Getting started -- HPIB + Labview

[Posting 2002]

Hi, I have a question:

I have a spectrum analyzer from HP connected to the computer through a HP-IB
card.

I would like to write a program to send different HP-IB commands to the
analyzer and get back data from measurement. I have gathered the required
commands to send to the analyzer from the HP manual.

Where can I go for example programs or step-by-step procedures to automate
this task in Labview?

Thanks,



/Dan

[Gary Lindgren]

Dan,
Why not use Visual Basic to do this. It would be simpler to implement and
easier to follow and debug. You could use the SICL commands that come with
the HPIB card.
Gary


"Posting 2002" wrote in message
news:E1sE9.60097$e%.393435@news20.bellglobal.com...
> Hi, I have a question:
>
> I have a spectrum analyzer from HP connected to the computer through a
HP-IB
> card.
>
> I would like to write a program to send different HP-IB commands to the
> analyzer and get back data from measurement. I have gathered the required
> commands to send to the analyzer from the HP manual.
>
> Where can I go for example programs or step-by-step procedures to automate
> this task in Labview?
>
> Thanks,
>
>
>
> /Dan
>
>

[Shan]

First, check out the example program shipped with LabVIEW "LabVIEW<->GPIB.vi". If your having trouble locating it, select Find Examples from the Help menu. This example should get you talking to the device.

Second, check for instrument drivers for your specific device at http://zone.ni.com/idnet97.nsf/browse/
These are pre-written vi's for a given device that can make your task even easier.

~Tim

[Dennis_Knutson]

I'm going to assume that you don't have a GPIB board from NI since only HP/Agilent calls it HPIB. If that's the case, then you can't use the LabVIEW GPIB functions. You have to use the VISA functions to read and write from the instrument. If you can find a driver for the instrument from either NI or Agilent, make sure that the driver is using VISA. Most do but some older ones don't. The other thing you'll have to do is install the VISA driver from Agilent and not the NI VISA driver. There have been a lot a postings to this forum about using Agilent HPIB cards with LabVIEW and I would suggest you do a search with Agilent and GPIB as the search parameters. For developing your own instrument driver, there's this link and Chapters 18 and 19 of the LabVIEW Measurements Manual.