LeCroy Scope

[Anonymous]

I'm using LeCroy WaveRunner 6100A scope and I have a problem with
sequency memory, so maybe you could help me.

It's easy to set the sequence mode on and acquire the waveforms into
the memory. Then I use math function called segment to be able to see
and process segments separately.
I would like to use LabView to do calculations to these waveforms. So
to do that I really need to import those datas from scope program to
LabView. And I don't know how to access those segments in scopes
memory. There might be just a simple command to do it but I just don't
know what it is.

I would really appreciate your help. And if you need more information
to be able to help, don't hesitate to ask.

[Matt_S.]

Hi,

We have an Instrument Driver for that LeCroy Scope available on our Instrument Driver Network (http://www.ni.com/idnet). Searching there for 6100A I found

http://sine.ni.com/apps/we/niid_web_display.download_page?p_id_guid=078549B4E9E85646E0440003BA7CCD7...

There should be a function in that driver to pull the waveforms from the scope into LabVIEW pretty easily. There should be an example VI that gets installed with that driver as well.

Let us know if you need further assistance!

-Matt S.

[Hannu]

I have been using LeCroy drivers from their webpage because at the time when I started using this new scope I found out that LeCroy drivers were better than yours. But now I downloaded those new drivers from your site and those seem to be quite good ones. For example there isn't any ready-to-use vi to control sequence memory in LeCroy's drivers.

There is some differencies between those two drivers. LeCroy ones uses IVI classes where as NI drivers use VISA classes. I really don't know if I do something wrong but IVI works fine using resource name VICP::127.0.0.1 but the same doesn't work with VISA. According to the context help in LabView it should work.

For example if I try to run an example file lcwave Sequence Acquisition.vi:
This is the error message:
Error -1073807257 occurred at VISA Open in lcwave Initialize.vi -> lcwave Sequence Acquisition.vi
Possible reason(s):
VISA: (Hex 0xBFFF0067) The given session or object reference does not support this operation.


So there seems to be something wrong with VISA. I just don't know what's wrong. If I try to Use Measurement and Automation Explorer and there try to create new remote system using IP-address 127.0.0.1 which should be the right one, I just get an VISA error like this.

VISA error code:
0xBFFF00A8 (VI_ERROR_NPERMISSION)

Description of error:
viFindRsrc returned 0xBFFF00A8 (Access to the resource or remote machine is denied. This is due to lack of sufficient privileges for the current user or machine.)

Please check the remote machine's settings and make sure you have added this machine's network address to the permission list.

Possible causes for this error:
1.The remote machine you are accessing has not granted you permission.
2. The remote machine you are accessing has denied you permission to access its resources.
3. You may have set up your server with a specific IP address and configured your client machine to different IP address rather than the machine name (ie, the client's IP address is assigned by a DHCP server).

Then even one more information. In Measurement&Automation Explorer - My system - Software - NI-VISA - VISA Server - Security I can't choose the option Access and remote configuration. Maybe this has something to do with my problem.

I sorry that this is such a long list of problems but I still hope that you wish to help me.

Hannu Husu
Tampere University of Technology, Finland

[Hannu]

I have to continue a little bit because I "solved" few problems. Accually I'm not sure how I did it but anyway I don't have that VISA Error in Measurement&Automation Explorer anymore. But still in LabView example program "VISA resource name"-list is empty. And if I just put an address "visa://127.0.0.1/GPIB0:INTFC", I get the same error as before.

Like this:
Error -1073807257 occurred at VISA Open in lcwave Initialize.vi -> lcwave Sequence Acquisition.vi
Possible reason(s):
VISA: (Hex 0xBFFF0067) The given session or object reference does not support this operation.

If I solve some of the problems or face even new ones I let you know.

Hannu Husu
TUT, Finland

[Matt_S.]

