Problems in acquiring the data from the Agilent 86142B OSA and controlling Newport Modular Controller Model 8008 laser diodes

[hchong]

Hi Daryl,

Thanks very much for helping.

Yesterday, I tried to installed and used the agilent 82357A USB/GPIB interface to connect the Newport Modular Controller Model 8008  to my PC. I have search in this forum and find the method for detecting it from MAX. And the USB/GPIB interface is now displayed in Miscellaneous VISA sources under device and interfaces. The address is GPIB1::6::INSTR. However, I find out that I couldn't use the instr driver I have downloaded from newport to control the device. I used the initialize, change current, and close function. Is there any problem with my connection?

From the disc provided by the USB/G{IB , I have also installed the agilent IO library suite 14.2. Then, I tried to click to Tools>Instrumentation>Update VXIplug&play drivers. And the PC automatically updated some drivers, including the ag8614x and some agilent libraries. And then I have tried to use the ag8614x trial.vi I have made before and I found out that it works. I can downloaded the trace.

But I really dun't know the reason for that! Actually, I have tried to update the VXIplug&play drivers after I have just downloaded the ag8614x drivers but labview displayed with a message of NO out-of-date VXIplug&play drivers. I discovered that there is some changes in the ag8614x drivers so that my vi can work. Also, I have noticed in the sub pellete that there are duplicated instrument driver functions. Lets say: there are two download trave.vi and two initialize.vi !!! I hope someone can explain to me the reason that make my vi works because I think that I was only lucky to make the vi work yesterday! I have attached the vi for your reference (ag8614x trial2.vi). Thanks very much!

In addition, could someone point out if I have anything wrong in connecting the Newport devices.

Many thanks!!!

Best regards,

Ryan

[DarylE]

Hello Ryan,

The reason why the software we have said there was no update is because we don't maintain or support the driver.  It is maintained by Agilent as stated on the download page for the driver.  That would be the possible reason why the updates only came through in the Agilent software.

Daryl E
Applications Engineer
National Instruments

[hchong]

Hi Daryl

I have other problems about the downloaded data from the OSA. How can I change the value of x-axis of the graph so that it corresponds to the wavelength value of the x-axis in the OSA. I know that I can wire a cluster consisting of the initial value X0, dX and a data array  to the waveform graph. But that is not what I want becaue this method only change the x-axis. In addition, I would also like to save the data in an excel file. Now, I could only save the data in a 1D array in which the amplitude are shown in the file. Any changes I could made to my vi so that I can have the wavelength value (in x-axis) corresponds to the amplitude value (in y-axis) saved in the excel file? That means it is a 2D array!

In my vi, I have a control to acquire the trace points downloaded, so do I need to use property node and calculate the the offset and multiplier first?

THanks!

Best regards,

Ryan

[Dennis_Knutson]

Your question is confusing because you say you know you can change the x0, dX, and y array but that "this method only change the x-axis" but it's the x-axis you say you want to change. The x0 can be starting wavelength and dX and be the wavelength increment. It can represent anything you want. A quick look at the driver and I found a get wavelength start and stop function. Look to see if there's a query to get the step size directly or calculate it from the stop, stop, and number of points.

[JOSMGM]

Hi jrp

Reading your coment I saw that you have some expirience working with Agilent OSA´s and its drivers, so I am doing a project for the university in order to have a remote controll of the OSA using like port TCP/IP, until now I already can have conection and made some small functions like "Auto Meas" and " Center WL" , now the problem that I´m having is to show the trace  of the OSA in the Vi, I suppose that I need to use the " Download trace.vi" in order to do that, but I realy dont think how to do it. In resume I need to see in my computer the trace that appears in the OSA, coul you give me a tip for this. sorry by my English, thats because I´m from México.

Message Edited by JOSMGM on 01-31-2007 07:08 PM

[JOSMGM]

Message Edited by JOSMGM on 02-15-2007 11:01 AM

[JOSMGM]

Hey could anybody help me with the before threat please, I’ll beg you, I´ll tried to do everything and I can´t get it done. Please if anyone could help I´ll be extremely glad and thankful with him.

[Ebele_Obijiofor]

Hello,
Did you try using the Download trace VI that you mentioned? If so, what were the problems you had with it? Thanks!

Regards,

Message Edited by _Belle on 02-19-2007 07:08 AM

[JOSMGM]

Hi thank you very much for your concern, this vi says “returns the Y--axis data points for the trace on real 64 data array. Always use after retrieving the number of points in the trace, and allocating space to the array” , then I supposed that first I need to save this output data in some kind of array, in order to then send it  to a graph or something like that. You could notice that I don’t have much experience with Lab View, could you know how can I see in my VI the trace that appeared in the Spectrum Analyser?

I attached to you an image of my incomplete VI.

Regards and thanks

José Manuel G.

[Ebele_Obijiofor]

Hi Jose,

From what I understand, you are trying to plot the data you receive from your "Download Traces" VI to a graph. correct? To do this, you can use a waveform graph or chart on the front panel, and then connect the "data" output on the block diagram to the graph/chart. Hope this helps. Thanks!

Regards,