Unable to set frequency on HP 33120A

[Lpelt17]

Hi all,

First I appologize in advance  if this is in the wrong location or if this is a stupid question. I am new to lab view.

I am trying to work with an HP 33120A Arbitrary Waveform Generator. I have the driver loaded, I have the sample vi loaded in lab view. I am using LabView 16. I have the correct address for the ARB selected. I can see the ARB in MAX just fine. I am trying to use a Sine wave at 15Hz frequency and 50 mVpp amplitude.

When I try to set the Frequency to 15Hz it is not working. I have the frequency set in the controls on the front panel. The weird thing is, when I check the ARB before and after running the vi, the frequency is 15Hz. But when the vi is running it is always using 1KHz. Both the ARB display and the scope I have it connected to show the 1KHz when the vi is running.

What am I doing wrong?

[Lpelt17]

Playing around with this some more, it looks like if I use the Generate Arbitrary Waveform vi, the frequency does get changed to 15Hz but it takes a few seconds. The Generate Standard Waveform vi seems to just trigger the ARB once for about half a second and stop. Maybe this is some kind of timing issue where it needs longer to make the change on the ARB?  Just guessing in the dark here.

I also changed out the GPIB-USB-HS, power cables, ARB, the scope, and BNC cable to the scope. No luck on an easy fix there.

[lcgse88]

Hi,

Any sign that the device might be damaged, Have you thought about that? Can you try the example with another device?

Luis G.

[Lpelt17]

Hi Luis, thanks for the reply.

Unfortunately, as I said in my 2nd post, I have already tried changing out all of the equipment involved. I am sure this is something basic I am missing that people familiar with LabView take for granted. It has to be. There is no other reason why the example vi included with the software for this specific device would not work. Oh well. If life was easy it would be boring I suppose.

[Henrik_Volkers]

Isn't there something like a VISA logging/debugging in MAX? 

EDIT:  Yes ... try MAX NI-I/O Trace 🙂  RTFM helps 😉

the 'switch back' to 1kHz is an indicator for device reset...

Anyway, grab the manual and use the basic visa write and read.

If you have IDN? (or was it *IDN?  ?)  running (the 'hello world' of instrumentation setup)  the rest will follow.

Other common pitfall is local settings, like comma as decimal seperator which not all drivers (and usually no instrument) can handle...

[Lpelt17 · Accepted solution]

Hello Henrick,

Thank you for the response. I decided to control the device programmatically using a more traditional language, I am having no problems using that approach. Everyone can consider this topic as "closed" as I will not be checking back anymore.

Thank you agian for the help.