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From: feuling@astroatc.UUCP (Lindsay Feuling)
Newsgroups: comp.periphs,comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc,comp.os.msdos.programmer,comp.sys.misc
Subject: GPIB (IEEE-488) driver from National Instruments
Keywords: ESP software? I/O registers... memory maps...?
Message-ID: <3632@astroatc.UUCP>
Date: 7 Jan 91 21:14:00 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Astronautics Technology Cntr, Madison, WI
Lines: 35


I am currently developing software on a 80386 clone that communicates
with several HP devices.  I am using an interface card from National
Instruments to handle the GPIB (IEEE-488) protocol.  I ran into a problem,
however, and that problem appeared when I wanted to call the GPIB driver
routines inside an interrupt service routine (using interrupt 1c hex).  I 
haven't gone into too much detail yet for the reason why there were 
problems, but I suspect the GPIB driver is doing some things that should
not be done after an interrupt calls such a routine.

In talking with a technician from National Instruments (hopefully he's
not reading this), I told him what
I wanted to do, and he immediately responded by saying that I need to
BUY an additional package by them called ESP.  My original reaction, kept
to myself, was that he just wanted to sell something to me.  Upon reading
the catalog on this software package, there is no indication that this 
software has any advantages to solve the interrupt problem over what was
supplied with the interface card.

My questions are:
1) Has anyone out there dealt with simular circumstances, and, if so, what
	have you done about it?

2) Has anyone used the ESP software at all?  If so, what have you been
	able to do with it?

3) Has anyone hacked around with the GPIB driver from National Instruments ?
	If so, could you please send me some info on I/O registers, memory
	maps, whatever, that have been so nicely undocumented?

4) Comments, cliches, criticisms?

Thanks in advance