Flood of new Agilent 82357B GPIB-USB adaptors on eBay the real deal?

[MarkL]

I decided to look for a used real Keysight labeled GPIB.  I think I found one and it's on it way from guess where?  Fingers crossed it's real.  It's hard to tell from the pictures but I'm pretty sure it's got the shielding around the thumb screws and he swears it was a real full priced Keysight he bought with a MM from a distributor.  I tried hard to get him budge on price but 110$ delivered was as low as he would go.  He has a LOT of real Keysight hardware as well and I've seen pictures of them so after a lot of back and forth I think I'm in the money.  I was going to buy a fake but I'd rather have a real one.

Get him to send you the serial number and check it:

  https://service.keysight.com/infoline/public/generic-form.aspx?frm_name=$mobile$warranty-status

See if it's a known serial number and the date jives with the story.

EDIT: Fixed mangled URL.

[notfaded1]

Great news!!! My 82357B came and checks out on the warranty site at Agilent!
Check the pic of the shielding
Attached is photo of the shielding I took as soon as I unboxed it!
Warranty & Agreement Status
Sales order number:   :   xxxxxxx (Removed)
Shipped:   :   1/22/2018
Warranty
View warranty
1Yr,Keysight/Dealer,RTK,8x5

I thought I could barely see the shielding in his picture and he swore he bought it from Agilent with another device... for once someone told the truth!  For a couple dollars over a C note I'll call this a win!
For those watching at home and looking check out the stickers on the back of a real one.
Bill

[Alfons]

For those that didn't know, Tektronix Wavestar software works fine with the 82357B adapter on Windows 10. In my opinion, this is the best free software for controlling/getting measurement data from legacy Tek scopes, especially if you have a TDS 500/600/700 series scope. Installing it is tricky, you can't run NI-VISA and TEkVISA at the same time.

More info
https://www.tek.com/datasheet/wstro

Download
https://www.tek.com/oscilloscope/tds510a-software/wavestar-oscilloscopes

Can someone explain to me how this works? I don't get that. The controller is detected under Keysight I/O and can also communicate with the Tek744. Wavestar detects the driver, but always reports that the device is not responding.

[Alfons]

It's good that I still kept my ancient IBM Thinkpad, on which XP is still installed. And everything works smoothly. Now Wavestar is running. However, the Thinkpad's CMOS battery is empty. Have to look how I fix it.

[Alfons]

For those that didn't know, Tektronix Wavestar software works fine with the 82357B adapter on Windows 10. In my opinion, this is the best free software for controlling/getting measurement data from legacy Tek scopes, especially if you have a TDS 500/600/700 series scope. Installing it is tricky, you can't run NI-VISA and TEkVISA at the same time.

More info
https://www.tek.com/datasheet/wstro

Download
https://www.tek.com/oscilloscope/tds510a-software/wavestar-oscilloscopes

Can someone explain to me how this works? I don't get that. The controller is detected under Keysight I/O and can also communicate with the Tek744. Wavestar detects the driver, but always reports that the device is not responding.

Ultimately, it's easy to get Wavestar to work with TDS devices in conjunction with the Agilent 82357B adapter under Win10. I made the mistake to start Wavestar in compatibility mode. If you install Wavestar with administrator rights without compatibility mode, it will run. It is only necessary to install Keysights I / O libraries suite and then enable the mode, that other software can access the interface. No other visa drivers are needed and just bother. I had a lot of work getting the Agilent adapter working properly under LabView, which also caused problems for Wavestar. But now everything runs together cleanly. And Wavestar is not bad, but I have to learn something else. It has access to almost all functions of the device.

[DeepLink]

I know the new ones are very pricey, but price != quality or utility.

I am thinking of getting a Prologix, and wondered if there was any reason to choose the Agilent or NI model instead???

Yes,
The Agilent 82357B (or the fakes, or the non-fake compatible clones) will all communicate seamlessly with all professional software that interfaces to a GPIB bus. The Prologix will not. It does not implement a GPIB32.dll which is the de facto standard way for software to access a GPIB interface. Instead, software needs to talk to it directly over a serial port and must know its particular proprietary command language. Alternately, you can write all the low level code into your (e.g.) LabVIEW project yourself, but then it is tied to the Prologix adapter. Normally LabVIEW or other software will be able to talk to any "real" GPIB adapter without modification, no matter manufacturer (Agilent, NI, etc.) or method of connection (PCI, USB, Ethernet, etc.).

@macboy - do you mean that the 82357B uses GPIB32.dll?

I have been using the EZGPIB program with an ICS electronics 488-USB interface (under Win XP) works perfect (with 9 instruments)
Now I have a 82357B interface, but the EZGPIB program does not find any GPIB32.dll
The latest Keysight IO libraries are installed (ver. 18-1)
Will the 82357B only work under VISA32.dll?

BTW - some say GPIB-32.dll, others GPIB32.dll

[dekagon]

Hello,
try to aktivate 488 compatibility mode in the IOLib Settings. If this mode is activsted then 488 compatible software can find the drivers and identify the connected gpib measurement devices.
EZGPIB is a 32bit software and needs the 488 compatibility mode...
For all who are using a counter with visa drivers and want to use Timelab for aquiring timestamps or frequency data please use the 32bit version of Timelab (simply change the link from timelab64.exe to timelab.exe).
With 488 compatibility mode Timelab can find the Keysight GPIB USB adapter and communicate with the counter or TIC device...

Have fun
Chris

[harha]

Hi
I have also bought one--works great with my eq--agilent,keysight and tektronix
Hardy

[greasemonkey]

Update from 2020  .

I just got my fake 82357B and it works like a charm. I even got a plot from my ancient 8568A through ke5fx gpib toolkit.

The "shields" are not visible but who cares? It has a valid "Ceryificate" 

[xzswq21]

I changed a PCB inside an old HP spectrum analyzer (HP8560E) and they said me I have to update the firmware of the spectrum analyzer through Keysight software, as you know there are many Agilent 82357b GPIB-USB adapters in eBay from 90$ to some hundreds dollars ... which one I should buy? Thanks

[greasemonkey]

I changed a PCB inside an old HP spectrum analyzer (HP8560E) and they said me I have to update the firmware of the spectrum analyzer through Keysight software, as you know there are many Agilent 82357b GPIB-USB adapters in eBay from 90$ to some hundreds dollars ... which one I should buy? Thanks

This is the one I got (Nov, 2020 but the link is still live):
https://www.ebay.com/itm/192183277024

[hnjmkl]

I got the same version as fat monkey, I have a 3478A to try it out, what should I check if it works?

[hnjmkl]

       Tried, it works great with other tools too.                                 

[xzswq21]

Update from 2020  .

I just got my fake 82357B and it works like a charm. I even got a plot from my ancient 8568A through ke5fx gpib toolkit.

I have a 82357B adapter and a HP8560E, how should I see them in ke5fx gpib toolkit? Thanks