gpib

[jyg345]

Hello, I want to control Agilent Signal Generator(E4438C ) by GPIB. I've got a GPIB-USB-HS from NI, and the GPIB address of the instrument is set to 10. I try to connect to the instrument with querying '*IDN?', but it says '-113 Undefined Header' and '-142 Query Unterminated'. Also I tried Agilent I/O Suite, but the same result, from which we can know there is no reply to our querying. They, the Agilent Expert, says it may be the problem of your driver of GPIB that induces incompatiblility. Inaddition, maybe, you have a firmware version limit of instrument. Can you show me how to get it? Thank you.

[Dennis_Knutson]

What exactly are trying to get? The latest version of NI-488 can be gotten by clicking the Support button at the top of the page.

Are you sending the command in MAX? Are you using the VISA interface? Do you have any problem with other instruments? Did you verify in the manual that the command is supported?

[jyg345]

      I want to control the instrument (Agilent Signal Generator E4438C) by GPIB with direct I/O command but not the driver. Because I only need to use some simple control command. Such as '*IDN?', which is to query identifying information of instrument, and '*RST', which is to reset the instrument. These commands are fully supported by E4438C, which I can look up in its Guide Manual.

     I have installed the latest version of NI-488. But the result is the same.

     I sent a command of '*IDN?' in MAX, but got no reply. The instrument displays error information of '-113 Undefined Header' and '-142 Query UNTERMINATED'. Then I tried to turn on the checkbox('Send EOI after writing'), and result was the same. I also tried to change terminated character, but didn't succeeed. By the way, I tried many instruments, and I found all signal generator couldn't be queried successfully, but all Agilent's Signal Analyzer could easily succeed, which returned a reply very quickly, and could be recognized by MAX.  I found all Signal Analyzers I tried is based on Windows XP, but Signal Generator is not that. So I don't know whether it will affect communication. What's more, when I try to connect instruments by LAN, and all of the instruments can return a reply very quickly ,which seems very normal.

   About VISA, I am not familiar with it. So here I snapped some pictures to show you.

[JÞB]

You have 21 devices hung on that bus!  Any brief tutorial on IEEE 488 will tell you you should expect unreliable communucation on a bus that violates spec limits