On Monday, 1/8 Nick Demos <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
 
> Oboy, this thread about aupporting HP-IB is fun!  I remember when HP
> came out with HPIB and said that its new machines would no longer
> support parallel interfaces a la the old UI card.  Never did like HP-IB
> and thought it never would be fast enough for the long haul.
 
If I recall, back on the Series III it was possible to connect 2 systems
together using what I believe was an SSLC (single-synchronous line
controller) which had a transfer rate of 256 KBS.  Then, the new HP-IB
based systems brought this transfer speed -down- to a blazing 56 KBS with the
new INP-A boards! Needless to say, I was not too pleased with the new,
latest 'technology' at the time either!
 
The difference was the SSLC was directly connected to the channel whereas
the INP was 1-step removed via the GIC.  At that time, HP would not support
us connecting GIC-to-GIC in order to get back to/above the 256 KBS rate
(GIC speeds were in the 1MB range), although there were some 'special'
customers which were supported with this type of configuration.  It took a
number of years to final get communication rates back to/above the Series III
rates...officially....  :-)
 
-- Jerry (old CX, II, III, 33, 40, 42, 44, 48, 64, 68, 70, etc user) Fochtman