GPIB-ENET/100, NI-488.2 fails to be properly installed on Mac OSX.

[Lasse]

I am trying to install a new GPIB-ENET/100 on my Mac iBook 600 MHz 384 MB running Mac OSX 10.3.2. The GPIB-ENET/100 will eventually be used with LabVIEW 7.0. After running the installation procedure, IP 192.168.0.12 is assigned to the GPIB-ENET/100 device. When I then run the Trouble Shooting Wizard the first two steps are passed but the third, "GPIB Interfacees Sequentially Verified" fails. I am instructed to click on the interface in the associated list to get help but the whole help system is dead in this installation. The firmware is B9.
The device does not seem to work from LabVIEW either.

Any help would be very much appreciated.

Lars Hellberg, Chalmers U. of Technology, Sweden

[theW]

Lars,

Sometimes, having a GPIB Instrument connected to your GPIB interface can cause the Sequentially Verified step to fail. You mentioned that it doesn't work from LabVIEW either. Are you able to detect your instrument at all? Run the LabVIEW <-> GPIB.vi example VI to confirm that LabVIEW isn't working. What is the primary address of your instrument, and what sort of instrument is it? Have you been able to confirm that this instrument works on another machine or configuration?

Try these things and let me know.

Scott B.
National Instruments
Applications Engineering

[SPetree]

I have the same problem, and the carbon troubleshoot shows fail, the ethernetConfig does configure the device, and I can talk to the enet, but not any instruments attached.
I haven't had any luck with the classic environment either. The PowerBook G4 will not boot to classic, but will only run it from OS X.2.8.

[Lasse]

Scott,

Thank you for your response.

I am pleased to say that everything (except the 488.2 help) works now. The road here was not all straight however and strange things happen.

Firstly the "Troubleshooting Wizard" reports, even when the ethernet cable is REMOVED (as a test), that:
1) NI-488.2 Software Presence Verified-PASS (Seems ok to me)
2) GBIB Hardware Presence Verified-PASS (??????????? very odd to me)
3) GPIB Interfaces Sequentially Verified-FAIL

This is what made me look in the wrong direction as, to me, the test seemed to say that the GPIB-ENET/100 "box" was actually detected and the IP number settings was ok (my cable was NOT disconnected when I wrote the first time). Now I (think) I know that my problem was associated with incomplet
e IP-number settings in terms of "Sub net mask", "Gate way" and "DNS server" which caused the comunication to fail. This problem is related to my incompetence in the science of IP.

Secondly, now I know that the "Explore GPIB" program works equally well independent on whether or not the ethernet cable is connected. This further contributed confusion and added to the impression that the GPIB-ENET/100 "box" was actually detected and communicated with.

To sum up, if you are not using DHCP you have to be very careful with ALL the IP settings.

As far as the dead help function in all the NI-488.2 programs is concerned I have no clue at the moment but I will look in to it at a later time.

Regards

Lars

P.S.

"Sometimes, having a GPIB Instrument connected to your GPIB interface can cause the Sequentially Verified step to fail."

This doesn't seem to give me any promlems.

D.S

[theW]

Lars,

Glad to know that you were successful. I will look into that Hardware Presence Verified message, I agree that it is certainly misleading in the case of an ENET/100.

Scott B.
National Instruments
Applications Engineering

[SPetree]

You don't actually say what you did to correct the problem. Did you change the gpib-enet/100 to DHCP?

If so, how did your local network handle the host name? Mine kept rejecting it, until I "register" with the local DNS folks, who said that mode wasn't supported. Their suggestion was to have a static IP address, which they will assign. This will leave the DHCP option out.

I think the device should work in manual IP mode, as that would fit the majority of users, who would not have a network operations support to assign IP addresses dynamically, and have the device on the same sub-net as the computer, that is trying to talk to it. The sub-net being the inside of a router, isolated from the rest of the internet.

I ended up calling the
NI service people, who had a number of suggestions.

Right now, I'm still trying to pass the GPIB trouble shoot gpib interfaces sequentially verified part. Also I still fail in communcating with an instrument, via the interactive control.

Part of my problem is that I started with a crossover enet cable, so that the gpib-enet wasn't even on the ethernet, but I had no luck that way. The NI folks will work on that, and get back to me.

About help; If you go to the interactive control, and type help, this will bring up help in your default browser.

[Lasse]

Try this first:

( It could be a good idea to a) Re install the NI-488.2 CD, b) Reboot the computer c) reboot the ENET/100)

1a) Check that the ENET/100 firmware is version B9, I don't remember where.

1b) Run the "Ethernetconfig" program and see if you can detect the ENET/100.

2) If you can, select that device and click on the"Properties" button.

3) Choose a good IP number AND set the "Subnet mask" to 255.255.0.0 (or take settings from a nearby computer as a test)

4) I don't remember the name of the button but you skall now reconfigure the ENET/100 by clicking on the ??? button.
You will now get a message that the ENET/100 is not in configuration mode. Follow the instructions and wait for the ENET/100 to reboot.

5) Refr
esh and make shure that your changes have been stored.

6) Now run the "troubleshoot" program and see what happens.

Good Luck

Lars

[SPetree]

Lars,
Thank you for your reply.

I did try all of your suggestions, but still haven't had any luck. Some qualifications;

The ENET-GPIB/100, for reasons of IT security, at our location, must remain on a static IP address, as assigned by our network operations. Although I could change the subnet mask to "255.255.0.0".

I can, indeed, communicate with the device, as well as configure, with "EthernetConfig", etc. As long as the PowerBook is on the same subnet as the device.

The "Troubleshoot" app still will fail the device, and we're still trying to figure this out.

Thanks
Steve Petree

[SPetree]

Lars,
I've managed to make some progress;
By attaching to the GPIB-ENET/100 directly, with a crossover ethernet cable, and setting the device address to 128.128.128.128, DNS server to 128.128.128.1

On the PowerBook G4, in System Preferences>Internet; copying a new location, dubbed "local crossover", and making the only connection available "built in ethernet", and setting the TCPIP configuration to full manual with address set to 128.128.128.1, & router set to 128.128.128.1, and turning off the airport card, (this is important).

Changed the ExploreGPIB properties to match the configuration, as far as network address.

Ran Troubleshoot wizard and now have passed.

Still, can't be happy though, still can't seem
to talk to attached instrument, will have to do some more digging

Best of Luck
Steve Petree