Tektronix TDS 784C Driver for LabVIEW 5

[StuCripps]

Hi,

I am very new to LabVIEW and I am trying to get a laptop with LabVIEW 5 to communicate with a Tektronix TDS 784C scope.

I found drivers on this site but it says that they only work for LabVIEW version 7 and later. Is there any way of getting hold of drivers for LabVIEW 5?

If no such drivers are available is it still possible to somehow record data from the scope to the laptop? I have so far managed to use the "easy VISA" vi's to ask the instrument what its name is and it returns that ok. I guess this shows that LabVIEW and the instrument can talk to each other - I just don't know how to do more complex tasks such as record waveform data etc.

Any help would be much appreciated!

Stu

[Tom O]

Hi Stu,

Unfortunately we don't support LabVIEW 5 any more and Tektronix don't support that scope any more, so you may have difficulty! Your options are:

• Check the product manual for the commands you need to give to send and receive data. You should be able to use the commands to make VIs that perform the same functions as the drivers.
• I may be able to convert the drivers back for you by digging out archived versions of LabVIEW and saving back. I can't guarantee that this is an option though. If you'd like me to try, can you confirm which drivers you are using? I found http://sine.ni.com/apps/utf8/niid_web_display.model_page?p_model_id=1468 for the 784A.
  
• Upgrade to LabVIEW 7+ (the current version is 8.5) to use the drivers as intended. You'll also benefit from all the improvements we've made through the years along with our full support!

I hope this helps and that you're able to get up and running!

Regards,

[StuCripps]

Hi Tom,

thanks for the advice...

I managed to dig out the manual for the scope (which was so old that it was on a stone tablet and written in hieroglyphics!). Amazingly though I found the commands that I needed and I was able write a vi to capture waveforms using VISA vi's in LabVIEW 5. Does that sound like a sensible way of doing things?

I think since it appears that I am able to use the VISA commands I will be able to get by without the driver files, but thank you very much for offering to convert them for me.

I do have access to a computer with LabVIEW 7 installed, but it is out of action at the moment, hence me being stuck with the older version for the time being!

This has been my first 'go' with LabVIEW and I must say its pretty cool when you manage to talk to a piece of kit for the first time! So that I have some idea of why what I did worked, does a driver vi essentially call up the same commands as printed in the instrument's instruction manual also using the VISA vi's?

Thanks again for your help,

Stu

[Tom O]

Hi Stu,

It sounds like what you've done is spot-on! Most instrument drivers for LabVIEW are high-level drivers that provide the right commands and then interpret the data accordingly, so it sounds like your VIs will be working a lot like the drivers. I'm glad you've been able to get up and running, well done!

All the best,

[Trig]

Hi, i have some problem. i have upgraded to LabView 8.2 but i cant seem to be able to communicate with my tektronix TDS 620A scope. any suggestions?

[Dennis_Knutson]

Since you are not using LabVIEW or the same model scope, you really should have posted a new question. In any case, you've not provided much information. Just saying that you have a 'problem' is not enough. What is the type of connection to the scope? GPIB, RS-232, Ethernet, etc? If GPIB, what type of GPIB controller are you using (vendor, type, etc.)? Is the scope detected by MAX? When you try to communicate, are there any errors generated? If so, what is the error code? How are you testing the communication - MAX or the  LabVIEW driver? You mention upgrading to 8.2. Does that mean that with an older version you did have communication?

[Trig]

yes i am using LabVIEW. Im using NI LabVIEW 8.20. sorry for not providing adequet information. The connection from my pc to the TDS 620A is GPIB-USB-HS. Im using Tektronix TDS620A oscilloscope. The scope is detected by Measurements and Automation perfectly. when i try to communicate there is an Error 6. I have never used older version for my communication. Is there any VI files that i can able to download so that i can control the settings of the scope using LabVIEW?

[Dennis_Knutson]

You should download the driver and install it in your instr.lib folder. You can search for drivers from the Tools menu in LabVIEW.

To learn what a driver is and how to use it, check out the main Instrument Driver Network page.

[Trig]

Dennis, thank you for helping. i solve the problem already. im now able to communicate with the scope through GPIB. Where can i find the VI so that i am able to obtain results of the waveform i acquire on the scope to be sent to LabVIEW. for example i have a sine wave signal and i want to compute the rise time fall time overshoot etc. is there any VI that is capable of obtaining it in LabVIEW???

[Dennis_Knutson]

Did you install the driver and are the functions available on your Instrument I/O>Instrument Driver palette? I haven't look at the driver myself but the task you want to do is pretty common and I would expect a driver function to perform a built-in measurement. There certainly must be at least a function to return a waveform.