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NI spy tutorials

I'm trying to understand how NI Spy works. Can someone provide me with some information on how to interpret the capture? What do the values mean in the description column? Are there any manuals, examples, or tutorials out there to help newbies comprehend the data captures?

 

Thank you,

Suraj

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Hi,

 

Few links for your reference.

 

http://www.ni.com/support/vxi/spy/spy.htm

http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/allkb/35FB4F8147512A23862578DF006EEE72

http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/allkb/282C5D41E2BA04F2862574BA007803B9?OpenDocument

 

NI SPY or now NI Trace is used to check communication messages between two devices.

From an usage perspective ( i have used it for GPIB) we used to check if the proper GPIB command is given to the UUT from the software drivers and the UUTs response to it.

 

Hope the links help.

 

Ravi

 

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Ravi,

    Thanks for your input. The 2nd link you provided helped out:

<http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/allkb/35FB4F8147512A23862578DF006EEE72>

 

From the above link I clicked on NI-VISA and it took me to a support page. From there I clicked NI-VISA Help | MY 2014 and it took me to another link:

<http://digital.ni.com/manuals.nsf/websearch/2582B74B18ABAD1486257DE800793BC1>

 

On the link above it has the help menu for NI-VISA cmd calls. I've also attached the zip file to this message.

 

What I'm specifically looking for, are there any sample captures out there with the explanations on what each call was doing. I guess I need help in translating the command calls and what each paramater means.  

 

Thanking you,

Suraj

 

 

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Each command captured by NI-Trace is generated by some specific instrument or by a program for a specific instrument. To understand the commands, you need to know the instrument make and model and have the programming manual for that instrument.
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Hi, Check attached example trace of a trace of RS 232.

 

I used the VISA test panel on the NI MAX to simulate 232 communication.

The VISA test panels uses VISA commands example : 

1) VIGetAttribute - Visa function for various RS 232 attributes (settings)

 

2) viwrite - is to send commands..Let me try to explain it in detail :

 

.ASRL3:INSTR is the port number ( you can go to MAX and see the name of COM Port)

"*IDN?" is the command sent.

The others are buffer status - how many data sent by the function.

 

If i had a device connected at other end it would have responded back and i could have seen it in the next line.

 

From your use case you should see your function and see what command it is sending.

Then watch if you are getting the proper/expected response.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Ravi

 

 

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