topic Re: Labview Driver for TPS 2014 in LabVIEW

Labview Driver for TPS 2014

poo123 — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 18:40:03 GMT

I am using Labview to control Oscilloscope TDS 2014. I downloaded the plug in and play driver from http://sine.ni.com/apps/utf8/niid_web_display.model_page?p_model_id=540. I want to test the connection between the driver and the instrument. For this, do I just run the getting started VI? Do I also need to alter the default values in the VIs or change anything?

Re: Labview Driver for TPS 2014

LV_Pro — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 18:52:42 GMT

What "getting started" vi are you referring to? I don't see one in the driver that you downloaded. If you downloaded it and installed it as the driver page explained then you should find under your instrument i/o palette on the diagram page an instrument drivers sub-palette. Or if you go to the directory that you have LabVIEW installed you should see an "instr.lib" directory, where your driver for the TDS should be installed. Within it there should be a file "Tektronix TDS 200 1000 2000 Series.lvproj" which is a LabVIEW project. Launch that and you should see a folder "Examples"

Re: Labview Driver for TPS 2014

poo123 — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 19:49:31 GMT

There is a "getting started" Vi in application examples sub-palette under the instrument driver sub-palette TKTDS 1K2K. How do I test the connection between the installed driver and the oscilloscope. I am trying to run the getting started Vi. Is this the way to test and should I alter the default values in the VI or just run it?

Re: Labview Driver for TPS 2014

LV_Pro — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 21:04:37 GMT

what interface are you using, GPIB, USB, serial? Do you have MAX (Measurement and Automation eXplorer) installed? If yes, see if you can see the scope in that under "Devices and Interfaces" (you will need to have it installed for LabVIEW to talk to most instruments, etc.). If you can see the instrument then you should be able to use the test panel that should be available when you select your instrument ("Open VISA Test panel") to try and communicate with the scope, if only a *IDN?\n which sends a pretty standard query over the interface asking the instrument to respond with its indentification info (frequently model type and serial number). If you have that then you should be able, selecting the instrument in the visa pull down on the LabVIEW demo software in the the driver you installed, to "play" with the scope. MAX provides a way to test the hardware connection before spending anytime trying to figure why LabVIEW code does/doesn't work.

Re: Labview Driver for TPS 2014

poo123 — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 01:45:21 GMT

I am using a serial RS-232 interface. The MAX shows the list of ports and I configured the port as well but I dont see the oscilloscope.

Re: Labview Driver for TPS 2014

Dennis_Knutson — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 03:30:50 GMT

You aren't supposed to see the scope listed. All that you will ever see is the com port. What was the result of the *IDN? query?

If you get a timeout error, you might want to try \r\n as a terminator. Also verify you have the correct cable. I think you need a null-modem cable.

Re: Labview Driver for TPS 2014

poo123 — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 23:10:24 GMT

The cable I am using is null modem. The result I get for *IDN?\n and after executing viread is TEKTRONIX,TPS 2014,0,CF:91.1CT FV:v10.20 TPS2PWR1:v1.00\n

For query?\r\n , I get return status error as BFFF0015.

When I try to run example VIs in the instrument driver Vi, I get error as BFFF0072 or BFFF000E.

Re: Labview Driver for TPS 2014

LV_Pro — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 23:27:24 GMT

OKI, getting that after the *IDN?\n is a very good sign, it means you are talking to the scope, have the com settings and cable setup correctly. Not sure what the query?\r\n is though. Can you attach an image of the error (in .png format, "paint" will save as .png). If you can attach either the example vi, or an image of its diagram that might also help.

Re: Labview Driver for TPS 2014

poo123 — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 20:51:04 GMT

I tried to run the example VI of instrument driver VI and also one simple VI, and I got an error. I have attached the example VI snapshot and the another VI file. The error seems to be in VISA read block in both the cases but couldnt figure out how to get rid of this error.

Re: Labview Driver for TPS 2014

Dennis_Knutson — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 22:28:25 GMT

The posted VI will not work because you are not sending a termination character. You are sending the strings '\' and 'n'. Right click on the string control and select '\' Codes display and reenter the command.

The example probably does not work because it is GPIB only. You would need to run the initialize function. You should also be using the newer project style driver. Those examples do have the initialize function and you probably would have been working by now.

Re: Labview Driver for TPS 2014

poo123 — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 02:19:45 GMT

I installed the newer project style driver.

I ran the initialize VI from the above driver VI. For some reason, it is still giving an error.It does return TEKTRONIX,TPS 2014,0,CF:91.1CT FV:v10.20 for *IDN?/n but shows error as well. Does this mean its working correctly? I have included a png file.

Where can I find the examples and documentation about the use of VIs in this driver apart from context help?

Re: Labview Driver for TPS 2014

Dennis_Knutson — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 05:25:39 GMT

It gives an error where? That error code is passed out only if all of the comparisons fail. One passes so the front panel will not show that error.

A project style driver will have at least one example in with the rest of the LabVIEW examples - Help>Find Examples.

Re: Labview Driver for TPS 2014

poo123 — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 20:04:15 GMT

I get an error in one of the Read VIs. I have been trying to get rid of this but its not working.What could be the reason for this?

Re: Labview Driver for TPS 2014

Dennis_Knutson — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 01:05:36 GMT

That VI does not make any sense to me with all that serial stuff. You have to use the initialize function to set the comm parameters and termination character. Your previous post with the image shows that the *IDN? command was successful. You never explained why you thought it was generating an error.

Re: Labview Driver for TPS 2014

poo123 — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 21:52:17 GMT

This is really surprising. The initialize VI doesnt work several times,gives series of errors and then it works fine. I encounter the same problem each time I run this VI. The error starts from the VISA read block in ID query portion. When the error occurs, I also see that the greater or equal to block returns False for all the three different series oscilloscope.

Re: Labview Driver for TPS 2014

Dennis_Knutson — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 01:09:33 GMT

It would be so much simpler to post the actual error code AT THE INDICATOR instead of some barely readable image as you keep doing. It looks kike you might be having a basic serial communication problem. Bad cable, bad settings, etc. The values you are looking at are irrelevant when the VISA Read itself returns an error.

Re: Labview Driver for TPS 2014

poo123 — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 22:43:14 GMT

The error code that I got is 1073807339 when I run the configure channel VI. The read measurement VI returns measured values but I also get 1073481728 error.