Labview 5.1 and GPIB

[Ken]

Having a problem with using an old instrument and labview gpib. The card is
the national instruments gpib card but the "instrument" is an old 5600
switching main frame. Just a bunch of relays that are addressed via the gpib
card. the problem is that labview sees it but tells me that it isn't 488.2
compatable. I can transmit to it, not sure if it sees me though. I have to
put in some wires and find out if the relays are latching or not. the labview
gpib programs will not acknowledge any transmissions from the mainframe, if
there are any. if anyone has any ideas, i would appreciate it. I have
contacted the vendor of the mainframe but they don't answer my queries.

ken

[Kevin_work]

Ken wrote:

> Having a problem with using an old instrument and labview gpib. The card is
> the national instruments gpib card but the "instrument" is an old 5600
> switching main frame. Just a bunch of relays that are addressed via the gpib
> card. the problem is that labview sees it but tells me that it isn't 488.2
> compatable. I can transmit to it, not sure if it sees me though. I have to
> put in some wires and find out if the relays are latching or not. the labview
> gpib programs will not acknowledge any transmissions from the mainframe, if
> there are any. if anyone has any ideas, i would appreciate it. I have
> contacted the vendor of the mainframe but they don't answer my queries.
>
> ken

Ken,
Much of the older equipment is not 488.2 compliant. There
is really little
difference
between the 2 (488 = old, 488.2 = new). Electrically they are the same, except
for
maybe max transfer rate. The major difference is the fact that 488.2 devices must

respond to a set of commands that are now part of the spec.

You can use the "Traditional GPIB" functions to talk to the device in question.
I am not sure how this works if you use VISA. This is what I use and it seems
to work OK even on older devices.

The vendor will probably be of little use since upgrading the device (if they
even will do it)
would consist of a complete replacement of the GPIB circuitry. If you have the
programming
manual, then you are all set.
Use the Traditional GPIB functions, send your commands and read back the
response.

Kevin Kent

[Pinchas Flau]

I had the same problem with an old GPIB controlled device.
The device manufacturer didn't know to solve the problem.
National Instruments Israel advised us to use an older GPIB board for ISA
bus instead of a PCI-GPIB board that is suspected to work too much speedly
for old GPIB controlled device.
I have not tried the solution because I had another newer device that works
correctly with the PCI-GPIB board.
It's also preferable to work with GPIB boards of National Instruments that
are fully compatible with Labview. (We encountered troubles with PCI-GPIB
boards of ComputerBoards that were able to be fully compatible with Labview
according to ComputerBoard)

Good Luck
Pinchas

Ken wrote in message
news:iosS3.3203$Hc.7406479@news.optonline.net...
> Hav
ing a problem with using an old instrument and labview gpib. The card
is
> the national instruments gpib card but the "instrument" is an old 5600
> switching main frame. Just a bunch of relays that are addressed via the
gpib
> card. the problem is that labview sees it but tells me that it isn't
488.2
> compatable. I can transmit to it, not sure if it sees me though. I have
to
> put in some wires and find out if the relays are latching or not. the
labview
> gpib programs will not acknowledge any transmissions from the mainframe,
if
> there are any. if anyone has any ideas, i would appreciate it. I have
> contacted the vendor of the mainframe but they don't answer my queries.
>
> ken

[Pinchas Flau]

I want to add something to my E-mail I sent you a few minutes ago.
I suggest you to put your GPIB commands into loop till you will get "no
error".
Try also to reset your device by power off and on the device during your VI
is sending GPIB commands. This procedure will help you till you will solve
the problem.

Pinchas

Ken wrote in message
news:iosS3.3203$Hc.7406479@news.optonline.net...
> Having a problem with using an old instrument and labview gpib. The card
is
> the national instruments gpib card but the "instrument" is an old 5600
> switching main frame. Just a bunch of relays that are addressed via the
gpib
> card. the problem is that labview sees it but tells me that it isn't
488.2
> compatable. I can transmit to it, not sure if it sees
me though. I have
to
> put in some wires and find out if the relays are latching or not. the
labview
> gpib programs will not acknowledge any transmissions from the mainframe,
if
> there are any. if anyone has any ideas, i would appreciate it. I have
> contacted the vendor of the mainframe but they don't answer my queries.
>
> ken

[Pinchas Flau]

I had the same problem with an old GPIB controlled device.
The device manufacturer didn't know to solve the problem.
National Instruments Israel advised us to use an older GPIB board for ISA
bus instead of a PCI-GPIB board that is suspected to work too much speedly
for old GPIB controlled device.
I have not tried the solution because I had another newer device that works
correctly with the PCI-GPIB board.
It's also preferable to work with GPIB boards of National Instruments that
are fully compatible with Labview. (We encountered troubles with PCI-GPIB
boards of ComputerBoards that were able to be fully compatible with Labview
according to ComputerBoard)

Good Luck
Pinchas


I want to add something to my E-mail I sent you a few minutes ago.
I suggest you to put your GPI
B commands into loop till you will get "no
error".
Try also to reset your device by power off and on the device during your VI
is sending GPIB commands. This procedure will help you till you will solve
the problem.

Pinchas

Ken wrote in message
news:iosS3.3203$Hc.7406479@news.optonline.net...
> Having a problem with using an old instrument and labview gpib. The card
is
> the national instruments gpib card but the "instrument" is an old 5600
> switching main frame. Just a bunch of relays that are addressed via the
gpib
> card. the problem is that labview sees it but tells me that it isn't
488.2
> compatable. I can transmit to it, not sure if it sees me though. I have
to
> put in some wires and find out if the relays are latching or not. the
labview
> gpib programs will not acknowledge any transmissions from the mainframe,
if
> there are any. if anyone has any ideas, i would appreciate it. I have
> contacted the vendor of the mainframe but they don't answer
my queries.
>
> ken