IBSAD(3)

📦
version 4.3.7 · 2 versions
, in ubuntu stonking

💖 IBSAD(3) — the set-secondary-GPIB-address girlie 💖

okay bestie, this one lives in the Traditional API Functions section of the linux-gpib manual, and it's honestly so much simpler than its vibe suggests.

✨ NAME ✨

ibsad — set the secondary GPIB address (works on a board or a device, she's flexible 💅)

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

#include <gpib/ib.h>

int ibsad(int ud, int sad);

✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

so here's the tea 🍵 — ibsad() sets the GPIB secondary address of whatever the descriptor ud points at: a device or a board, your call.

Now, scope matters here, so listen up:

  • If ud is a device descriptor, the setting is local to that descriptor. It does not affect what happens when other descriptors make calls — even if those other descriptors are literally pointing at the same physical device. Same device, different descriptor, different rules. that's just how she is 🙈
  • If ud is a board descriptor, then the board's secondary address is changed immediately, and that's a global change — it affects everything using the board, even other processes. yeah. not just you. everybody. 👑

now for the cursed part, and I need you to stay calm:

This library follows NI's unfortunate convention of adding 0x60 hexadecimal (that's 96 decimal, bestie) to secondary addresses. so like — if you wanna set the secondary address to 3, you set sad to 0x63. yes, really. it's giving "why would anyone do this" but it's the convention and we respect the lore 🫠

Setting sad to 0 disables the use of secondary addressing. and the valid GPIB secondary addresses are in the range from 0 to 31 — which line up with sad values of 0x60 to 0x7f.

💀 friendly little reminder: slip outside that range and you're in "not a valid secondary address" territory. stay in your lane, 0x60–0x7f.

✨ RETURN VALUE ✨

the value of ibsta is returned. that's it, that's the whole thing 🎀

Copyright © 2003-2006, 2008 Frank Mori Hess

okay that's the whole page!! no notes, she ate and left no crumbs 🦋

sign-off moment: this was page IBSAD(3) from linux-gpib version 4.3.7, dated 07/06/2026. go forth and address your secondaries responsibly, bestie 💖✨🌸

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