Keysight / Agilent / HP 82335B HP-IB, GPIB ISA Interface Card

The Keysight/Agilent/HP 82335B is an HP-IB (GPIB) interface card for ISA bus computers that enables direct connection and control of IEEE-488 compliant instruments from a PC. This legacy adapter card facilitates automated data acquisition and instrument control by bridging the ISA expansion slot to the GPIB protocol, supporting up to 15 devices across a single bus with transmission path lengths up to 20 meters.

Technical Specifications

Interface Type: HP-IB (GPIB)

IEEE-488 standard

Bus Type: ISA (Industry Standard Architecture), 16-bit edge connector

Memory Addressing: Memory-mapped I/O architecture for register access

Configuration: DIP switch programmable memory address settings to prevent conflicts with system resources

Interrupt Support: Requires IRQ line configuration during software setup

Data Transfer Protocol: Byte-serial, bit-parallel, asynchronous handshake per IEEE-488

GPIB Capacity: Single bus supports up to 15 devices with maximum transmission path of 20 meters

Operating Systems: DOS and Windows 3.x; later support for Windows 95, 98, NT, and 2000 available through related driver packages

Key Features

Standard IEEE-488 GPIB connector for instrument interfacing

Memory-mapped I/O design distinct from later I/O-mapped architectures (82340/82341)

Requires manual DIP switch and IRQ configuration to prevent address conflicts

Full byte-serial, bit-parallel handshake protocol implementation

Typical Applications

Automated test equipment (ATE) control in legacy laboratory environments

Data acquisition from GPIB instruments on older industrial PC platforms

Instrument automation in systems utilizing ISA-based computer architectures

Compatibility & Integration The 82335B is designed exclusively for PCs with ISA expansion slots, typical of older desktop and industrial computers. Legacy operating system support includes DOS and Windows 3.x, with extended driver availability for Windows 95/98/NT/2000. Modern OS driver availability is limited. GPIB connections utilize standard IEEE-488 cables to any compliant instrument. Installation requires configuration guides for address assignment and system resource allocation to avoid conflicts with existing PC hardware.