Error message from HP E1411B under Labview

[Robert_Deschambault]

I am running a VXI HP1401 mainframe with an E1406 GPIB controller, E1411 DMM (addr 24) and E1476 Mux (addr 25). I get the following error message when I try to access the device using an address of "VXI::24":

hpe1411b Initialize.viDriver Status: (Hex 0xBFFF00A5) The interface type is valid but the specified interface number is not configured.

Any ideas? Thanks.

Bob

[Dennis_Knutson]

I believe that the correct syntax for GPIB to VXI communication is GPIB-VXI::. The syntax you're using is for an embedded VXI controller or using MXI. I think you also need to make sure that MAX sees the non-NI controller before you can communicate. The NI-VISA Users Manual discusses these issues. The manual should have been installed when you installed NI-VISA.

[Robert_Deschambault]

I can see the HP E1406 controller under MAX as gpib::9::0 and the dmm as gpib::9::3. I can communicate with DMM using the "write to VISA" vi's, but when I try to use the vi's for the DMM, I get the error. I have tried to use variations on the address string, GPIB::9::3::INSTR, GPIB-VXI::24::INSTR, but they don't seem to work. I don't know if I have formatted the strings correctly or if I have the wrong address. NI VISA also seems to assign a gbip subaddress of 99 to the controller and 96 to the DMM. I don't know if this information is necessary in the address strings.

[Dan_Mondrik]

Robert:

I think I know what you need to do:
1) Install the Agilent GPIB-VXI software component. The file that should be installed is \WinNT\bin\hpgpvx32.dll.
2) Run MAX and do Create New... on a GPIB-VXI controller. Otherwise, NI-VISA will not recognize the 1406 (which it currently sees as a regular GPIB device) as a real GPIB-VXI.
3) I think you mean that NI-488 sees the controller at 96 and the DMM at 99. This is normal. The GPIB secondary bus address is the "real" secondary address + 0x60.

The 1406 controller maps logical address/8 = secondary address. So your info looks correct.

Good luck,
Dan Mondrik
Senior Software Engineer, NI-VISA
National Instruments

[Robert_Deschambault]

I think we are getting close. I am having trouble doing the "Create New" function under MAX on devices and interfaces. My initial choice is GPIB (it looks like a folder) and it only says finish. I then get a small window with GPIB0...GPIB9, with a configure button and a board type button. I see the option for VXIpc2xx/5xx and several others including PXI-GPIB, but nothing as VXI-GPIB or GPIB-VXI. Am I doing the right thing?

[Dan_Mondrik]

Robert:

You probably do not have NI-VISA properly installed. I recommend you use NI-VISA 2.6, which should have been installed by LabVIEW 6.1. If you have an older LabVIEW, you can upgrade your NI-VISA off our web site.

Dan Mondrik

[Robert_Deschambault]

I have reinstalled the NI-VISA 2.6 software, but I am not sure about the stability of MAX 2.2.0. I have had difficulty with several installs and reinstalls. I have MAX recognizing the E1406A and I can open a VISA session to it. Do I have to add the other devices as well? (The MUX and DMM?) I can't seem to find a way to do that under MAX for GPIB-VXI interfaces. When I try to add a new device with the same base address but different VXI address, it says that it is already in use by the E1406.

[LesHammer]

The HP E1411 can be addressed is several different ways, depending upon the configuration. This is a register based device. This means that you cannot talk to it unless you know what registers to peek/poke or download a driver to the Command Module for it. For the easiest communication to it, first make sure that the driver is downloaded into the E1406 command module. (The one that is in ROM may not be the best.) If the the driver that is in the E1406 does not support the E1411/E1476 combination, then you can't use the GPIB or GPIB-VXI address. The Command Module should issue a configuration error, if this is the case.

Do you have the Agilent VXI Plug&Play driver for the HP E1411? This has a stand-alone executable driver in it that should automat
ically scan for the E1411 and tell you the correct address for it. If this driver cannot find it, then either the E1406 command module does not have the right driver for it, or there is some other configuration error.

Les Hammer
Complete Test

[Joji]

Bob,

I have used the E1406 GPIB Controller before. I had a couple of problems with using this controller, which may help you out.

NI-VISA supports multiple GPIB-VXI controllers in a single system. Because the National Instruments GPIB-VXI controller ships with a primary address of 1, NI-VISA automatically searches for any GPIB-VXI controllers at that address.

If you have changed the primary address (for example, if you added a second GPIB-VXI controller to your system, and set the address of the second controller to 9), or if you have a GPIB-VXI controller from another vendor, you need to add it using Measurement & Automation Explorer so NI-VISA can find it. Right-click on "Devices and Interfaces" and select "Create New" to add a new GPIB-VXI interface.
Specify the controller's GPIB primary and secondary addresses, as well as the GPIB board to which it is connected. Then specify a new GPIB-VXI interface number and its logical address (usually 0).

Also, make sure that Servant Area address is set higher than all of your addresses (Dip Switches on HP 1406). If you have your Servant Area set lower, you will see your instruments in MAX just fine, but you won't be able to communicate to them at all.