Get Serial Number of GPIB-USB-HS

[JasonSmith]

Are you actually trying to obtain the serial number for your National Instruments GPIB controller, or of the instrument that you are connecting to over GPIB?

For the GPIB Controller, the most reliable solution will be to use the NI System Configuration API, as is shown in the second post on this thread. The solution refenced in a later post using the VISA property node will work for some VISA resources (like the serial port in the example), but not others. That knowledge base pre-dates the System Configuration API, and the System Configuration API should be the preferred mechanism for new development.

For the GPIB Instrument, the answer is instrument-specific. For a SCPI-compliant instrument, the response to a "*IDN?" query will return product information, and one of the fields is the serial number. For older or non-compliant instruments, you would have to look at the instrument programming reference to determine if there is a method to retrieve the serial number.

-Jason

[AnalogKid2DigitalMan]

Dennis did indeed provide you with useful information- read the instrument manuals. (Aka RTFM)

In there you should find the list of supported commands, including S/N retrieval if such a command is supported.

The OP in this post wanted to obtrain the S/N of the GPIB controller, not that of an instrument.

Happy reading.

-AK2DM

[king_slacker]

Thanks Jason for providing helpful information.  I knew that the equipment SN can be accessed through individual calls, but it looked like the property node could also be used for any VISA Interface equipment.  I see the difference now. 

I have a project with an undetermined number of benches with an undetermined mix of equipment that I need to report all the equipment serial numbers.  Was hoping the property node would be an easy way.  It would be nice if there was a standardized way to pull SN's.   

Thanks for answering in a friendly manner.