The XIO module allows you to get closer control of the interface loop, which is especially useful if you use the HPIL-to-HPIB (IEEE-488) interface converter to control many pieces of lab equipment simultaneously. IEEE-488 opens the door to controlling thousands of different models of equipment on the market. HPIL is essentially a serial implementation of IEEE-488, and this becomes quite clear with the XIO module. With it, you can make your program find and identify the various pieces of equipment connected, configure them, respond to service requests from the instruments, read their status, get tight control of bytes transfered, have string functions and use ALPHA as an I/O buffer, etc.. I used it extensively in automated test set-ups in the mid-1980's, although I did not go to the extent of making one device talk directly to others and manually specifying low-level divice-dependent talker and listener commands. Without this module I would not have been able to do what I got the 41cx for. I got my XIO module built into my HPIL module in order to save a port.
Even if all you were using it for were an 82161A tape drive, it still gives more capabilities. You can copy from one drive to many others simultaneously, or ask for example, "What's the name of the 11th file?"
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Edited: 2 May 2007, 1:29 p.m.
