Error with agn6700 Labview 7.1 IVI-C Driver

[crouseb]

I am attempting to configure an Agilent N6700B DC power supply mainframe with 3 individual power supplies using the IVI-C for Labview 7.1 driver downloaded from the instrument driver Network.  The IVI driver has been set up through MAX and I am able to send the configuration information through GPIB to the instrument.  The power supply appears to be responding correctly and I am not getting any errors in Teststand 3.0, but I am getting an error code at the N6700B standing ERROR -113, invalid header.  The manual says that an error -113 is any invalid command.

My first guess is that I have not set up the channels correctly in MAX, because I am getting repeated error messages depending on the number of changes that I am trying to configure.   The only problem is that I can't find any documentation on how this DC supply should be set up using the IVI-C driver.  Each individual channel seems to be responding correctly as far as I can tell, but the TestStand IVI configuration changes multiple variables at once so I am not sure how to go about finding the exact problem.

Has anyone experienced the same problem or knows of a document that might point me in the right direction?

[James_Grey]

One thing that might help you to diagnose the problem is  to use National Instruments>>NI Spy to peek at the raw communications with the instrument.

[crouseb]

I have captured the GPIB commands using NI Spy, and it appears that the driver is attempted to set the power voltage range which is not a valid command for the power supply module that I am using since it only has a single range(from the Agilent SCPI documentation).  Please see the IviPwr_ConfigureOutputRange command in the attached file.

I have tried changing the Output range mode to Voltage range with different Voltage values, but the sequence will not run unless the 'output range mode' is automatic.

Is there any work around to stop the IviPwr_ConfigureOutputRange command from being sent??

[RayFarmer]

Hi,

You need to set the Range to something other than 0.

Looks like you want 2.5V therefore set the Range to 5V

Regards

Ray Farmer

[crouseb]

The range cannot be set if the output Range mode is "automatic", and switching the output range mode to any other setting results in a sequence error.

Are there any other drivers available that might work with error codes popping up on the Power Supply.  Can Aglient's IVI-COM driver for N6700B's be easily integrated with MAX and TestStand?

[~jiggawax~]

Do you get the error when you just try to control it from MAX?  I'm trying to isolate the problem.  Are you saying that it could be the drivers?

[RayFarmer]

Hi,

In MAX type MODEL=N6700B in the Driver Setup in the General Tab.

Regards

Ray Farmer

Message Edited by Ray Farmer on 06-06-2006 05:05 PM

[crouseb]

I have set the model in MAX, but this didn't have any effect.  I also tried deleteing all on the unused "supported instrument models" in MAX, but no effect there either. 

I have attached my MAX setup of the IVI driver - panels that I haven't included are the default values and haven't been modified. This error is only showing up at the instrument itself, MAX and TestStand seem to be ignoring this error...

[crouseb]

It is my believe that it is the driver, because the error is coming from a specific command that is being sent through GPIB, IviDCPwr_ConFigureOutputRange(agn6700, "1",1, 0.000000E+000).  I have posted my .spy file in a previous post.

As far as I know, I can't actually control the instrument through MAX using the IVI driver - am I incorrect?  I don't believe that there is any interface to the IVI driver that I am using, so I can't test just in MAX.  I have tried using the both the configure and softpanel in Teststand, and the error only appears during configuration.

I have attempted to validate the TestStand Configuration(see attachment), and Teststand will configure the N6700B successfully without any error messages.  However, after the configuration, the instrument will have an error messages in the message query saying that there was an invalid header (Error -113).

-Bryan

[RayFarmer]

Hi,

Have you tried driving it from labVIEW IVI  VI or CVI?

If you haven't got any IVI VI's need you will need the IVI base class llb from NI website.

Regards

Ray Farmer