BOB-00549 compatibility with LabView

Other Miscellaneous
1

Hi,
I am working on a project where I want to communicate between a GPIB device and a compact RIO from NI. Since the cRIO does not natively support GPIB, I came across the BOB-00549 GPIB to USB adapter from SparkFun while looking for a solution.
This promises to be compatible with a Linux OS, so it should be with LabView.

Has anyone connected a BOB-00549 to a cRIO and gained experience? Is this possible and what are the challenges? Do I have to go another way to connect my measuring devices to the cRIO?

Thanks for your support

2

GPIB to cRIO Connectivity Options

Hi there! Connecting GPIB devices to a CompactRIO system can be challenging since cRIO doesn’t natively support GPIB; BOB-00549 GPIB to USB adapter is an interesting option

  1. CompactRIO compatibility: While the BOB-00549 claims Linux compatibility, I’m not aware of specific documented examples of this adapter being used successfully with cRIO systems. The cRIO runs NI Linux Real-Time, which is a specific Linux distribution.

  2. Driver considerations: The key challenge would be ensuring you have proper driver support in the NI Linux Real-Time environment. The BOB-00549 typically requires the Linux GPIB driver package.

  3. Alternative approaches that are more commonly used with cRIO systems include:

    • Using an Ethernet-to-GPIB gateway like NI GPIB-ENET/1000
    • Using a PXI GPIB controller and interfacing the cRIO with PXI
    • Using RS-232/485 if your measurement devices support these protocols
    • Implementing a secondary computer with a GPIB card that communicates with the cRIO via TCP/IP

If you’re committed to using the BOB-00549 adapter, you’d likely need to:

  • Install custom drivers on the cRIO
  • Create LabVIEW VISA or direct USB communication code
  • Test extensively for reliability in your real-time application

Before proceeding with the SparkFun adapter, I’d recommend checking the NI community forums for anyone who has attempted similar integration, as this isn’t a standard

3

Hey, thanks for the reply.
Fortunately, I haven’t decided on the BOB-00549 adapter yet. So I will continue to look for alternative options.

Unfortunately, RS-232 or RS-485 are not an option because, contrary to my first message, there are several devices, all of which can operate GPIB, but not all of which can operate the RS standards.

I can’t take care of customized drivers and so relying on standards is the way to go.

I will consider whether the NI GPIB-ENET/1000 is a solution. For over 2 grand this is rather expensive. An alternative could be a GPIB-ETHERNET controller from Prologix for about 500 dollars. I will do some more research to find out if I can work with this or if I have to switch to the NI device.

1 Like