Can I use a GPIB-USB-B to talk to a HP3577A Network analizer

[baj]

Hello,

We have a GPIB-USB-B  which we used on a project several years ago on another instrument. We now want to be able to extract wavefrom data from a HP 3577A network analizer. What is the easy way to do this?

I have measurement studio 6.0 and can program in VB5/6 if required.

Thanks,
baj

[markus kossmann]

Principically yes, but ...

It seems that there is no instrument driver for that device available Neither NIs site nor Agilents site lists an instrument driver for that obsolete device. So you have to start from scratch.

Read the operators and programming manual. There you will find the command strings which are accepted by the device   If you don't have the manuals, you can download   PDFs of the manuals on http://www.home.agilent.com/cgi-bin/pub/agilent/Product/cp_Product.jsp?NAV_ID=-536895979.536897311.0... (one line) .

Search for commands, which dump the data you need to the GPIB bus. However it might be, that there is no such command ( plotting command for a GPIB attached printer/plotter won't help you here) and you may have to stop here.  

Then you can start programming:

In a first step you can send command strings to the device and receive responses, using the NI-488.2 Communicator utility coming as part of the USB-GPIB driver software.

If that works, you can send the same commands strings from your program, using National instruments GPIB library to send them.

You see: no quick and easy way 😉

[Anonymous]

Hi bay,

today I just managed to download the HP3577A Networkanalyser's screen
an HPGL file.
You can convert the HPGL file with the PRINTGLW -program from
http://www.concentric.net/~Ravitz/ to Postscript and with Gostview
to any image file.

By assigning different colours you even get the mono schreenshot as
coloured screenshot..

The program is written in QBASIC and runs on an old PC with ISA-Bus
under DOS.



' QuickBASIC 4.0/4.5 Example Program - Device level calls

REM $INCLUDE: 'qbdecl4.bas'

DECLARE SUB FINDERR ()
DECLARE SUB DVMERROR ()

CLS
PRINT "Programm to store HP3577 screen to PC-file"
PRINT "H.F. Lenk 7.2.2006"
PRINT
PRINT "Terminate with 'E'"
PRINT
PRINT "Setup HP3577: SPCL FCTN -> Talk Only = ON"
PRINT " "
PRINT
PRINT

BDNAME$ = "DEV11"
PRINT "Device Address = "; BDNAME$

CALL ibfind(BDNAME$, hp3577%)
IF hp3577% < 0 THEN CALL FINDERR

CALL IBTMO(hp3577%, (13)) ' 5 Sekunde timeout



Loop1:
INPUT "File's name (nnnnnnn.HPG) ==> ", t$
IF t$ = "e" OR t$ = "E" THEN CALL ibloc(hp3577%): SYSTEM
IF t$ = "" THEN filename$ = "temp.hpg" ELSE filename$ = t$ + ".hpg"
PRINT
PRINT "Press the PLOT- Button"
PRINT "Noe press the Menue-Buttotn PLOT ALL"

CALL ibrdf(hp3577%, filename$) ' read data and store to file
IF ibsta% < 0 THEN PRINT "ibreadfile": CALL DVMERROR
CALL ibloc(hp3577%) ' set scope to local
PRINT CHR$(7); CHR$(7)
GOTO Loop1

END




SUB DVMERROR STATIC
PRINT "DVM GPIBERR", ibsta%, HEX$(ibsta%)
END SUB

SUB FINDERR STATIC
PRINT "IBFIND ERROR"
END SUB

**************************************************
baj schrieb:

> Hello,
>
> We have a GPIB-USB-B&nbsp; which we used on a project several years ago
> on another instrument. We now want to be able to extract wavefrom data
> from a HP 3577A network analizer. What is the easy way to do this?
>
> I have measurement studio 6.0 and can program in VB5/6 if required.
>
> Thanks,
> baj