Timetravel with r3131 and GPIB-enet 100

[WeAreAllFreeTechSupportNow]

Uh, new to this forum, all the topics seem way to specific for my question.

I am a TV technician, and today my boss told me to go future proof the spectrum computers.  Turns out this is a windows 2000 machine running custom software to talk to 2 Advantest r3131 analyzers via a GPIB-enet 100.

The custom software seems to be using data from an .ini to send parameters to the analyzer, and then outputting a trace (4 actually, but now we only need 2) on the computer.  However, if i just run the .exe on another machine it complains about "initialize.vi->NameOfProgram.vi" and talking about missing components.  The way i am guessing at this is it is missing some sort of library?  probably this library would be installed with the program (15 years ago and then we threw away the disk...). i have tried installing any drivers i could find, including for the gpib device, but these are for win7 on a win 7 machine. is that why it can't find what it is looking for?

Fine. Great. Someone was very clever 15 years ago.  If, Today, i want to show the trace on my screen, and i have a r3131 and a GPIB-enet 100, can i do this simply? Or do i need to re-write our custom software (i cannot do this, i am Waaay to dumb).

What would you guys do if you wanted to use my equipment to see a trace on a windows computer?  The program used to make it show 3 traces from one machine, but i dont even need that, really just need to show the current trace and i can set all my parameters on the analyzer with my fingers. 

Please, let me know if this is easy or crazy hard, and maybe direct me to the correct sub-forum.  thanks, have a great day.

[Hooovahh]

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@WeAreAllFreeTechSupportNow wrote:

my boss told me to go future proof the spectrum computers. 

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@WeAreAllFreeTechSupportNow wrote:

What would you guys do if you wanted to use my equipment to see a trace on a windows computer?  

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I'd read the communication manuals, and search for drivers for my hardware after first trying to get in contact with anyone who might have the application source code.  Aside from that you can hire someone.  NI has several Alliance Partners who are experts in their fields and can help get systems up and running faster than a beginner can.  They are generally used to seeing systems that have hard drive crashes or other situations with lost source code.  

Your new computer is likely missing all kinds of run-time and driver information.  To better help you're going to have to give more information like what version of LabVIEW was it written in, what other NI software is installed and what version (is MAX installed?  It can list all NI software and versions) and then try to install those things on the new computer.

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@WeAreAllFreeTechSupportNow wrote:

Please, let me know if this is easy or crazy hard, and maybe direct me to the correct sub-forum.  thanks, have a great day. 

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The Breakpoint forums usually aren't for any kind of serious discussion.  This can probably be moved to the LabVIEW subforum (assuming the software was written in LabVIEW I didn't see you mention it)

[LV_Pro]

I'm guessing LabVIEW frm his messages mentioning "xxx.vi"

Definitely should be brought up on the "LabVIEW" board, more likely to get the needed visibility, this board is the "escape from having to really think" one!

[AnalogKid2DigitalMan]

This should solve your time travel portion:

http://forums.ni.com/t5/NI-Blog/NI-drives-time-travel-with-stylish-new-cRIO-module/ba-p/3604813

-AK2DM

[WeAreAllFreeTechSupportNow]

thanks for the input. i will try the labview boards.

as for further information, it looks like it was created with labview 5.0  i do not see anything called "max" on the computer in question.

[Hooovahh]

In older versions it was called Measurement and Automation Explorer.  Likely a blue icon on the desktop, or in the start menu under National Instruments.

[WeAreAllFreeTechSupportNow]

Er, i did find something called T + M explorer, which seems to know about the GPIB devices.  It is version 1.0.

So, are you saying i should go find labview 5.0 and T+M version 1.0, and this should / hopefully install the missing components?

The thing is, the "program" we are using is a .exe, not a .vi.  i can see in the running program that it is only "running" 1 .vi with a name that makes sense.

But i don't know what a .vi is.  It seems to be some sort of file type associated with labview, but does that mean i need to be running labview to use the .vi?  I don't have the .vi, i have an .exe that "runs" the .vi somehow.  will labview run an .exe with a .vi inside?  is it just a naming convention, could i just rename it?

feel free to abandon me here, i am going to start a new thread in the better place sometime today