Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!mit-eddie!ll-xn!ames!ucsd!sdcsvax!ucsdhub!hp-sdd!hplabs!hpcea!hpfcdc!stroyan
From: stroyan@hpfcdc.HP.COM (Mike Stroyan)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: IEEE488 Extension
Message-ID: <4840002@hpfcdc.HP.COM>
Date: 17 Feb 88 22:25:33 GMT
References: <141@small-u.UUCP>
Organization: HP Ft. Collins, Co.
Lines: 20

>I need to connect two systems, both equipped with IEEE488 interface but
>a few hundred feet distant from each others. I'm told there exist totally
>passive and transparent extender gadgets which bridge the distance using
>a fibre optic cable.
>Has anybody had practical experience with such devices?

HP makes IEEE-488 extenders that use optical fiber or coaxial cable.
I have used them with plotters with no problem.  Such extenders are
practically invisible to the instruments, but there are additional
transmission delays.  This extra delay can be unacceptable to some
devices that use parallel poll, since the poll may time out.  Disk
drives are likely to have this problem.

The 1987 HP catalog lists the HP 37204A Extender using coaxial cable
at $925 U.S..  The fiber optic option is listed at an additional
$460 U.S..

I speak for myself, not HP.

Mike Stroyan, [hplabs!]hpfcla!stroyan