed, unlike other serial and parallel interfaces that require direct connections or serial sequences.

Both ends are dual CN24M and CN24F connectors with screw-locks; thus each GPIB cable added to the bus also serves as an extension cable.

The wiring diagram is 24 conductors wired straight-through.

Features:

• Meets IEEE 488 and ANSI/IEEE 488.2 standards
• Allows for digital 8-bit parallel (bi-directional) data transfer
• Instrument communication up to 8 Mbytes/s and up to 14 instruments
• Expand in linear, star, or circular patterns between devices