GPIB-RS232 converter issues

[drmase13]

Hi, I am having trouble communicating to the NI GPIB-RS232 converter box - http://www.ni.com/en-us/support/model.gpib-rs232.html

I can connect and configure the converter when in Config mode using the NI GPIB-Serial Converter Wizard.  When I test in both MAX and LabView, I get a good response when sending a *IDN?\n to the box (attached screenshot).  The problem comes when using the same settings when the converter is changed to Normal mode - I get no response from the box with the same connection using the same programs (MAX/LabView).

My current setup is simply using a USB-RS232 dongle to connect to the serial port on the converter box.  This will control an instrument over GPIB. 

Ultimately I want to use the RS232 port on my CompactRIO chassis (9064) to do this (yes, I'm aware GPIB is not real-time and generally not recommended for embedded use, I'm OK with that).  But that's down the road, I want to talk to the converter first directly.

Thanks in advance,

Don

[eltico]

Hi drmase13,

What do you mean when you put it in normal mode? This device can get into 4 different modes and each of them has its own specifications. Take a look at the device's Help here http://digital.ni.com/manuals.nsf/websearch/99625A6E8B9F625A862571C0004DDE84

By the way, here you have an example using this device on a cRIO http://www.ni.com/example/30978/en/

Regards,

PedroR

[drmase13]

Thanks for the reply.

The converter has a switch on the back to set it to Config mode or Normal mode, that's what I'm referring to.  Config mode works OK and I'm setting it to S mode while configuring it.

But with the switch at Normal, I can't get any response.  I am using a small section of the example you linked - http://www.ni.com/example/30978/en/

My test VI is only a subsection of the Init Convbox.vi from that example.  I'm not able to get any identification response.

[eltico]

drmase13, 

I think you get a reply when it's in config mode because the computer sees the converter as the "target" for the query but when you put it in normal mode, it's just a "cable"

Do you have a GPIB device you can connect and try the query?

Regards,

PedroR