Sorensen DCS Power Supply RS232

[GR_JJC]

Hi,

I am trying to communicate with an old Sorensen DCS power supply (DCS100-12) via RS232. It has the M9 option and the manual is attached. I am using a RJ11 to DB9 cable as mentioned in the section 2.4. 

Before going to a Labview VI, I am first trying to communicate using the VISA Test Panel. I am using the following parameters as mentioned in the manual :

Baud rate : 19200

Data Bits : 8

Stop Bits : 1

Parity : None

If I start the power supply and query "*IDN?\r\n" I get both the answer and a timeout error (see image below). The next query will always timeout (even *IDN? ). 

I have tried a lot of different setting with no success. In the other hand I tried to use a GPIB to USB adapter from another device and it works fine. 

Questions :

• Any ideas why the RS232 communication always timeout ?
• Why it give me a good answer only for the first query ?

[Albert.Geven]

You seem to do what I would have done.

My only suggestion is to use only \r or \n instead of both.

[GR_JJC]

Thanks for your help,

I have also tried the \r and \n alone without success.

I guess I will have to buy another GPIB to USB adapter. 

[JB]

This power supply is unknown to me, so I can't speak from experience.

However, after spending a few minutes to read the instruction manual, I wonder if the problem does not come from the use of the IDN? command (instead of ID?).

[GR_JJC]

I tried the ID? command without success as well (with the different termination characters mentioned above). It timeout as any other read command. 

As I understand from the manual, M9A and SCPI are just two different languages but the HW setup is the same for both of them (cf Section 2).

I could imagine that the issue comes from the wiring, but I still receive an answer via the first IDN? command just after the power supply startup. 

I wonder if this can come from the VISA Test Panel. Is there another simple tool that can perform the same kind of tests ?

[Minions]

Try entering *STB?\n or *CLS\n prior to sending the *IDN?\n queries.  It may be that their is a status message awaiting.

[JB]

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@GR_JJC wrote:

...

I wonder if this can come from the VISA Test Panel. Is there another simple tool that can perform the same kind of tests ?

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LabVIEW Menu >> Help >> Find Examples... >>

[GR_JJC]

I tried both command with \n and \r\n as termination character.

Similarly to the *IDN?\r\n command, the *STB?\r\n works only one time after the restart of the power supply and it send me both a timeout error and the answer "68\r". The *CLS\r\n timeout the first time (even after a startup) and the next *IDN?\r\n timeout as well.

[Minions]

The response to *STB? gives us some insight as to what the issue may be.

The response of 68 = 64 + 4 as the status byte is a binary representation which is described on page 3-2 of the manual. 

(64) ==> It seems that you are configured with the Service Request = ON.  This could be due to a couple of things.

1) Do you have DIP switches on the back of the supply?  If so, make sure that the first 3 (MSB) switches are set according to figure 2.3. (This device is responding as if the 2nd switch is in the ON position)

2) *SRE is set in software.  Try writing, "*SRE0\n" to the device.

(4) ==> Implies that there is an error message waiting in the buffer.  Enter the query, "SYST:ERR?\n" to find the response and compare versus the SCPI Error Codes which begins on page 3-4.

[GR_JJC]

Thanks a lot for your explanation on the binary representation. 

I don't get the link between 64 and the service request. On page 7-3 the bit n.7 in the SCPI Status Byte correspond to the "Operation Status Flag".

(64) Service request

1) The 3 DIP switches are set up as described on the Figure 2-1 (for DCS Power supplies). 

2) I tried the "*SRE0\n" command but it doesn't change anything. I also tried to query "*SRE?\r\n" after a startup and got "0\r". So I guess that is not the issue.

(4) Error message

I have restarted again the power supply and query "SYST:ERR?\n". I got the following error: 

201,\sUnexpected\swarm\sboot\r

The manual mention :

201 - Unexpected warm boot
This error means that the M9 GPIB-side processor experienced a warm boot that was unexpected, and it may indicate an internal crash of the M9 processor.

I don't think this comes from a HW issue as I tried with three differents DCS power supplies and got the same error. Moreover the power supplies are working using the GPIB to USB module.