GPIB To RS232 Converter Status

[RTC_Tom]

Hello,

I'm using the GPIB To RS232 device to communicate with a Stone age DMM and PSU, as they don't have ethernet or even serial!

The issue I have is I need to initialise my system before allowing the user to begin doing anything which includes checking the GPIB is working.

Usually you would just ask a downstream instrument for something like *IDN? However the instruments have to remain off until the user has done specific setup criteria, which are on the software screens.

Is there a way I can ask the GPIB converter directly for an ID or health status to prove out that the hardware interfaces are setup and working?

If there is a document that contains all GPIB To RS232 device specific commands this will allow me to pick an appropriate one.

Remembering with this issue there are no downstream devices active at the check time required.

[Minions]

As you have not listed the equipment, this is all a guess on how to control them remotely.  If it doesn't respond to the SCPI standard of

*IDN?\n

 then try:

ID?\n

 If it doesn't respond to either of these, then it may have been made prior to IEEE-488.1 and will require the manual for remote operations.

[RTC_Tom]

Hello,

As I stated previously the devices are OFF during this stage.

When the device is on *IDN? wrapped in the usual GPIB prefix and suffix works just fine, as expected.

I'm after a command that works with the NI GPIB-RS232 product that NI sell (http://www.ni.com/en-gb/support/model.gpib-rs232.html), which talks just to that device such as a test or are you alive message that the GPIB converter itself will reply to without the need of any GPIB devices attached.

[nyc_(is_out_of_here)]

---

@RTC_Tom wrote:

Hello,

I'm using the GPIB To RS232 device to communicate with a Stone age DMM and PSU, as they don't have ethernet or even serial!

The issue I have is I need to initialise my system before allowing the user to begin doing anything which includes checking the GPIB is working.

Usually you would just ask a downstream instrument for something like *IDN? However the instruments have to remain off until the user has done specific setup criteria, which are on the software screens.

Is there a way I can ask the GPIB converter directly for an ID or health status to prove out that the hardware interfaces are setup and working?

If there is a document that contains all GPIB To RS232 device specific commands this will allow me to pick an appropriate one.

Remembering with this issue there are no downstream devices active at the check time required.

---

Your post makes no sense.

No serial but yet using GPIB to RS232.  Hmmmm.

There are no GPIB to RS232 device specific commands.

[cstorey]

Hi RTC_Tom,

Interesting challenge. Most instrument programming relies on instruments being present, not trying to detect if there's a connection bus.  So that's what you need to look for,  bus (often called board) level commands.

I didn't know there was a gpib-rs232 box.  Are you using an old PC?  Most people use the USB-GPIB nowadays.  You might have to call no for details about it, but it looks like it just maps RS232 to GPIB so should support standard GPIB API.  

If I remember there was a GPIB command "iblines" I had to use way back with a flaky GPIB board, which was a line status query of GPIB board itself.  You might try that command, and if it doesn't timeout and it returns anything then you have life.  Another would be to make the board controller in charge..can't remember command but it's all in the IEEE488 docs which you can Google.

What are you programming this in?  Are you using VISA?  

Craig

[cstorey]

If you are using LabVIEW I believe you could use this..

http://zone.ni.com/reference/en-XX/help/371361N-01/lvinstio/gpib_status/

And parse the error message to make sure a controller was there.

I'd test it with an instrument, without an instrument and withe the gpib-rs232 disconnected and examine how the error bits change.

Craig

[ikaiser]

Hey Tom,

As this setup confused some, I'll try to wrap up what I understood. Your setup looks like this:

DMM  <----gpib cable---->  NI GPIB-RS232  <----rs232 cable---->  PC

Is this correct?

So basically you PC is speaking to the GPIB-DMM, however this communication flows through a converter/translator. This converter is meant to work fully transparent, creating the impression that the DMM is directly connected to the PC/LabVIEW.

By nature, it's a bit tricky to detect the GPIB-serial converter. (Note: It appear that it's also not showing in MAX due to this reason. Is that correct? Otherwise you could check that. The GPIB-USB however is shown in MAX.)

What operating system are you working on?

What software do you have installed for the GPIB-RS232?