Connection between LabWindows and Agilent 82357A USB/GPIB cable

[Mickael Montanher]

Hi. I'm trying to connect an agilent power supply (6813B) to Labwindows 5.5 through a USB/GPIB 82357A agilent cable. The computer recognizes the ps and it can be controlled by the software agilent provides. I also installed the libraries for the ps. The problem is that LabWindows always return error messages when a function, be it standard or from the agilent's library, is invoked. The IVI engine was updated.

I'd like to know if there is any special configuration required for this kind of situation.

Thanks for help

Mickael

[JLS]

Hello,

What API are you using to communicate with it from LabWindows?  If you are attempting to use NI-VISA, the VISA API, you will need to enable a passport which allows VISA to communicate using the Agilent driver.  To do this, open MAX, click Tools -> NI-VISA -> VISA Options..., then click passports in the list, then click the NIVisaTulip.dll checkbox.  Save the configuration by clicking the Save button at the top of the page.  If you are using Agilent VISA, then you'll need to contact them about the error messages.  Can you post the error messages and give an indication of the function calls (and underlying API) that is causing them?  Where did you get the IVI driver, from our site?  Further, you then have a choice about using the IVI specific driver that you downloaded, or the class driver for power supplies.  The class driver simply calls into the specific driver, but does so based on a logical name you would set up on Measurement and Automation Explorer (MAX).  The class driver may not expose all functionality in the specific driver for a given instrument, but it will allow you to swap out hardware by simply changing the logical name to one configured for a different instrument.  Of course, you need the specific driver installed for a given instrument in all cases.  In the event this is what you are having problems with, I have attached a zip file with screenshots and a description of the screenshots that will help you with the logical name configuration process in MAX.

Repost if you continue to have problems!

Thank you,

JLS

[vanco]

I'm also trying to use an Agilent 82357A USB/GPIB cable with a LabWindows program.
I installed the NI-Visa 341 and check the tulip passport.
With "Ni Visa Interactive control", I can see and control all instruments connected to the Agt 82357 GPIB.
But I have no control when running my LabWindows program.
I'm currently using LabWindows 6 (which is sufficient for my need now).
Would a solution be to upgrade to LabWindows 8 ?
Or any other solution ?

Thanks for the help !
Vanco

[Matt_S.]

Hi Vanco,

What problems are you having with the CVI code running? Can you post a spy capture for us to see?

Thanks,
Matt S.

[carlos]

Please help.  I am using the "82357A" and the "Devices and Interfaces" menu does not show the USB/GPIB device  "82357a".  The note says that adding the "Tulip" passport would make it be recognized by MAX.  This is not working for me.

NI visa and Agilent visa Interactive controls boths show the GPIB resources i.e "GPIB0:4:INSTR" for my instrument connected to the "82357" USB interface.  NI-MAX also sows the this Alias in the MAX-Software-Visa menu.  The problem is that LabWindows CVI Function Panels that are base on gpib 488.2 can not find the device.  If I use a function panel that uses the IVI, those panels work.  I do not have IVI style function panels for all my instruments.

I have an IVI style Function Panel for Agilent 34970A.

I need an IVI style Function Panel for HP 3488A switch control unit.

I need an IVI style Function Panel for  HP 3478A DMM.

OR... I need a way for my older 488.2 based fuction panels to recognize the devices connected to the "82357A" interface for GPIB.

HELP

[Dennis_Knutson]

You can't use NI's GPIB functions with a non-NI board. You have to use VISA instead of the GPIB 488.2 functions or call into Agilent's DLL. That is why IVI works. It is based on VISA.

[carlos]

I understand.

So the NI Function panels for CVI will not work unless they are IVI types.

How can I fix my old Function Panels based in "ib..." function calls that I believe are NI-488.2 types?

Can I replace the "ib... " calls with IVI equivalents?

This is confusing from the point of view that and IEEE-488 physical layers should be conpatible amoung different vendors, but I guess I made the wrong assumsion.

What is your recomendation to enable my old function panels to work again in LabWindows CVI?

SORRY FOR THE MULTIPLE POSTS.  I did not know they would go to the same person. New at this.

Thanks.  I love the NI stuff.

[Dennis_Knutson]

The NI VISA functions will work with boards from NI or Agilent. VISA can and is used separately from IVI. IVI drivers are for a limited set of instrument classes. VISA is used as the API for IVI communication but also for all GPIB, serial, Ethernet, USB, PXI, VXI instruments. You need to replace the ibwrt's and ibrd's with VISA Writes and VISA Reads (viWrite, viRead). On my version of CVI, the VISA functions on the library menu are listed below RS-232 which is below the GPIB. VISA has been around quite a long time and NI has long recomended that instrument communications use VISA. All new drivers have to use them. One very nice thing is that you can write a single driver for an instrument and it will work with GPIB, serial, Ethernet, etc. versions of the instrument.

Don't confuse the IEEE-488 specifications with low level windows drivers for different boards from different vendors. I made the point yesterday in a similar post that you wouldn't expect a DLL from Nvidia to work with a Matrox video card. They may both do the same function but they are implemented with completely different hardware and that requires separate low level drivers for each.