Hi,
I can't recommend enough building out a gpib network for 80's/90's era hp test equipment and connecting it to a modern PC. Pulling screenshots/data directly is a huge timesaver, and of course the programming capability unlocks a lot of possibilities for learning and experimentation.
The old HP literature is good for an understanding of the basics, how to wire the network, cable length/configuration restrictions, etc.
Regarding adapter, the NI GPIB-USB-HS seems to be the best adapter by the consensus i've seen, and i've had good experiences with the model.? They also seem to be the most expensive.? I primarily use an Agilent 82357b, which i believe to be genuine, which has worked well for years controlling >10 instruments.? If the budget allows, i'd recommend one of these two models.? The 82357a has been reported to not play well with a lot of software, and the counterfeits are a complete wildcard, so i would suggest avoiding those until you develop the experience to be able to tell whether the adapter or your program is the issue.? Others have suggested the arduino based options, which seem to be popular and are probably your best cost-sensitive option.
There are many ways to approach the software side on windows 10, and any of them may require some fiddling with.? For the NI adapters, install NI VISA, for the Agilent, install Keysight io libraries, and if you want to use both, or tek or keithley software eventually, install both - with it being very important to install NI before any of the others.? Note that these are packages that will take up a few GB and add a bunch of background services that can affect performance, so you may want to do some clean up after the installs complete, or use a secondary machine.
If you go with the 82357b adapter, and the Keysight io library software, you'll get a program called connection expert with the install, which will show connected instruments and give you tools to begin exploring gpib control.? Most instruments of the era you describe, such as the 8566b, will show up as <unknown model>, which is expected and completely fine.
Your 8566b will show its GPIB address on powerup, or with with shift-P.? Once your adapter is connected between the unit and the PC, an entry with that address should show up in connection expert.? Select it, and click "interactive IO".? At this point, open up the programming manual, and start experimenting - for example:?
-Type "KST" (without the quote marks) and press enter or click send, and that will command a preset.?
-Type "ID" and click send and read, and you should get back "HP8566B"
-Type "TA" and click send and read - you'll get back a long string of numbers.? copy and paste into excel or matlab, plot, and you'll see the same trace as on the screen.
Experimentation should give you the basic understanding you need, and allow you to step through the commands that you will later capture into a script or program.? If you go with NI, the installation provides MAX (measurement and automation explorer) which provides all of the same functionality just described.? I haven't personally used them, but I believe the python libraries can also be used similarly.? If you go with a Prologix adapter, the KE5FX toolset includes a terminal for those models.
From here, you can begin developing your own programs in the language and IDE of your choice - Matlab, Python, Labview, and MS Visual C++ seem to be common choices, but pretty much every language under the sun includes support.
I also highly recommend installing and playing with the KE5FX gpib toolkit.? If you have an 82357b, you may need to enable the "Enable keysight gpib cards for 488 programs" setting in connection expert for some of the programs to work.
Hope this helps!
-Jason
