NI GPIB-140A

Description

Product Overview and Description

The NI GPIB-140A, manufactured by National Instruments, is a specialized IEEE 488.2 to IEEE 1394 (FireWire) converter, serving as a critical communication bridge in advanced industrial automation and test systems. While not a traditional PLC spare part, it is an essential connectivity module that integrates programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and their supervisory systems with a vast array of legacy GPIB-based analytical instruments, measurement devices, and programmable equipment. By deploying the NI GPIB-140A, engineers can seamlessly incorporate high-precision instruments into a modern PC-based control architecture, effectively extending the lifecycle of valuable capital equipment. This converter is renowned for its reliability in harsh industrial environments, making the NI GPIB-140A a cornerstone for building robust, hybrid automation systems. Its primary role is to ensure that data from GPIB-interfaced devices is reliably acquired and processed by PC-based control software, thereby closing the loop in complex automation sequences.

Key Parameters and Specifications

• Interface Standards: Compliant with IEEE 488.2 (GPIB) and IEEE 1394a (FireWire 400).
• Data Transfer Rate: Supports the full GPIB specification rate of up to 1.5 MB/s, ensuring no data bottleneck in high-speed test and measurement applications.
• GPIB Connectivity: Features a standard 24-pin IEEE 488.2 port with full controller, talker, and listener functionality.
• Host Connection: Utilizes a 6-pin IEEE 1394a (FireWire) connector for connection to a host PC.
• Power Supply: Bus-powered directly from the FireWire connection, eliminating the need for external power supplies and simplifying rack integration.
• Software Drivers: Fully supported by the industry-standard NI-488.2 software suite, ensuring compatibility with National Instruments’ development environments like LabVIEW and LabWindows/CVI, as well as with other SCADA and HMI software packages.
• Form Factor: Compact, half-rack width design suitable for integration into various industrial enclosures.

Advantages and Distinctive Features

The NI GPIB-140A offers distinct advantages for system integrators. Its primary strength is providing a stable, high-fidelity bridge between the ubiquitous GPIB instrument standard and modern PC-based control systems, a common requirement in pharmaceutical, semiconductor, and automotive test automation. A key feature is its transparent operation; the converter emulates a native PCI-GPIB card to the host system, allowing existing application software to run without modification. The bus-powered design of the NI GPIB-140A reduces installation complexity and improves system reliability by removing a potential point of failure. Furthermore, its robust industrial design ensures consistent performance in electrically noisy environments typical of plant floors, a critical consideration beyond standard laboratory use.

Application Cases in Key Fields

• Automated Test Equipment (ATE): Integrating legacy spectrum analyzers, network analyzers, and power supplies controlled via GPIB into a new PC- and PLC-driven production line test rack. The NI GPIB-140A acts as the communication gateway, allowing the test sequencer (often running on a PC with LabVIEW) to command instruments and collect data.
• Industrial Process Monitoring: Connecting precision laboratory-grade sensors or gas chromatographs (with GPIB outputs) to a supervisory control system for real-time quality assurance in chemical processing. Data acquired via the converter can be fed into a PLC or directly into a SCADA system for process adjustment.
• Manufacturing R&D: Creating flexible prototype and validation systems where a mix of modern PLCs and specialized measurement hardware need to operate in unison. The converter provides the necessary interface to keep all equipment synchronized.

Comparison with Competing Products

Compared to generic USB-to-GPIB converters, the NI GPIB-140A offers superior determinism and reliability due to the FireWire protocol’s peer-to-peer architecture and hardware-level handling, which is less susceptible to PC operating system latencies than USB. Unlike some simple adapters, it functions as a full GPIB controller, capable of managing the bus and multiple devices. Competing FireWire-based converters from other brands often lack the deep software integration and long-term driver support synonymous with the National Instruments ecosystem. The NI GPIB-140A benefits from seamless integration with NI’s software stack, a decisive factor for engineers already invested in that platform.

Selection Suggestions and Precautions

Selection Suggestions:

1. Choose the NI GPIB-140A when you need to integrate GPIB instruments into a system with available FireWire ports and require industrial-grade reliability.
2. It is ideal for applications where deterministic communication and stable long-term operation are more critical than maximum plug-and-play portability.
3. Select this model if your control software, especially NI LabVIEW or software using NI-488.2 drivers, is the centerpiece of your automation system.

Important Precautions:

1. Host Interface Availability: Ensure your host industrial PC or workstation has a FireWire (IEEE 1394a) port. This interface is becoming less common on modern PCs, so a compatible FireWire expansion card may be required.
2. Cable Compatibility: Use high-quality, shielded IEEE 1394 cables to maintain signal integrity in electrically noisy industrial environments.
3. Software Lock-in: Confirm that your intended control software platform supports the NI-488.2 driver framework for this hardware.
4. Legacy Status: Verify current availability and support status from National Instruments, as this product may be in a mature or legacy phase of its lifecycle. Always check for the latest compatible operating system drivers.

DSQC508 ABB
ABB 3HAB8101-3/10A
DSQC345C ABB
3HNE08250-1 DCS
ABB 3HNA006147-001