troubles with Agilent gpib/usb interface

[Rasto]

I have a problem to use Agilent 82357A gpib/usb interface with NI VISA (os Win98). I have Visa3.0.1. I did all what is written in file niinfo.htm, which containes some advices for running the agilent gpib/usb card with NI software(it is in directory prog. files\agilent\IO Libraries\readme\trouble\) and I also tried most of advices written on the web pages of ni.com. In MAX3 I can only see "miscellaous VISA resources". When I run NIVISAAIC, I can communicate with interface as well as with instrument attached to it. When I close nivisaaic, it returns arror message, that program performed unauthorised operation in module agvisa32.dll. It indicate that trouble is between libraries of NI and Agilent. I tried to install agilent gpib/u
sb driver in many ways, only SICL, or SICL + agilent visa (secondary, side by side), but nothing works. When I run Getting started wizard in run-programs-national instruments-Ni.488.2, it detects no gpib hardware, even MAX indicates some "miscellaous VISA resources". Is there somebody with experiences how to solve this problem.? Thanks

[ScottieB]

Hello,

You're mostly correct. There are a couple of ways to get this working. See the following KB for the two methods:

http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/websearch/E56D3D4866BE0A8A86256942006626F0?OpenDocument

It sounds like you're trying to do method 2 in that KB. Install SICL but do not install HP-VISA in this case, and be sure to enable the Passport in MAX. If you have this configuration and you are still getting the system error when you close VISAIC, you might try running NI-Spy so that you can figure out what VISA call is actually causing that error.

Hope this helps, and let me know if you need more assistance or clarification by posting here.

Scott B.
National Instruments
Applications Engineer

[Rasto]

1. I have tried method 1 in that KB you have adviced me. I uninstalled Ni-Visa and instaled HP-Visa (is not clear from the KB description, if HP should be primary or secondary, side-by side. I tried both configurations). Of course MAX does not find gpib board in any case. To solve this problem in the KB is written "you must right-click on the control or constant and select "Allow Undefined Names." In this step I stopped, because in the MAX I did not find where this "constant or control" is. I tried to do right-click on "devices and interfaces", but only "Create new..." menu appears. The right-click on anything in the MAX does not open the menu which contains "Allow undefined names". Can you please, specify where this right-click should be done to allow undefined names and to continue with method1 to reach the goal of using LV for data aquisition.

2. Then I tried method 2 from the KB. I have uninstalled HP-visa; HP-SICL and Ni-Visa3.0 is installed, NiVisaTulip.dll passport is allowed and F5 refresh made. In MAX in the section Devices and Interfaces I can see "? Miscellaneous VISA resources" with "GPIB1::22::Instr" (it is for one device with address 22). Instead of "? Miscellaneous VISA resources" I expected, there will be written something like GPIB1(USB-GPIB). In this point I have few questions.
a) Is it correct if there is only "? Miscellaneous visa resources"?
b) If I configure usb/gpib card with Agilent config. utility to SICL name gpibn and visa name gpibn, where n is some integer, MAX shows everytime gpib1. There is only one gpib card installed in the PC, so I expect there will be gpib0 in the MAX.
Now, when I run nivisaic, I can see gpib interface named gpibn with gpibn::22::instr. I can communicate through this interface to the instrument in the session opened by double-click on the resource. In the Nivisaic there is also another interface marked as unknown-gpibn::intfc and gpibn::servant. I cannot communicate with this interface. When I install HP SICL with HP visa as secondary, side-by-side, this "unknown gpib" disappears. Then nivisaic seems to be OK(but MAX still shows "? miscellaneous visa resources"),the status of each operation in NI Spy is succesfull. I think I did everything required in method 2 of KB but, I cannot perform any data aquisition by LabView. Are there further thinks to do for starting data aquisiton? Thanks for any advices.

[ScottieB]

Hello,

It seems that you have the GPIB device showing in VISAIC, and you said that you are able to communicate with it from there. What happens when you try to communicate with it from LabVIEW?

To your other questions, I assume that the other interfaces you describe are a result of the Tulip Passport and are not designed to be used for communication to your instrument. The GPIB1::22::INSTR device is the one that you should be communicating with. On the topic of the first method, the "Allow Undefined Names" is a selection on the VISA Name constant that is dropped down on a LabVIEW block diagram or the control dropped onto a Front Panel.

What does your VI look like to try to communicate with the instrument? You should be doing somethin
g similar to a VISA Open, VISA Write, some VISA Reads, and at the end a VISA Close. Are you passing the instrument commands that it understands to start the data acquisition?

Scott B.
Applications Engineer
National Instruments

[Rasto]

Hi,
thank you ScottieB, you have opened my mind, when you wrote "What does your VI look like to try to communicate with the instrument? ..." I realized, that the main trouble is there, because instead of visa read/write I have in the VI gpib read/write. Now everything is OK, even getting started wizard does not detect interface and MAX shows "? miscellaneous visa resources". Again thank you! Rasto