How to control HP 3585A through GPIB in labview?

[Sungjae]

I'd like to get noise spectrum data from HP 3585A spectrum analyzer. Just having started looking at Labview (version 5.0) and tried example GPIB.vi, I still couldn't figure out how to do it. Any suggestions or comments would be appreciated.

[DiegoF]

Hi,

The first thing you can do to determine if you're instrument is working correctly is doing a simple query in MAX (measurement and automation explorer). The GPIB interface should appear in MAX under "device and interfaces". Right-click on it and select "scan for instruments". If MAX detects you're instrument it means that it was able to communicate with it. You can them right click on the instrument's entry and select "communicate with instrument". The default query is the identification command "*IDN?".

All this tests allow you to verify that the communication is working properly. The instrument has to be 488.2 compliant to recognized the *IDN? command (it probablyis).

Once the communication is verified, you can use the LabVIEW examples to send
commands to the instrument. The syntax of the commands sent is instrument specific, so you should check you instrument's user manual to determine which commands to send and how to send them (ordering, format, etc).

Check the tutorials and example in the GPIB support site for more info:

http://www.ni.com/support/gpibsupp.htm

DiegoF.

[Sungjae]

Thank you. HP3585A is really an old equipment (still working nicely), and my understanding is that it is 488.1 (older GPIB version than 488.1) compliant. I will try what you just suggest and see what happens. thank you again.

Sungjae

[DiegoF]

Hi,

If it is 488.1 you probably won't be able to use the *IDN? command. Still you will be able to communicate with your instrument. Just check the user manual of your instrument for the commands it accepts.

DiegoF.