National Instruments NI-488.2 User Manual for DOS

About this manual

This manual provides detailed information on the NI-488.2 software that enables GPIB (General Purpose Interface Bus) communication on DOS systems. It covers the driver, utilities, and programming interfaces, and includes sample applications and troubleshooting guidance.

The document is organized into chapters on GPIB fundamentals, application examples, development steps, debugging tools such as ibtest, utility programs (ibic, appmon, ibconf), programming techniques, and configuration options. Appendices list status word conditions, error codes, the Universal Language Interface, and a glossary.

What's inside

• Introduction
• Application Examples
• Developing Your Application
• Debugging Your Application
• ibic Utility
• appmon Utility
• GPIB Programming Techniques
• Parallel Polling
• ibconf Configuration Utility
• Appendices

Specifications

Frequently asked questions

How do I open a GPIB device in a program?

Use the ibdev function as shown in the manual’s Step 1: Open a Device.

What tool can I use to test the NI-488.2 driver?

Run the ibtest utility, which is described in Chapter 4 Debugging Your Application.

Which utility configures GPIB board settings?

The ibconf utility is used to configure board and device parameters.

How can I monitor GPIB communication while debugging?

Use the appmon (GPIB Applications Monitor) program to view and control GPIB traffic.