Using GPIB of Keithley

[yogesh10994]

I am using a GPIB cable from Keithley model no.: KUSB 488b (not NI).

When trying to interact with the instrument (Lock-in-Amplifier) using Keithley diagnostic tool and configuration, I am able to communicate with my Lock-in-Amplifier.

But when I try to communicate with my instrument via Lab View programme, it gives an error 0 saying--Error connecting to GPIB driver or device. " The NI-488.2 driver may not be installed"

From the last sentence I guess the problem is that when I try to interact via a GPIB interface, the Lab View thinks its of National Instrument and try to locate it through NI-488.2.

Therefore I guess the solution is to tell the Lab View that I am using the GPIB of Keithley......But I don't know HOW?

Need your help..... Thanks in advance.....

Also I have a GPIB cable of Agilent company... so want to know if using GPIB cables of different companies in a same Lab View code possible

PS: I have a GPIB cable of NI which works fine. I would also say that using NI-488.2 software is more user friendly than KI-488 software.... which is like working on windows 98

[wiebe@CARYA]

I think NI's GPIB driver is needed for any\all GPIB devices. So I'd say you need to install the NI drivers as a minimum requirement. And also the device's driver.

[yogesh10994]

The problem is that while installing the Keithley GPIB driver.... it prompted that the NI's GPIB drivers i.e NI 488.2 must be uninstalled.....so I had uninstall it.

As I said----When trying to interact with the instrument (Lock-in-Amplifier) using Keithley diagnostic tool and configuration, I am able to communicate with my Lock-in-Amplifier.....but not with LabVIEW

Also the solution is important to me because in my lab I have three GPIB cable one each from NI, Keithley and Agilent. So in one of the Labview code i have to connect three GPIB...so I need to know how can these three will be compatible with each other

[Minions]

More specific data (instrument model numbers) would be better to help us understand and therefore help you better.  <<Where should I plug this loose wire?>>

This sounds like a decision that you need to make.

1. Will you be controlling your Keithley Instrument with their software?  If the answer is yes, then you may be out of luck because you may need to keep the Keithley GPIB driver.
2. Did you check to see if NI already has a driver for your Keithley instrument?  If there is one, then uninstall the Keithley driver then load the NI-488 driver.  Download the instrument driver and try communications with the instrument.
3. If you plan to control these instruments through SCPI commands, then uninstall the Keithley driver then load the NI-488 driver.

[RTSLVU]

For Agilent/Keysight USB-GPIB (maybe Keithley too) you need to make sure the NI-VISA Passport for TULIP is enabled (it is disabled by default)

Open NI MAX

Navigate to Tools---->NI VISA---->VISA Options

Select Passports from the tree

Check the box to enable NiVisaTulip.dll -- NI-VISA Passport fo Tulip

[yogesh10994]

Thank you for ur reply....

I did as you said. I enabled the Tulip. What I observed is:

1). I am able to see the agilent\Keysight GPIB on the NI MAX interface.... both under the devices and interfaces and the miscellaneous visa Resourses.... Also I am able communicate with my instrument using VISA Test panel...........Thanks....

BUT... the problem now is:

1). When I communicate using LabVIEW it gives GPIB error 7...... 

I have attached the screenshot.....Also I want to know since I am able to see the agilent GPIB under miscellaneous VISA resources, so shall I use VISA communication subVI in LabVIEW instead of GPIB subVIs ?? 

[Blokk]

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yogesh@10994 wrote:Also I want to know since I am able to see the agilent GPIB under miscellaneous VISA resources, so shall I use VISA communication subVI in LabVIEW instead of GPIB subVIs ?? 

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Yes, if it works, you should always go for the VISA comm. It is a higher level of comm layer, but I am not sure about the proper terminology to be honest 😄 Anyway, VISA is what you want.

EDIT: could you specify your lock-in-amplifier model and brand? Did you find device drivers for LabVIEW using VISA functions? Or at least you have a manual describing the command protocol? (SCPI commands, something else?)

[yogesh10994]

I am using SR830 Model Lock-in-Amplifier. I have its manual with the list of commands. The LabVIEW VI that I made interacts perfectly with the Lock-in-Amplifier provided I use NI GPIB cable.... But using Agilents GPIB cable it gives GPIB error code 7 (after enabling the tulip in ni passport).....

I want to know what changes do I need to make in the screenshot (which works OK with NI GPIB).....so that I could use Agilent USB\GPIB converter

[Blokk]

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@yogesh10994 wrote:

I am using SR830 Model Lock-in-Amplifier. I have its manual with the list of commands. The LabVIEW VI that I made interacts perfectly with the Lock-in-Amplifier provided I use NI GPIB cable.... But using Agilents GPIB cable it gives GPIB error code 7 (after enabling the tulip in ni passport).....

I want to know what changes do I need to make in the screenshot (which works OK with NI GPIB).....so that I could use Agilent USB\GPIB converter

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Why you want to program communication from scratch when there is already proper driver (VISA implementation works both for RS232 and GPIB!) for this device??

Install the official LabVIEW driver available for your Stanford Research 830 amplifier:

1. Be sure you have VISA driver already installed! If not, you can get it here: http://sine.ni.com/psp/app/doc/p/id/psp-411/lang/en
2. Open LabVIEW IDE
3. Go to "Help" menu, then click on "Find Instrument Drivers..."
4. Select "Stanford Instruments" for the Manufacturer list, and type "830" into the Keywords field. Click on "Search".
5. It will find the driver, then install it.

You should now find the corresponding VIs from the Block Diagram, in the palette under "Instrument I/O" --> "Instr. Drivers" --> "Stanford Research 830":

Ok, now about your Keithley GPIB cable problem. Did you make the required settings under MAX what was told you here?:

https://forums.ni.com/t5/LabVIEW/Using-GPIB-of-Keithley/m-p/3743645/highlight/true#M1053798

If so, test the driver, only use for example a revision query first, to see if you can open comm properly...:

[Blokk]

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@yogesh10994 wrote:

Also the solution is important to me because in my lab I have three GPIB cable one each from NI, Keithley and Agilent. So in one of the Labview code i have to connect three GPIB...so I need to know how can these three will be compatible with each other

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Hmm, could you explain this further? So you have three GPIB cable (USB-GPIB adapter to be precise) from the above three manufacturers? What is your exact goal? You want to use 3 different PCs to communicate with different GPIB devices (amplifiers, etc)?? As I understood this is your case, yes?

Just in case, I would point out that if you only want to use a single PC to communicate with several GPIB devices, you only need a single GPIB cable! You can connect several GPIB devices to a single PC using a single GPIB cable. If this is the situation, just use the cable from NI, with the NI driver...

If you have a "GPIB-USB-HS" from NI, you can connect 14 GPIB instruments to this single port: http://www.ni.com/en-gb/support/model.gpib-usb-hs.html

EDIT: so if you use the standard GPIB cables, you can see that the sockets enable you to connect a second cable on top of another, thus using 3 GPIB cable (not adapter) plus a single GPIB adapter, you can connect 3 instruments to your single NI-USB-GPIB adapter...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:IEEE-488-Stecker2.jpg

In our laboratory, I have a setup where I use a single NI-USB-GPIB adapter connected to 10 Keithley instruments (source meters, multimeters, etc)...

EDIT2: maybe better pictures here: http://www.l-com.com/content/Article.aspx?Type=L&ID=203

There is a picture showing the "In-line/linear" configuration, when you use several cables to connect multiple instruments to a single GPIB port on the PC (or USB adapter)...