Lakeshore 218 Temperature monitor will not Initialize

[inlkjlkj]

Hello,

I am trying to run a temperature monitor in labview, and it won't work.  I seem to have traced the problem to the Initialize.vi. (The driver I am using is provided by lakeshore).  Here are the errors I get:

If I let the Instr. Descriptor stay as GPIB::12 (default), with ID Query on and Reset on, etc,

I get error code 1073807195 (Old VISA Open in LSCI 218 Initialize.vi).  Now, the problem here seems to be that the resource name is wrong; it should be COM1 since I am connecting it to the main serial port.  If I rename GPIB::12 to COM1, the thing takes longer to run, but I still get a different error, #1073807339 (VISA Read in LSCI 218 Initialize.vi).   If, however, I do the same as above but set ID Query to "Don't Check", I get no error.  This is not a solution, though, because even if I save the Initialize.vi (which I am nervous about doing) it resets itself in the other vis and I get errors down the line.  At this point I don't think the computer is communicating correctly with the temperature monitor.

If anyone has any ideas, please help.

Mike Bottom

[Dennis_Knutson]

The first thing you should do is open the initialize VI and go to the diagram. Right click on Old VISA Open and replace it with the VISA Open on the Instrument I/O>VISA>VISA Advanced palette. You will then need to delete the string control (called something like VISA Resource Name) and make sure the real VISA Resource Name control (the brownish colored control), is visible on the front panel. If it's not, make it visible and wire it to the upper left connector on the VI's connector pane. You should save it. If you do save it, all of the other VIs that use will reflect the change though the initialize function should only be called once in your program so I don't understand your statement about 'errors down the line".

[inlkjlkj]

First of all, thank you very much for the quick reply.

I did what you said, and I could get the Initialize.vi to run w/out errors if I disabled the ID query.  However, when I ran it in the temperature monitor I got some more error  messages about numerous subVIs [-1073807339, VISA Read in LSCI 218 Data Sensor.vi->LSCI 218 Application Temperature Monitor.vi->LSCI 218 Getting Started Temperature Monitor.vi] All the error messages trace to the VISA read vi, which is confusing, because I know that the computer can talk to the temperature monitor, as I can get temperature outputs from it when I input the correct code (KRDG?) in the Windows Hyperterminal.  Anyways, the VISA read has the following inputs: in VISA resource name, it has the brownish wire leading to a menu in which COM1 (correct) is selected; in Write buffer it has a string of queries which looks correct; and in the other case it has the usual error in.

Any suggestions?

PS: at some points in the modification process, as I was shutting labview down the program asked me if I wanted to save changes to modified subVIs.  The "explain changes" said that they were upgrading the VIs from an older version of labview, so I went ahead and said yes.  Could this be the problem?

Thanks again,

Mike Bottom

[inlkjlkj]

Oh, I forgot to mention, the Read buffer also has a byte count (100) going in, though I don't know if that matters.

Thanks again,

Mike Bottom

[Dennis_Knutson]

I missed the fact that you were using the serial port to talk to the instrument. So, the first thing should have been to see whether you can use something like Hyperterminal or Procomm to talk to the instrument. This will verify that your cable is correct and you will learn the correct com port settings. Second, if you are using the driver from NI's site, I know it says serial compatible but I can't find anything in the driver that sets the serial port or termination character. With a simple mod, you can change the initialize function to do this. Check my answer to the post at http://forums.ni.com/ni/board/message?board.id=170&message.id=188951#M188951 for an example.

[inlkjlkj]

Hi again,

None of that worked, but I managed to get everything working by doing the following things:

1: uninstall the NI drivers and install the ones from Lakeshore (different version, I presume)

2: In Initialize.vi, rather than replace with new VISA Open, wire a string constant (COM1) where the GPIB slot was in the Old Visa Open

3: When exiting, save all subvi's, then go to the Getting Started Temperature VI, and delete the error, wires and all from the Block Diagram.

4: Save and exit, saving all Subvis.

All the VI's seem to work fine now.

Thanks for all the help,

Mike Bottom

[dmccafferty]

Hi Mike,

We've got a Lakeshore 218, I got the drivers from the Lakeshore site.  I can't find software.  We have a guy here who can writ the software to display the temperatures on a computer but I was hoping that you would (if you are able)send me the program you use.  It would save us some trouble.  If not we can certainly write something that will work for us.

Thanks,  Dan McCafferty           mccafferty@bnl.gov

[Vkumar]

Dear Dennis,

       I am using serial port to monitor temperature with LakeShore 218 monitor.  When i write KRDG?0  to my serial port LakeShore reply string with all channel data Actully with windows standard program Hyper terminal

Response( sensor connect to channel-5 only)

KRDG?0
+00.000,+00.000,+00.000,+00.000,+281.82,+00.000,+00.000,+00.000

i have to check bok  "Force incoming data to 7-bits ASCII" (ASCII receiving) in serial port ASCII setup.

(the image attached)

 

Then i can receive the response above, otherwise i can't get any response.

How i can set such response with labview program.

With labview program i am writting "KRDG?0" to port and read serial port, but i am not getting proper string like above.

I think i have to Set "Force incoming data to 7-bits ASCII". How i can set this.

Thank you

--vishnu

[xgatc]

Hello, Mike

I have the exact problem as you had and tried your and Dennis's suggestion, but still have the time out in VISA read.vi.  all communications under Hyperterminal work fine. see the attached.

How did you manage to get the initialize.vi work? I wonder if you can post your working VI. I use LV 2010.

I used both  

1) D9 connection as stated in "218 User manual section 7.6 ..PC with DE-9P" and 

2) D9 connection as stated in “Setting up a Hyper Terminal Application” from Lakeshore web site

 very appreciate your help.

Regards

Xiaofeng