Connecting shutter Uniblitz to computer with rs232c

[max29]

Hi everyone, 

I would like to connect a shutter (Uniblitz VCM-D1) to my computer. I read in the manual that this VCM-D1 can be controlled by a an RS-232C computer serial signal COM port and which must be in the Null Modem configuration. Because I didn't have any 810RJ cable, I took a RS-232c - RJ45 cable and fixed a female-female RS232 connector in a way that I have the Null-modem configuration ( crossing 2 wires). I connected everything to the computer and turned on Measurement and Automation Explorer. After refreshing it, I didn't see any connection appearing with this VCM-D1... How can I connect this shutter to my computer? I'm sure I'm doing something wrong or there is something that I didn't understand as I'm completely new to Labview. Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you.

[Dennis_Knutson]

What exactly are you using for the pc com port? Is the port visible in MAX? Is it visible in Windows device manager? Do you have NI-VISA installed?

[max29]

Fisrt, thank you Dennis for replying.

Exactly, I' m using the RS232 male port of my computer. I plugged in a female RS232 connector which is connected to a 810RJ cable with wires. These wires are connected to this 810RJ in a way to have Null Modem configuration (DTE instrument?) which is necessary according to the shutter manual (like this : http://www.rlocman.ru/i/Image/2008/03/09/4.jpg). This 810RJ is then connected to the RS232c input in the back panel of the shutter.

I don't think the port is visible in MAX or device manager because whether I connect my instrument to the pc nothing appears in both of them. I still have 4 ports COM1, COM3, COM4 and LPT1. How can I know which one is related to my instrument?

Yes I have NI VISA.

[Dennis_Knutson]

Nothing but the com port should be visible. The instrument itself will not be listed.

If the ports are not labeled on the back of your pc, you'll have to experiment. You can do this in MAX or with a program such as hyperterminal/putty, etc. Select a port and send a command from the manual and see if you get a response. Trial and error is unfortunately, your only option.

[max29]

Okey. So I tried to send the command *IDN query via MAX to the COM1, COM3 and COM4 and all of them had this problem : Read operation - Error - VISA: (Hex 0xBFFF015)Timeout expired before operation completed.

In the VISA test panel, in configuration and view attributes there is the error at the bottom of the table ( for all COM) : 

Attribute : Is port connected - VISA attribute name : VI_ATTR_ASRL_CONNECTED - Current value : Invalid Property Value

I checked the ports settings for this shutter and the manual says that for RS-232c INPUT : Baud rate 9600 - 8 Data bits - 1 Stop bit - No parity- No flow control , I precised all these caracteristiques in the serial settings.

[Dennis_Knutson]

First, that attribute is only for NI serial converters so you should just ignore it. Second, sending idn? is unlikely to work as that is an IEEE-488.2 command. You can't make things up to send. You have to use commands that are in the manual for your instrument.

[max29]

I didn't know it was only for IEEE488 (I'm really new to all this...)

Okey, I may have found the list of commands for the instrument but I have no clue how they should look like... (p.34 in https://www.uniblitz.com/portals/0/vcm-d1%20translation.pdf ? ). But where should I write them? For instance if I want to open my shutter what should I write?

[Dennis_Knutson]

I took a quick look at the manual but I did not see a section on the commands, only a sample program. I did see a mention of LabVIEW code available on request. Check with the vendor for this and a detailed programming manual.

[max29]

Hi again, 

So I received a response from Uniblitz. They gave me the Labview2011 program to run the shutter. Regarding the operation of VCM-D1 controller, they told me that all the information are in the users manual, with a listing of the available software commands in p.45 which correspond to the page 51 on the link above. It doesn't help very much...I would just like to know what's the next step after plugging this rs232 into the computer..

[Dennis_Knutson]

Does the program work or does it generate an error? I looked at the manual again and it sends '@' and 'A' to open/close the shutter.