Many pieces of automated equipment use the GPIB style bus for control, which is a reliable but old style of network. To communicate with a GPIB system with a more modern and common computer or other device, it is necessary to use a device to communicate between the old GPIB style and the omnipresent USB technology.

There is such a tool available: the Sewell usb to gpib controller box from Sewell Direct. It connects on one to a General Purpose network, and through a series of style 488.2 drivers, talks back and forth with a standard USB connection on the other side. It is an expensive yet reliable equipment piece, compatible with computer OSs like Windows 98, 2000 and XP, and will utilize either the older 1.1 USB format or the newer 2.0

Essential to research and automation, GPIB systems can communicate to USB networks via a simple adapter box with very little difficulty.