Can I Use VISA to Communicate with My VXI Instruments If I Am Using an HP 1406 GPIB-VXI Command Module?Primary Software: Driver Software>>NI-VISAPrimary Software Version: 2.5 Primary Software Fixed Version: N/A Secondary Software: N/A
Problem: VISA is an industry standard API that allows you to communicate to devices, regardless of the type of interface that is used. The HP 1406 is similar to the NI GPIB-VXI/C and converts GPIB commands to VXI commands. Can I use VISA to communicate with my VXI instruments, if I am using an HP 1406 GPIB-VXI command module? Solution: The HP 1406 can be used with either a National Instruments GPIB interface card or an HP (Agilent) GPIB interface card. You must install the VISA layer that is provided by the vendor of the GPIB interface card in order to use VISA to communicate with your VXI instruments. Customers that are using both an HP GPIB interface card and the HP 1406 should contact Agilent Technologies for support-related questions. National Instruments cannot provide support for this configuration, as it does not involve any National Instruments hardware products. Customers that are using a National Instruments GPIB interface and the HP 1406 need to install the following components:
NOTE: Only the Windows 98/95/NT platforms are supported. Windows 2000 has not yet been tested. Issues with Primary Addressing of GPIB-VXI controller NI-VISA supports multiple GPIB-VXI controllers in a single system. Because the National Instruments GPIB-VXI controller ships with a primary address of 1, NI-VISA automatically searches for any GPIB-VXI controllers at that address. If you have changed the primary address (for example, if you added a second GPIB-VXI controller to your system, and set the address of the second controller to 9), or if you have a GPIB-VXI controller from another vendor, you need to add it using Measurement & Automation Explorer so NI-VISA can find it. Right-click on "Devices and Interfaces" and select "Create New" to add a new GPIB-VXI interface. Specify the controller's GPIB primary and secondary addresses, as well as the GPIB board to which it is connected. Then specify a new GPIB-VXI interface number and its logical address (usually 0). Other Issues with Using a HP 1406 Make sure that Servant Area address is set higher than all of your addresses (Dip Switches on HP 1406). If you have your Servant Area set lower, you will see your instruments in MAX just fine, but you won't be able to communicate to them at all. If you are using a GPIB-VXI command module from another vendor, you also need to obtain and install that vendor's VISA GPIB-VXI component. If you have a GPIB device at primary address 1 and that device does not recognize "*IDN?", you should disable the GPIB-VXI auto-detect feature in Measurement & Automation Explorer from the Tools»NI-VISA»VISA Options menu. Related Links: Attachments:
Report Date: 03/03/2000 Last Updated: 12/05/2004 Document ID: 1V2CK572 |
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