Please Help : LabWindows GPIB library (GPIB.h & GPIB_C.lib ) Circa 1987 User Manual??

[Stiv3n2000]

Dear Forum,

Can anyone help me out with some information of some real vintage code.
I've been asked to attempt to interface/extend some functionality to a rather old ATE environment that was based on a version of  LabWindows C.
All I have to go on is the original test source, which appears to be getting linked to a GPIB.h file and a library file (GPIB_C.lib). I'm looking for some documentation on this code.  A USER Manual would be ideal.

I've attempted to attach them to this message (but they're removed in some form of scan)
You would hve find a 'c' header file with the comment header as below.
 /*
 * gpib.h
 *
 * "Include" file for Microsoft C programs using the LabWindows GPIB Library.
 * Copyright (C) National Instruments 1987.
 *
 */

Thanks in advance for any advice on trackingdown some help on this code vintage.

Yours
Stiv Farquhar
Scotland

[msaxon]

This is the GPIB library that was supplied with the original version of LabWindows (commonly referred to as version 1, but LabWindows did not have a version number then).

I have a reference manual from the 1990 edition of LabWindows that documents the library, but the GPIB section is almost 100 pages so a bit tedious to scan in, sorry. In those days the documentation was provided in paper form only.

That said, the functions in the library (OpenDev(), CloseDev(), CloseInstrDevs(), ResetDevs() plus all the ibxxx() functions) have mostly carried through to CVI today and still do the same things, so the GPIB function documentation in a contemporary CVI would tell you what the functions do.

[msaxon]

For those with a sense of history, I've attached a scan of the two function reference pages from the manual. Hope that helps at least a little.

Edit: Looking through the manuals, I see LabWindows did have a version number, but it was fairly well hidden. The January 1990 edition was LabWindows version 1.2.

Message Edited by msaxon on 17-06-2010 11:08 AM

[JKpfinc]

FWIW, I have a NI-488 MS-DOS Software reference manual circa 1989, some sections are from 1988. There are a lot of pages. We do have a hopper fed copier/scanner, so it might be possible to scan sections.

If you think you still need something, let me know.

Regards,

Jim

email:

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[Stiv3n2000]

Hi People,

Let me first thank you, Martin and Jim for helping out so far. Your responses lifted my spirits considerably.

I'm still struggling a bit with the parameter list and return values for these functions.

The header file exposes the following functions, which looks almost identical to those documented in the two pages Martin kindly scanned.

If anybody had the time to provide me with a description for these functions I'd be eternally grateful.

Thanks,

Stiv

[JKpfinc]

The function descriptions you are seeking are in the CVI help file. In the CVI help, click on the 'Contents' tab, then 'Library Reference', then 'NI-488.2 Help', then 'Function Reference'.

Regards,

Jim

[Stiv3n2000]

Thanks for getting back to me again Jim,

Unfortunately, you mentioned the 'CVI Help' in your last response.

   1)  I don't have the CVI.  If however you're referring to an area on the NI web site then I've yet to find it.

   2)  In addition to the above, I was always concerned that there may have been differences when comparing the library I nave to the latest 488.2 API's since back in 1987 this standard didn't exist.

Regards,

Stiv

[jr_2005]

Perhaps this might help for your first point.

JR

[msaxon]

Or you can download this manual from 1996, which includes documentation of the GPIB libraries.

The ibxxx functions have not changed significantly in over 20 years.