The Smart488 interface has been proved to be compatible with all tested GPIB instruments to date, including : 

Lecroy 9350 oscilloscope, HP3585A, HP8569A, HP8563E spectrum analyzers (with Benchlink or GPIB toolkit softwares), HP5334 counter, HP5372A time analyzer, Wavetek 75 generator, Enertec 7150 multimeter, Wain Kerr RLC bridge, HP70000, etc.

Moreover the advanced configurations options of the Smart488 allows to avoid a lot of difficulties. 

Anyway if your equipement seems not compatible just contact us and we will do our best to find a solution.

Please find hereafter the smart 488 checked compatibility list :   smart488 compatibility 1a.pdf

In its last version, the KE5FX GPIB toolkit must be configured by editing the connect.ini file. 

First check the virtual COM port allocated to the Smart488 interface through Windows'control panel or Teraterm Pro, for example com19. Then modifies the connect.ini file as follows :

interface_settings  com19:baud=115200 parity=N data=8 stop=1 
is_Prologix          0
write_delay_ms       0
reset_to_local       0restore_auto_read    0

In its default configuration, the Smart488 interface takes control of the GPIB bus as soon as a Com session is opened by the PC. This is incompatible with "Plotter" mode of some not so old test equipments, like HP70000. There is however a configuration option on the Smart488 which could avoid this problem, at least it works on HP70000s and some other equipments, with two restrictions : 

• The equipment and the Smart488 must be alone on the GPIB bus
• The screen shot must be triggered on the equipment itself

In fact such equipements are too "clever" for the Smart488. This configuration option, not documented in the user manual as not formally tested, switches the Smart488 in a specific mode through the command AT+MODE=01. In this mode the Smart488 never tries to take control of the bus and grabs to the USB bus everything flowing on the bus.

To use this mode, use the following steps : 

• Connect the Smart488 to a USB port of the PC
• Launch a terminal emulator like Teraterm Pro and selects the virtual com port associated with the Smart488
• Enters the following commands :  
  • +++ (switchs to command mode. The three "+" must be keyed quickly, the Smart488 answers with a prompt)
  • AT+MODE=01
  • AT+SAVE
  • ATO (the new configuration is stored in non volatile memory now, and will be automatically used) 
• Lannch the 7470.exe plotter emulator
• Configure the connect.ini file (see FAQ)
• Launch 7470.exe
• Select "manual acquisition"
• On the equipment, press the "plot" button

With a Smart488 your GPIB equipment (or equipments) is seen by the PC as a virtual com port. So you can access it with any development environnement that provice access to serial ports, including Visual C++, Labview, Python and nearly all others. 

See exemples in the download area.

Very probably because you are not sending the correct end of message character. A GPIB equipment usually waits for a transition on the EOI line before interpreting a received command. 

As the Smart488 is managed as a virtual Com port this EOI is signaled through a specific character sent by the PC, CR by default. When the PC send this character the Smart488 understands that this is the end of a command and triggers the EOI line. 

Check with the default Smart488 configuration and a terminal emulation program like TeraTerm Pro. See user manual.

The Smart488 interface provides several advanced options through its AT command set, and in particular can be dynamically switched to a different equipment at a different GPIB address.There is however an electrical limitation : As the Smart488 interface is a low cost monochip design, it can't drive the full maximum of 15 equipments as defined by the IEEE488 specification. Our tests showed there is usually no issue up to three equipments on the same bus, but this is dependant on the equipments and cable lenghts. 

However, as a Smart488 interface is not more expensive than a simple SPIB cable, why not using a Smart488 per equipment with a simple USB hub ? This improves performances and drastically simplifies the software control as each equipment is then seen as a dedicated virtual com port.