EBME Forums Forums Maintenance Test Equipment About Timeter RT-200

I recently obtained some information about the RT-200 RS232-C communication interface converter board, and I'm sharing it here for anyone who might be interested.
There is no clue yet about the software that matches the RS232-C communication board. If anyone has a matching online software, please feel free to contact me. Thank you

Do you have the instrument in your possession? The RS-232 format should be well known. If you have access to the RT-200, what are you getting as output(s) on J1?

I notice that J-2 remains blank. I'm surprised that the interface board only supports J-1 (the RS-232 connector); which is a pity as there is a lot of info on the GPIB (General Purpose Interface Bus) on line. I believe that the GPIB is a parallel format.

The picture was taken by a Canadian seller on eBay; only his RT-200 main unit has an RS-232C interface on the back.(https://www.ebay.com/itm/1879982158...338722076&customid=&toolid=10050)
This is the only RT-200 host I can currently find with an RS-232C interface output.So I had him take pictures of the internal motherboard.
The markings on the chips on his RT-200 motherboard were intact and had not been erased.


My own RT-200 main unit doesn't have this kind of signal adapter board, meaning J3 and J4 are empty, and expansion ports NO1 and NO2 are also empty.

It seems that some software is needed to interface with the J-1 port, but I haven't found any information or clues related to that software.(It looks like a printer interface, meaning it can only output signals.)
Frankly, I have never seen an RT-200 mainframe with a GPIB interface.

I've been looking for how Timeter calibrates the RT-200.Because the U1-U6 EEPROM chips on the RT-200 motherboard are UV-erasable EEPROM chips.In other words, it is read-only and the data cannot be modified in real time.?Unless they test it once, then remove the chip, erase the data, rewrite the new data, and then reinstall and test it again.?

I'm hoping that someone somewhere shall be able to provide "chapter and verse" on the GPIB of the RT-200. Surely GPIB must have been used as it lends itself more usefully to instruments such as the RT-200 ... that is, for data logging purposes.

I'm guessing that RS-232 would be more useful when recording varying output values. But I am wondering if the RS-232 facility could also be for inputs to control the RT-200 ... remotely, for example. I'm wondering also if both interfaces ever appeared on a RT-200 (and could this indeed even have been possible .. seeing as how close together the J3 and J4 connectors are).

I notice from your images the DIP switch on the serial comms board (as would be expected for setting up protocols) and also that the board is plugged in at J4 on the main board. Perhaps J3 is for the GPIB.

I have been unable to find any information regarding either interface. But someone must know.

Lastly, need I remind you that the old (May 1988) RT-200 manual makes clear that U1-U6 ... "Do not remove EPROMs unless instructed by factory"! Notice also that (in the images you have provided) the EPROMs are marked by hand with the instrument serial number.

This is a clear picture of the interface circuit;

it appears that it requires computer software to function.