Windows 2000 hangs using PCI-GPIB and updated GPIBPCI.SYS

[OptoPaul]

I am using Windows 2000 to talk to 4 GPIB instruments, using a PCI-GPIB card, and v1.60 of the driver, with the updated GPIBPCI.SYS. A PCI-6031E DAQ card is installed in the system.

When using the old GPIBPCI.SYS, I get the documented blue screen error with the first minute or so of test, however, when I update GPIBPCI.SYS, the whole OS locks within 30 seconds. When using NI-SPY, sometimes, it is clear that it isn't a complete lock, but is taking 5 seconds for some ibwrt and then also 5 seconds calls to subsequent ThreadIBSTA() functions. The bus is showing ESTB for these calls. I'm not sure if this is a cause or effect of this problem. The program works flawlessly (!) under Win95 on a differe
nt PC.

Has anyone else seen similar issues under Win2K and the new GPIBPCI.SYS?

The system configuration is fairly complex, as this is a dual boot machine to Windows NT 4.0, to enable evaluatation of NI hardware and software under Windows 2000. I have attempted a reinstall of the NI software listed below, allowing Win2K to redetect the hardware.

Also installed are VISA 2.5, CVIRTE 5.5, NI-DAQ 6.90, and MAX 2.0. The program is written in Microsoft C++ v6.0 SP5, and statically linked with gpib.lib.

[Kim L]

Try disabling DMA. You
can disable DMA by using the ibdma board level call. An example in IBIC would
be as follows:


ibfind gpib0
ibrsc 1
ibsic
ibdma 0 <- this will disable DMA

If this fixes the problem, please let us know.

If this does not, you can contact NI, with a copy of the Spy Capture and more information about your program.


Kim L.
Applications Engineer
National Instruments

[OptoPaul]

"Try disabling DMA. You
can disable DMA by using the ibdma board level call."

I had seen a previous post like this, and have tried this already, with no success - does this hold for all following communications on the GPIB? I used IBIC to do write these commands, then run my separate program.

I'll try this again, and if still a problem - will contact NI support.

[Pete Williams]

Not really an answer, but confirmation that there is a problem. We're using Windows 2000 to talk to 4 instruments, using a PCI-GPIB card, and v1.60 of the driver. With the supplied GPIBPCI.SYS we get an undocumented blue-screen problem:

** STOP: 0x000000B8 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000
A wait operation, attach process, or yield was attempted from a DPC routine.

With the updated GPIBPCI.SYS we get the same problem. We've been in contact with NI UK support and they confirmed that there is an undocumented problem with the driver - we're still waiting for further information...