keithley 2401

[acolbourn]

Hey, I'm using a pretty new Kiethley 2401 and running into a lot of issues getting it working with Labview.  I have the latest drivers named "24XX" So I assume these should cover it but they seem to be incompatible.  When I used the very first initialize function I kept getting the error "+803 Not Permitted with Output ".  I finally turned off the id query and reset function and was able to get communication without the error.  I can also manually send commands to it outside labview but I always have to send ":OUTP ON" first or nothing else works. Anyone know if this is the correct driver or why I'm running into trouble with this?  

Thanks in advance,

Alex

[smercurio_fc]

I am assuming you are referring to these: http://sine.ni.com/apps/utf8/niid_web_display.download_page?p_id_guid=25B255F3AA83660EE0440003BA7CCD...

The error you are seeing means that you can't do a read unless the outputs are on. The Initialize VI performs no sort of reads, so I don't understand why this would be giving you that error. Are you actually running the Initialize VI by itself, or is it part of a larger program?

[acolbourn]

Ya those are the drivers I'm trying to use.  When I used NI Spy it looked like the initialize function was using reads and writes when I did an ID query and during error reporting.  I pretty much removed error reporting from all the subvis and that ID query and I was able to bypass the error that way.  I've been trying to run their example programs and with the error reporting removed I can get slightly farther through the program but then it locks up again for either usually either error -113 which is something to do with improper headers or the same error 803, not permitted with output.  I actually tried just running the modified initialize I made by itself and it made it through but with an enable output subvi inside of it.  It's also probably worth mentioning that for some reason even when I try to run example code by just manually typing code into a proxy connected to the device outside of labview, I run into the same problem where enable output has to be the first step or nothing happens.  This seems strange because the example code doesn't put it until near the end.  Thanks

[smercurio_fc]

I was referring to trying to read measurements, not a general read as a response to a command. Are you saying that if you power cycle the instrument, and then send an *IDN? command you get an +803 error? This makes no sense to me, and I doubt very much that Keithley would design their product in such a way that the outputs have to be on in order to get a response to an ID query. Have you checked with Keithley on this?

[acolbourn]

I'm able to send an ID query outside of labview but not in labview for some reason.  I am using a Prologix GPIB-USB Controller 6.0 and this is making the device show up as a com port.  Are gpib devices supposed to show up as com ports or could this be the cause of the sporadic behavior of the commands?

[Dennis_Knutson]

You don't have a real GPIB controller like the USB devices from NI/Agilent/etc. Did you rewrite the driver to make it work with the prologix?

[acolbourn]

I'm trying to rewrite it now.  If things work out okay I'll post an update on here.

[acolbourn · Accepted solution]

For anyone interested, my workaround to this problem was to ditch GPIB all together and use serial.  I ended up just manually sending text commands to the device.  Before anything happend I used the initialize vi that they supplied and then immediatley sent the command :OUTP ON\n  Then just use commands as needed.

[Photon999]

I purchased a new 2401 last October, and also had lots of issues trying to run it from the LabView driver Keithley 24xx.  I am thinking about buying another 2401, as it is lower cost than the others in that series, but when I look on the Keithley website the 24xx LabView driver is listed to work with the other instruments, but still not the 2401.  I emailed them to ask why - we will see.  Unless they fix the issues it may not be worth the lower cost to get the 2401 if it is not correctly supported by the 24xx LabView driver.

[GerdW]

Hi Photon,

Keithley used to deliver good manual for their devices. Just grab that manual, there you will find all information needed to program the 2401 on your own. Its easier one might think...