USB to GPIB (IEEE-488) adapter with Commodore peripherals?

[+OLD CS1]

Found this interesting item: eBay Auction -- Item Number: 171631337518

 

It makes sense to me that additional software would be necessary to actually access data on a disk drive. Does such software exist?

[carlsson]

Jim Brain sells the ZoomFloppy with IEEE connector for $42. Yes, that is a price difference of a whopping $13 before shipping but then you get a product designed to talk to IEEE peripherals, not taking a chance maybe it will work.

[+OLD CS1]

Jim Brain sells the ZoomFloppy with IEEE connector for $42. Yes, that is a price difference of a whopping $13 before shipping but then you get a product designed to talk to IEEE peripherals, not taking a chance maybe it will work.

 

Right, but...

[carlsson]

... but the challenge is half the fun?

 

Read also the user reviews on the eBay item, in particular this one:

 

Not for all devices

Works fine with newer equipment (Keithley 2000-series multimeter, LeCroy 9210, Wavetek278). Unusable for older devices. Communication time-out is about 10ms. It is enough for newer devices but not for older constructions. I've tried to use UGsimple for control Agilent 6627A - but it fails. I've investigated bus activities: The 6627A needs for answer sometimes up to 100ms, UGSimple drops requests after abt. 10ms.

The Agilent 6627A was released in 1993 and was still for sale at least until 2004. If the USB to GPIB interface has trouble communicating with a 25 year old device, I would cross my fingers it will talk with a 35-40 year old device that just happens to share the basic GPIB-IEEE interface.

 

Furthermore if one reads the item description of the UGsimple, it says it doesn't handle binary files and has no save or load functions. It might be a fun project trying to see if you actually can get anything meaningful out of it, but for practical reasons I think you'll eat up those $13 quite quickly on frustration and hours wasted.

Edited August 17, 2018 by carlsson

[+OLD CS1]

... but the challenge is half the fun?

 

Read also the user reviews on the eBay item, in particular this one:

 

 

The Agilent 6627A was released in 1993 and was still for sale at least until 2004. If the USB to GPIB interface has trouble communicating with a 25 year old device, I would cross my fingers it will talk with a 35-40 year old device that just happens to share the basic GPIB-IEEE interface.

 

Furthermore if one reads the item description of the UGsimple, it says it doesn't handle binary files and has no save or load functions. It might be a fun project trying to see if you actually can get anything meaningful out of it, but for practical reasons I think you'll eat up those $13 quite quickly on frustration and hours wasted.

 

I also have a 488 Zorro II card I wanted to play with a little. I think, however, this has the native ability to talk to Commodore disk drives.

 

If the ultimate goal was to satisfy an immediate practical need then, yes, the ZoomFloppy would be my choice. But since my interest is purely curiosity with a potential outcome with learning a little along the way, this would be at least a short project on the project stack. That said, if there is no way to low-level program on the interface then like you point out, communications with a 30 year-old device is unlikely.