Controlling two instrument with two different GPIB address at the same time

[zs]

Hi,

I have to control an spectrum analyzer (HP 8563E) and a power supply (Agilent 3636A) at the same time (with one GPIB card) using the instrument drivers (that is provided by NI and using Labview). How should I do that? [or is there any tutorial that  I go through it to learn that?]

Thanks,

Zahra

[Dennis_Knutson]

Look at the information here and the links (including a webcast) at the bottom. Because of the nature of GPIB, you can't really control both at the same time - it has to be sequential and you control the sequence of events by using the error in/error out clusters. For learning LabVIEW basics such as this, refer to the tutorials.

[Albert.Geven]

Hi

Like Dennis wrote, You have to program both instruments after each other.
It is however possible to arm multiple instruments (I have my doubts about the power supply) and then trigger them with a Group Execute Trigger.

[zs]

Thanks a lot Dennis and Albert.

Zahra

[zs]

Hi,

Something strange happens. When I am connecting the two instruments and program it one after the other (first initialize it one and then close it and then opening the other one and then clos it), the program runs successfully every other time. It means it runs well now, but if I run it again, it gives me error for the first instrument, and if I run it again, it runs well, and if I run it again after that, it gives me error.

Can anyone help me?

Thanks,
Zahra

[Dennis_Knutson]

As explained here, you will need to isolate the error to a specific instrument and to a specific function that is being called. No one but you has the same hardware so you will need to do a lot of the basic debugging yourself. Place probes on the error in/error out clusters, set breakpoints, remove functions, etc. Run the loop once and then open/run the indivdual functions by double clicking the subVI and running it. These are just some of the various debugging options you have.

[Albert.Geven]

You don't have to close inbetween, just make sure you are not talking to the two instruments at the same time.
This can be done by using error in/error out terminals.
LabVIEW will use these to call each subvi in the order you wired them.

You can open both instruments after each other and then call them each in turn.

[zs]

Hi,

I tested the Spectrum analyzer (HP 8563E) with the dual-band power supply (Agilent E3646A), rather than using the quad-power supply (HP6626A), and it works well .

There is a problem (error) in the Config. Output  of the (HP 8563E) when it is coonected to another instrument.

Thanks,

Zahra

[NathanT]

Hello Zahra,
        Can you please elaborate on this statement:
"There is a problem (error) in the Config. Output  of the (HP 8563E) when it is connected to another instrument."

What does "it" refer to?  The instrument, the VI, or something else?

What error are you seeing?  Is it the same error that we are talking about in this post?  If so, lets try to keep the problem and its troubleshooting to a single thread to keep things easier to understand.

Cheers,

NathanT