ICS News Page
May 2009 Working in Delphi and GPIB to VXI Conversion
Jun 2008 More, Modbus, Serial, GPIB and Ethernet Products for Test
May 2008 Delphi 2007 Compatible
Feb 2008 Ethernet to Modbus Converter
Feb 2008 Mandatory GPIB Driver update
April 2007 488.2 driver released now for download.
May 2009
Working in Delphi and GPIB to VXI ConversionWe know several sites using Delphi. It is very easy to use Delphi to do GPIB systems with the new ICS 488-USB2 box.
Application Note AB48-41 has the information about using Delphi with the ICS 488-USB2 Interface.
Go to the Application Note page and scroll down to AB48-41. There is a link for the Delphi files there also.
Also look a AB48-40 as it has a lot of good information for 488-USB2 users.
For those considering high end VXI test in Oceania, there is some serious news from ICS also.
ICS Electronics has just released a new Model 8055 Ethernet to GPIB Instrument Interface that converts a GPIB Instrument into a VXI-11.3
instrument for Ethernet based test systems.For more information
Jun 2008
GPIB and Ethernet Products for Test8013
Ethernet to Digital Interface Board provides a 128 line, user configurable, digital interface for controlling relays or other devices in a test system. Connects to any TCP/IP 10/100 MHz network as a LAN to Digital Interface. VXI-11.3/LXI compatible for easy control from any computer or operating system. Includes an internal Web Server for changing the network settings from any web browser. Use ICS's VXI-11 Keyboard Program for instant control from a PC without writing a program. The 8013's Digital interface and operation is interchangeable with ICS's 4813 GPIB and 2313 Serial-to-Digital Interface Cards. Download the 8013 Ethernet to Parallel Digital Interface Board data sheet as a PDF file.
8055
Ethernet to GPIB Instrument Interface provides a VXI-11.3 interface for IEEE-488.2/GPIB instruments that adapts any GPIB instrument for operation in a LXI or Ethernet-based test system. An internal Web Server lets the user change the network settings from any web browser. Use ICS's VXI-11 Keyboard Controller program for instant control from a PC without writing a program. Download the 8055 Ethernet to GPIB Instrument Interface data sheet as a PDF file.
8063
Ethernet to Digital Interface provides a user configurable, 48 line parallel interface. Connects to any TCP/IP 10/100 MHz network as a LAN to Digital Interface. As a VXI-11.3 Digital Interface the 8063 is easily controlled from any computer or operating system. An internal Web Server lets the user change the network settings from any web browser. Use ICS's VXI-11 Keyboard Controller program for instant control from a PC without writing a program. The 8063 is command and digital interface compatible with ICS's 4863 GPIB and 2363 Serial-to-Digital Miniboxes". Download the 8063 Ethernet to Parallel Digital Interface data sheet as a PDF file.
8064
Ethernet to Relay Interface provides user with 16 form 'A' contacts or 16 relay driver outputs. Both versions include 8 isolated digital inputs. Connects to any TCP/IP 10/100 MHz network as a LAN to Relays Interface. As a VXI-11.3 Relay Interface the 8064 is easily controlled from any computer or operating system. An internal Web Server lets you change the network settings and control the 8064's relay outputs from any browser. Use ICS's VXI-11 Keyboard Controller program for instant control from a PC without writing a program. The 8064 is functionally interchangeable with ICS's 4864 GPIB and 2364 Serial-to-Relay Miniboxes". Download the 8064 Ethernet to Relay Interface data sheet as a PDF file.8099
Ethernet to Modbus RTU Interface lets a user control RS-232 or RS-485 Modbus RTU devices from a network or over the Internet. Connects to any TCP/IP 10/100 MHz network and functions as a LAN to Modbus Gateway. As a VXI-11.3 Modbus interface the 8099 is easily controlled from any computer or operating system. An internal Web Server lets you change the network settings and control Watlow and other Modbus temperature controllers from any web browser. Use ICS's VXI-11 Keyboard Controller program for instant control from a PC without writing a program. Command and serial interface compatible with ICS's 4899A, 4809 and 4819 series GPIB-to-Modbus Interfaces. Download the 8099 Ethernet to Modbus Interface data sheet as a PDF file.
May 2008
Delphi 2007 CompatibleMany times over the past couple years we have been asked if our ICS GPIB Controllers are compatible with Borland's Delphi language.
We can now say we are Delphi 2007 compatible. This applies to all of our GPIB Controllers that use the 488.2V3 Driver!
