This is the followup for Reference#6462-VS2237.
The instrument is running with Win2000. There is one PCI-GPIB card on the instrument. The default usage for PCI-GPIB card is NI-Device, but if we install LabView or something, it requires PCI-GPIB card to behave like GPIB controller. The only way we can do now is to uninstall NIDevice and install NI488.2 driver (v2.0) and vice versa if I want it back to normal. I am wondering if there is any way we can dynamically switching the functionality of PCI-GPIB card as a NI-Device and NI-GPIB controller. My experience on NI488.2 version 2.0 and NIDevice 1.3 failed, but succeeded on version 1.6 and NIDevice 1.3.
What I did is to switch INF files, uninstall PCI-GPIB from Device Manager, and reboot. The PCI-GPIB always works as the GPIB controller no matter which driver is used if version 2.0 of NI488.2 is installed. After I delete nigpib.inf and nigpib.pnf files from INF folder and drop nidevice.inf to INF folder, uninstall PCI-GPIB from Device manager, and reboot, the device manager shows the correct information "NI-Device GPIB interface" and everything looks normal overthere. However, I can not talk TO the instrument from other PC or Unix station via GPIB cable at all. When I use MAX to explore the connection, I can still see GPIB0 over there which convinces me that PCI-GPIB is not associated with NI-Device even though it uses NI-Device driver.
However, if I switch the lower version (v1.6) of NI488 and the same version of NIDevice (v1.3) with the same procedure. It works just fine as seen from the following evidences:
. I can talk to instrument via GPIB cable if I switch to NIDevice mode;
. I can not see GPIB0 interface from MAX if I switch to NIDevice mode;
. I can see GPIB0 interface from MAX if I switch to NI488 mode;
. I can not talk to the instrument if I switch to NI488 mode.
I am working for Tektronix. This is very important and urgent to us. If you have any solution, please let us know. I would appreciate your help very much.
Thanks,
zhongsheng
