HP-IB, Amigo/cs80, again, connectors

[Tony Duell]

> 
> OK, another question :
> a cheap source for the hp-ib, gpib connectors ?
> What I found so far is in the $ 20 range.
> (through hole, right angle, receptacle, ...)

It won;t save you any money, but what I normally do is use an IDC 24 pin 
microribbon socket, a short lenght of IDC cable and a 25 pin header plug 
and socket to connect it to the PCB. The reason is that hte pins of a 
microribbon connector are not at 0.1" pitch which makes laying out the 
PCB a little harder, and protoyping the design on stripboard or square 
pad board a lot harder. Of course you can use one cable assembly 
(microribon socket - header socket) for several different prototypes.

I would advise against buying cheap IDC microribbon connectors. I did, 
and had problemes getting them to make reliable connections ot the cable. 
In the end I bought the (much more expensive) 3M ones, and had no prolems 
at all (I would have ought those in the first place, but I didn't realise 
I could get them easily).

The part you will have prolems getting is the jackpost to screw the GPIB 
cable jackscrews iunto. The female thread is M3.5 (3.5mm diameter, 0.6mm 
pitch IIRC). The male thread, used to fit it to the socket/panel is 
anything you like (often 6-32 UNC). I haev found no source of jackposts 
with an M3.5 female thread, I resort to making my own, but then I have 
plenty of time and a reasoanble workshop.

-tony