Help finding HP 85876B or 85869pc EMI Measurement Software - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / rf-microwave

author: super7800
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 03, 2022, 06:34:14 pm
content: I have a spectrum analyzer setup consisting of the 8568b spectrum analyzer, 85650a quasi peak detector, 85685a rf preselector. I'm looking at getting into emc/emi measurments, and for this I will need a pc software to control this setup. Looking online, I have found the 85876B & 85869pc EMI Measurement Software, which I assume is what I need. However, there is the small (lol) issue of the hardware key, which I don't have and isn't for sale anywhere. I can download the latest version from keysights website. Does anyone know how these old parallel port hp hardware keys worked (could I create a counterfit?), or if there is a way to bypass this? I can't even find a manual for 85876B software, so if someone knows where that's available that would also be helpfull.From my research there appears to be three compatable software packages. If there are other solutions available please lmn.-85869pc-85876b-85878a (I don't think this one interfaces to the instrument?)I hope my question is clear. Any help is appreciated. I figure if anyone could help they'd be here lol. Thanks.

author: super7800
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2022, 08:07:35 pm
content: Still looking. I think I have found a source for the 85869A software which runs on an HP-9000, however that is doable but non ideal due to the age and complexity of the 9000 series, which I have never used, so the ideal solution is still the 85869pc software. However if no other solutions appear, it would seem I need to purchase a hp 9000.Looking at the keysight website, all downloads for the 85869pc are upgrades, missing a download for the original software, so I couldn't even attempt to hack it. If anyone still has this software I'd appreciate a copy. Thanks.

author: Stray Electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2022, 08:44:31 pm
content: Just curious, which version of the HP 9000 and what language? Most HP 9000 SW runs under Basic, Pascal or HPL but it could be compiled assembly language.

author: super7800
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2022, 08:47:15 pm
content: I've never used an os older than win 98 so I will admit that I have no idea. I was told I could use a hp 382 controller. Here is the thread of interest:https://groups.io/g/HP-Agilent-Keysight-equipment/topic/help_finding_license_for_hp/92337583?p=,,,20,0,0,0::recentpostdate/sticky,,,20,2,0,92337583,previd%3D1669385287418299966,nextid%3D1668800832425640156&previd=1669385287418299966&nextid=1668800832425640156

author: Stray Electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2022, 09:28:36 pm
content: I have a HP 9000/382. It's a 68xxx (68040?) powered computer and is a continuation of the HP 9000 100 series and HP 9000 200 series computers and IIRC it runs HP Basic. (Version 5.0, aka Rocky Mountain Basic, IIRC). FWIW the HP 9000 226 was also called a 9826 and the 9000 236 was also called a 9836 and the other 9000 200 series model numbers were similar. The HP 9826 and HP 9836s were both extremely popular machines in scientific computing and TE control systems in the 1980s and 1990s and into the 2000s. Most of the 9000 200s used a 68000 CPU but the U variants had upgraded processors (68010s). The HP 9000 300 series branched into using more and more variants of the 68xxx CPUs but I never did much with them so I don't recall the specifics but I THINK any of the 300s will run software written for the 200 series.One of the more unusual features of the HP 9000 200s was that could run both disk based OR ROM based BASIC, HPL or Pascal. One very odd quick with HP BASIC was that you had to load the basic BASIS OS and then load Include files for various functions. Then you saved the combined file(s) as a single operating system file. Ordinarily you just loaded that one file and did what you needed. But if you ever needed functions that weren't part of the Include files that you loaded then they would not be available. If you needed to use them then you had to use the original software disks and reload the basic system and all of the include files and save the newly combined system as a 2nd operating system file. At boot time, the HPs would let you pick any of the installed operating systems. But sadly, none of that would work unless you had the original OS disks to install everything from. If you don't have the disks then you're stuck with the SW configuration that you have.A couple of the nice things about the 300 series is that most(?) of them had built in floppy and hard drives instead of requiring the external HP-IB drives like the 100 and 200 series. Also the newer 300s used a SVGA monitor and IIRC and standard PC keyboard instead of the proprietary monitors and HP-HIL keyboards that the earlier systems used.But in order to run your software you will almost certainly have to get an operational HP 9000. But I can't tell you what the minimum model number might be. HP Basic is very different than any Basic written for the PC and there's NO chance of running it on a PC. Unless, possibly, on a HP Hyper Viper Card. The Viper and Hyper Viper cards were cards that plugged into PC but that had a 68xxx and memory (and an HP_IB port) on the card and allowed you to run HP SW on the card but to use the PC's I/O systems. The cards are rare as hen's teeth and the SW for them is much rarer than that.

author: bingo600
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 26, 2022, 07:31:25 am
content: Maybe you could use HTBasic (They seem to have a demo vers)https://techsoft.de/https://transera.com/#Referencehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocky_Mountain_BASIC