CAMAC 488 module: 68,000 based GPIB interface module
K.C. Seino · 1985
What kind of hardware and software should be used to interface GPIB devices with the existing computer system. One idea was to use a commercially available Multibus card, BLC 8488 from National Semiconductor, whose on-board Z80 would manage the GPIB read/write functions and handshakes. With this card, one could make a hardware system which would consist of (1) CAMAC 080, (2) Multibus crate, (3) M. Shea's M68000, (4) M080, (5) BLC 8488 and (6) memory board. And the software considered for such a hardware package was GAS, which had been an established software package for communication between the ACNET computer system and smart CAMAC modules. However, a second idea was to put everything on a two-wide CAMAC module. The author pursued the second idea and came up with a two-wide CAMAC module called C488. The author describes the hardware - block diagrams, circuit blocks, front panel and hardware tests. He also refers to the software - system, modules and applications.