how to synchronize the scan of a dye laser with the data aquisition on an oscilloscope

[USC_gamecock]

I have a dye laser hooked up to my computer through a RS-232 cable and a leCroy digital oscilloscope hooked up to the same computer through a GPIB board. I want to synchronize the scanning of the dye laser with the data aquisition on the scope. Briefly, I will do a triggered scan on the dye laser. After the dye laser scans to a certain wavelength, it will stop and wait for a trigger event in order to move to the next wavelength. While the dye laser is waiting, the scope will be taking data,averaging a certain number of sweeps for each wavelength. After the scope finishes the data aquistion, I want the scope to talk back to the dye laser somehow(either directly send a trigger back to t
he dye laser or do it through the computer using labview program) so that the dye laser can scan to the next wavelength. How could I do that?

[DiegoF]

Hi,

What your basically trying to do is instrument control. You can have a LabVIEW program that send the appropriate commands to the instruments. The LabVIEW VI would control the instruments by sending the commands acording to the execution flow you've programmed.

In your case, your VI could do the following. Send the commands to the laser to scan to a certain wavelength. you can use VISA to send the commands thru the serial port. Then send the GPIB commands to the scope to start taking data. You can also use VISA or the GPIB VIs. You would have to query the scope for it's status. When the instrument responds that the operation is complete, you can loop back and repeat the process for the next wavelength.

As you can see, LabVIEW is limited to sen
ding the commands between the instruments. You'll need to use the instruments' status control to determine when the operation is complete. You'll have to refer to the instruments' user manual to know how to query the status of the instrument.

Hope this description helps you out.
DiegoF.