Hi Hannu,

Usually when you address something that ends in INTFC you can't set a lot of properties. It usually ends in INSTR. Are you sure that's the address you need to be using for your VISA input? Go into MAX and give that device a VISA alias, then just call that VISA alias. See if that gives you any problems at all. Let us know what you find out.

Regards,
Matt S.

[Hannu]

I was in vacation for about one week but now I'm back in action. And truggling with this same problem.

Example programs seems to work best with VISA name "VICP::127.0.0.1". So it's using ethernet. Connection through GPIB doesn't seem to work but I can't tell you why. The computer I'm using is build in a same box with scope so that they are basicly the same device (at least physicly). Maybe that somehow causes the problem in GPIB.

As I told few rows before example programs do work now but only every now and then. When I start the oscilloscope I can make a couple of measurements with example programs but after a while programs begin to give errors.

First I get this error:
<ERR> LCWAVE Initialize
The ID Query failed.  This may mean that you selected the wrong instrument or your instrument did not respond.  You may also be using a model that is not officially supported by this driver.  If you are sure that you have selected the correct instrument and it is responding, try disabling the ID Query.

Then I turn off the ID Query but I get the following error:
VISA Open in lcwave Initialize.vi->Read All Segments.vi

So am I right that the fundamental problem appears in opening of VISA connection. I just don't know how to solve this.

I'm getting really desperate with this problem so let's hope you could help me.

Best regards,

Hannu Husu
TUT, Finland

[Matt_S.]

In Max, have you added the device in your devices and interfaces? (Right click on devices and interfaces, Select Create New, then VISA TCP/IP Resource). This will let you test communication with the device easily in MAX. You can see if you can send basic commands to the device or not.

Let me know if you're able to get any communication with this method.

Regards,
Matt S.

[biller]

Hiya:

I'm using a LeCroy WaveSurfer 424.  Using LabVIEW 7.1 through a Windows XP machine, and also a Mac G4.  I am using NI's drivers (I couldn't get LeCroy's to work) and am having all the same problems.

It seems that only VICP works, although the context-help implies that TCP/IP should also work.  This is odd and unfortunate, since I don't think there is a VICP Passport for MAC (I may be mistaken, and if so, let me know, since I would like to run this on a Mac).

I am not able to select the scope in MAX as a remote instrument.  MAX tells me that the it 'can not open the VISA session with...' the scope.  The  actual status I get of the connection is: VI_ERROR_RSC_NFND.

I would like to be able to run the prog on a MAC via TCPIP, but the current state of the driver/scope does not allow this.  Any suggestions?

-Biller

UCLA PBPL

[Matt_S.]

Hi Biller,

I've been doing some digging around on this. It looks as though the problem lies in the LeCroy scopes not being compliant with the VXI-11 standard. This causes problems with using TCP/IP, so you have to use the VICP reource name. This, as you mentioned, causes headaches with the Mac OS. The status of this is still in the air, but if there are any udpates I'll definitely post them here. Possibly someone else in the forum community has worked with this hardware and has a solution?

-Matt S.

[thehobbs]

Matt_S's final post is correct.  The LeCroy VICP Passport is required by this driver; this should be stated in the instrument driver's readme file.  It is possible that this is not supported by MacOS.  If so, you should provide that feedback to LeCroy so they can consider it.  It may just be that the installer for their passport is not supported on MacOS, but you can check that with them.  LeCroy's IVI drivers should not work on MacOS because they are based DLLs which cannot be called on the MacOS.  NI's native LabVIEW source code drivers will work on any environment that LabVIEW supports.

You mentioned previously that you had problems with GPIB communications.  It may be best to troubleshoot those problems in lieu of the VICP Passport being supported on the Mac.  However, I don't think the WaveSurfer series supports GPIB.

As a side note, I have not seen your issue because it is posted under high-speed digitizers, which is a forum for NI high speed digitizer hardware.  Your post would be best suited in the Instrument Control forum.

Jason Hobbs

Instrument Drivers