MAX query error messages when communicating with ESPEC chamber BTZ-133 with controller SU-261

[tt53560]

This has been driving me crazy.  I am new to LabView and MAX.  I could talk to the chamber last week and ran my LabView programs to control the chamber fine.  However this week without changing anything, once I entered "*IDN?" in MAX and clicked "query", I got either *NA:COMMAND ERR", or "NA:N", or "NA:P" as response.  This morning when I used the following commands on MAX, I got the weird responses as listed below.

Input: *OPT?; MAX response: NA:T

Input: *IST?; MAX response: NA:I

Input: *ESE?; MAX response: NA:E

Input: *ESR?; MAX Response: NA:R

I am using a GPIB-USB-HS cable, which works fine with other instruments.

What can be wrong with my setup?

Thank you very much!

Tiaotiao

[JLZam]

Hi tt53560,

Have you tried communicating with your device using a software other than MAX?

You can try using NI VISA. Visa allows you to set the parameters for the communication, maybe the communication parameters for your device are not the same as NI instruments?

Also you should take a look at your hardware’s manual to find out what the response messages mean.

Regards.

[tt53560]

JLZam,

Thank you very much for your kind reply.

I used VISA to try out the communication.  Once I opened VISA I/O operation, it showed "*IDN?\n" automatically.  It seems ok with "write".  However, "query" returned "read: timeout".  Same things for "read".  If I clicked "read" or "query" for a couple of more times, even "write" would timeout.

I checked the chamber manual, it does not list error message meanings.

I will contact vendor toady to see whether I can get any help. 

Tiaotiao

[Dennis_Knutson]

Doors the manual list *IDN? as a valid command?

[tt53560]

The manual does not list *IDN? as a MAX command.  I tried those on its manual, did not work at all.  I always got "timeout".

[JLZam]

Maybe that is the problem... you need to make sure that the commands you are sending to the device are compatible with it.
You need to read the product's manual to be able to define the way to "speak" with it.

Regards

[tt53560]

I used "TYPE?" according to the manual.  Still got the same problem.  I checked the GPIB cable and used it on another application.  It worked fine.  The manufacturer suggested to change the GPIB card.  I pulled out the GPIB card, which has only straight lines from GPIB socket to the ribbon cable socket.  The connectivity from one socket to the other ts is still good.

Thus, I think the only thing I can try is to uninstall the associated drivers and software, restall them in the right order and try again.

[JLZam]

Hi tt

That sounds like a good step to take. Installation order is very important when adding drivers to your computer. Make sure LabVIEW is installed before you install any drivers for it.

I am assuming you have the driver for your device, if you don´t you can download it from the following website:

http://www.espec.com/na/support/software