How to know when my network analyser HP8510C has finished his work?

[geraudIWE]

I'm working with a Network Analysator HP8510C. I can communicate with him, with GPIB and Visa Session. For instance, my Programm ask ihm to load a Configuration File from Disk, and I would be able to know when the Loading Process is finished.
In the future, I want to be able to know when the HJ is busy or not, in order to avoid to do all my work with empiric waiting phase.
The problem is that when its intern Processor is working, the HP didn't consider any GPIB Query. So, had someone an Idea? It may be possible to use the command for the GPIB-Bus to know when the Listener is ready or not?

thanks for any help.

Géraud DEVOS
IWE Karlsruhe
g-ro@netcourrier.com

[Kerouac]

Hello,

We do not have a HP 8510C instrument at our offices so it is very difficult to help you concerning a specific instrument driver programming question. It seems that you are using the instrument driver available at the following link:
* HP8510C Plug and Play Instrument Driver
http://sine.ni.com/apps/we/niid_web_display.download_page?p_id_guid=E3B19B3E914C659CE034080020E74861

This driver has been developed and is supported by Agilent/HP. You should ask them if there is already a function in their driver that request the instrument status during the loading process. At the end of the loading process, your instrument should asynchronously request service from the Controller by asserting the bus management line SRQ. On the GPIB, there is a line separate from the data lines called SRQ line. Any device on the GPIB bus can assert this line which informs the Controller that a device needs attention. If you request data from your instrument that takes a long time to process, you will get an error because the Receive function could not read any data. When SRQ is asserted, it is the Controller responsability to determine who requested service by checking all devices individually. This event is known as polling the devices (serial polling). When you Serial Poll, the Controller send a special command message to the device, directing it to return its serial poll status byte. The content of the status byte is different for each instrument. You must refer to the instrument user manual for information on the serial poll status byte. After the Controller reads the status byte, it sends another command message to disable Serial Poll to the device. Then the device unasserts the SRQ line. You will find more details and examples on the tutorial below:

* Using Instrument Status Registers and Service Requests in LabVIEW
http://zone.ni.com/devzone/conceptd.nsf/webmain/1a760883eef23d7e86256dba006c9c00

Greetings from Paris.

Matthieu G.
National Instruments France

Message Edité par Kerouac le 06-22-2005 11:05 AM

[unclebump]

You may be able to use the status bytes.

Here are some programming examples.

http://www.home.agilent.com/upload/cmc_upload/All/EPSG087721.pdf

[unclebump]

Here is a manual with GPIB programming included in it. There is a mention for a WAIT command.

http://cp.literature.agilent.com/litweb/pdf/08510-90281.pdf

[geraudIWE]

Thanks for all your answers and your Documentation. I will try to work with the SQR.

Géraud