Just recently in the USA, one user tested our 488-USB2 USB-GPIB Controller with the new Codegear Borland Delphi 2007 and says that it is '100% compatible ' for all of the commands he tested.
"After installation of the drivers, I could use the existing Delphi programs as is!!! No modifications needed. I.e. the compiled .exe-files worked without any errors." -Jan Kuypers, BerkeleySensorCenter
ICS will have an Application Note our in a few weeks with example programs.
Feb 2008 Ethernet to Modbus Converter ICS has just announced the 8099, a new Ethernet to Modbus Interface for controlling Modbus RTU devices from the Ethernet.
The 8099 has RS-232 and RS-485 interfaces so it can handle a single Modbus device or control several of them over an RS-485 network.The Modbus devices that we run across in the Test and Measurement world are typically used to control temperature.
The 8099 gives the test engineer a way to integrate temperature control devices into systems with VXI-11 or LXI instruments.
If you have Temperature Chamber and other temperature control product the 8099 is a very good fit.
The 8099 is packaged in our small Minibox case and has the Ethernet, LAN Reset button and serial connectors on its rear panel. The 8099 is an VXI-11.3 Instrument, has been CE tested and is LXI compatible.
The 8099 has an internal WebServer and includes HTMLWelcome page and Con. guration pages. The Con. guration
page lets the user easily con. gure the 8099's network settings and serial parameters from any web browser. OEM customers can personalize the HTML pages for their product starting with simple changes like replacing the ICS logo and model numbers with their own logo and model numbers. They can make more exhaustive changes such as changing page color, layout and even the language.Application Note AB80-5 provides guidelines for the OEM to use when modifying the 80xx HTML pages.
In order to make the 8099 more useful, we added two prototype HTML control pages to the 8099 that would give a user
the capability to monitor and/or control devices that use a Watlow F4 or a Watlow EZ Zone Temperature Controller
with their browser. The F4 page is for a Temperature-Humidity Temperature Chamber and the EZ Zone page is for a Temperature Plate.Application Notes AB80-7 and AB80-8
give an OEM all the information he needs to create custom variations of the HTML control pages for his products. We
can do additional prototype control pages for other Modbus controllers if you identify a requirement.
During the development of the 8099, we worked closely with the Product Engineer from TestEquity. Test Equity is a
Temperature Chamber manufacturer in Southern California that makes extensive use of the Watlow F4 Controllers in
their products. He beta tested the 8099 and then, using the information in AB80-7, was able to quickly create several
HTML control pages for their products. He sent ICS copies of his . nished HTML pages to install in his units so that
TestEquity will receive shippable 8099s from ICS.
Feb 2008 Mandatory GPIB Driver update
************** 488.2V3 Driver Update ********************* The 488.2V3 Driver has just been updated to fix two read problems.
This is a MANDATORY UPDATE and applies to all 488-USB and 488-USB2 Controllers that are using the 488.2V3 Driver.
They should uninstall the current 488.2V3 Driver and then download and install the latest 488.2V3 Driver from ICS's website
More information about this change can be found by viewing the 488.2V3 Change History log.
April 2007 488.2 driver released now for download. ICS has released a new 488.2 Driver Library (488.2V3) that we will use with our new GPIB Controllers and our current 488-USB Controller. The version of the new Driver is 3.1.0.0 and it is available now for downloading from our website.
The 488.2V3 Driver was tested by a number of users over the past four months and we feel that it provides improved performance for the majority of our 488-USB customers. We urge all 488-USB customers to move over to the new 488.2V3 Driver.
The major benefits of the new driver are:
1. Supports up to 16 GPIB Controllers at one time. This can be any mix of PCI cards and USB modules.
2. Has a new USB-488.sys driver and eliminates the occasional 'blue screen of death'.
3. More robust operation due to an much improved GPIB-32.DLL. 4. Automatic finding and configuration of the GPIB Controllers with ICS's new Explorer program.
5. Includes support for Windows 2K, XP and Vista32 plus Microsoft's .NET Framework.
6. Example controller programs in C/C++, Visual Basic, Visual Basic.NET and C#The 488.2V3 Driver Library supports the following ICS Controllers: Existing models 488-USB Module and 1105 Hub Controller New model 488-USB2 USB 2.0 to GPIB Controller Module, New models 488-LPCI PCI Card and 488-PXI PXI/cPCI Card
All Controllers are CE Certified and the 488-USB2, 488-LPCI and 488-PXI are RoHS Compliant!
© MasTec Ltd
