Gp-ib device control

[Guest Raghuram]

I have to control/monitor several GP-IB compatible devices in my application using a AB PLC. I understand that AB PLCs do not have a standard GP-IB interface. I came to know that there are some GP-IB to Ether Net / RS232/485 converters available in the market. Has anybody used such converters for control/monitor of GP-IB devices with a AB PLC ?   Is there any proven solution to control/monitor GP-IB compatible devices using AB PLCs ? Any hints or clues are appreciated.

[alancase 0]

Pardon my ignorance, but what is a GP-IB?

[93lt1 0]

I'm kinda curious too??

[Eddie Willers 2]

I've heard this question asked before, always with some incredulity on both sides.   Customer: "How do I connect my A-B system to and HP-IB (or GP-IB, or IEEE-488) instrument ?" Allen-Bradley Guy: "What's that ?" Customer: "What you you mean, what's that.  Everybody uses HP-IB.  It's everywhere." Allen-Bradley Guy: "Um, not in our industries (I think!)" And both are right.  In analytical chemistry and other laboratory sciences, the GP-IB bus is a great way to transfer data across a very fast parallel data bus between programmable instruments like dataloggers and chromatographs and oscillioscopes.   But the 20 meter cable limit, the 24-conductor shielded cable, as well as the (relatively) small field of devices that can be connected don't make it popular in heavy industry, where the 16-point AC input card is still king. The only GP-IB instrument I've ever seen connected to a PLC was a GPS satellite timecode receiver connected via GP-IB to a special PLC-5 card that did sequence-of-events timestamping for electrical distribution.   The maker was called CTI and was located in Colorado but I have never been able to get in touch with them.