Can I create a waveform with NI Analog wave form editor and download it to a Agilent 33120A

[virtual view guy]

I wanted to know if I create a waveform with the editor and then download it to the Agilent 33120A. If so is there any sample code out there or can I push it out a daq card. It needs to be in micro seconds and I need to have full control over the delay between pulse as well the each pulse themself

[kalyanramuv]

Hello,

Analog Waveform editor is used to create the waveform primitives required to download onto Arb/Generator's Memory. When doing

Waveform created in Analog Waveform Editor can be imported to a ASCII/Text file. This saved waveform can be downloaded into Arb Memory using

Agilent 33120A driver.

Analog Waveform Editor Stepas:

1) Create a blank waveform

2) Select Custom Module, define minimum waveform length, data sample quantum from the Arb Specifications.

3)  Create waveform from primitive types using Add Component

4) Then to save to ASCII file use, File>>Export to LVM (ASCII)

You can get the LabVIEW driver with examples from www.ni.com/idnet and search for 33120A or use the link

http://sine.ni.com/apps/we/niid_web_display.download_page?p_id_guid=E3B19B3E9066659CE034080020E74861

You can use ag33xxx - Arb - Application.vi to get started. The user defined waveform needed for this VI can be read from the ASCII file exported from Analog Waveform Editor.

This should help you out.

Thanks,

Kalyan

[well]

When I use Analog Waveform Editor, I found there is a field called "data sample quantum" in the custom module option.

I was confused its mean and its relation with waveform length. How do I decide the appropriate data sample quantum ?

Thanks!

[TheWoost]

Hi,

This information is actually contained in the NI Signal Generators Help.

The memory architecture of the NI signal generators imposes certain requirements on the waveform size and quantum.  If these requirements are not met, NI-FGEN returns an error.  The specific values for minimum waveform size and quantum depend on the specific NI signal generator being used.

Minimum Waveform Size
Every waveform downloaded to the device memory must be at least a minimum size in terms of the number of samples.

Quantum
The size in samples of the waveform downloaded to the device memory must be an integer multiple of a certain number or quantum.  The quantum value for a particular device is given in the specifications sheet.

For example, if the minimum waveform size for a particular signal generator is 256 samples, the quantum is eight samples, and you request to load a waveform of 255 samples, NI-FGEN returns an error because the waveform size is too small.  If you request to load a waveform of 257 samples, NI-FGEN also returns an error because even though the size is larger than the minimum waveform size, the waveform is not an integer multiple of the quantum size (8).

Waveform sizes that meet the restrictions for this example include 256, 264, 272, and 280 samples, and so on—up to the actual device memory size.

Regards,
Andrew W
National Instruments