Looking to make my own GPIB (IEEE-488) cable, help wanted with connector - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: gabornemeth2013
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 03, 2023, 08:52:02 am
content: Hi All!Sorry if I do something wrong, this is m first post here.So anyway, I am looking to make my own GPIB interconnect cables, I got myself together and decided to finally organize my bench, as the entropy of cables is unbearable now. This also includes making GPIB cables. (Yes, I know I could buy them on ebay, but I enjoy making things like this for myself...) What I need help with is finding a source for connectors, maybe someone else already had this idea...?I checked Mouser, TME and Lomex (local electronic component seller in Hungary) and neither of them had one that would fit my needs. TME and Lomex had no such connector and the only ones I saw at Mouser were cable assemblies.Could someone point me to a store or even better, tell me a part number for such a connector? It doesn't matter if it is 90° or straight for any of my equipment.Thank you for the help!

author: Benta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 03, 2023, 11:21:58 am
content: Try searching for "Centronics 24-pin connector".

author: gabornemeth2013
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 03, 2023, 11:32:42 am
content: Quote from: Benta on November 03, 2023, 11:21:58 amThank you very much!

author: tridac
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 03, 2023, 01:02:04 pm
content: Similar need here recently, to connect a rear space constained 488 connector to a Prologix lan / ieee adapter. Simple solution would be to use crimp 24 pin blue ribbon / centronics connectors wirth ribbon cable. Plenty of ads for male connectors on Ebay, dirt cheap, but none for female type, so where are they ?. Couple of online sellers have them, but with shipping etc, totally over the top on price. Eventually bought a 0.5m m/f, Cheap and gets the job done, but don't want the hassle of thick, unwieldy ieee cables all round the lab...

author: rcjoy
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 03, 2023, 04:14:12 pm
content: Real GPIB cables are thick because of the shielding and for abrasion resistance.The ribbon cable GPIB connectors are meant to be used for very short runs within an instrument, to connect the back panel GPIB connector to the instrument's circuit board. Using them for longer runs outside the instrument will be less reliable than a fully shielded GPIB cable.

author: artag
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 03, 2023, 06:18:43 pm
content: It's not, strictly speaking, Centronics. Centronics is a 36-pin amphenol microribbon, HPIB is a 24 pin microribbon. There are other sizes too, but most people have only seen the one used by Centronics so it's often known as that.https://www.mouser.co.uk/c/connectors/?q=microribbon%2024The canonical HPIB connector is a pair of male and female connectors mounted so they can be stacked with another pair, and there's a diecast or plastic chassis that links them into a block. The chassis is likely proprietary to the cable manufacturer but you could 3d-print that if you want it. The long stacking jackscrews will be more of a problem unless you have a lathe.

author: tridac
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 03, 2023, 06:55:34 pm
content: Ribbon is adequate for 2 or 3 feet between a single instrument or two and controller. Ieee cables often use screened twisted pairs internally, but the data rate is low, so that's overkill for short runs, compared to the usual megabit uses for ribbon cables. I just find ieee cables too bulky and difficult to manage for conveniernt working. Ymmv, of course...

author: jonpaul
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 04, 2023, 07:45:45 am
content: What instruments are you connecting?We use the NI and Protek HPIB/GPIB to USB adapters and eliminate the issue.INSTRUM>>adapter>>USB>>PCYou risk damage to a valuable GPIB/HPIB instrument with a DIY cable.The connectors are special hermaphrodic and the jackscrews are custome, a metric thread. $5..20 for genuine HP and AMP cables on Ebay.Boxes of them sometimes appear at ham Radio fleasBon chanceJon

author: tridac
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 04, 2023, 01:50:52 pm
content: Found a couple of used Prologix - Lan adapters a while back. They were quite affordable to start with, around $100 from memory, but they then raised the price to $500, which seems a bit steep. They reallly do work out of the box and have written a framework to drive them, shell script top level, complete stack right down to the network layer. Have had one script logging output from an HP 3457A, over a million samples, for weeks now, without a glitch. Just like to have everything here on the lab network, as much more generic and only need one set of infrastructure and cabling to support it. Still a work in progress though...

author: jonpaul
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 04, 2023, 05:31:04 pm
content: RE GPIB><USB, epay sellers have the original HP adapter cable ~ $100..300The NI are excellent but costlyThe Prologix work fine, mine cost $75 long ago.Jon