Error message in VISA

[PPLUO]

My system:

GPIB-USB-B cable
Agilent 34970A

Windows XP
Labview 6.0
MAX 3.1.1.3003
Visa 2.6

Agilent I/O library M.01.01.04

Some strange message comes(see the attachment picture)

I am a greenhand, I am forced to do these kind of strange things.
If you can give me any suggestion, you will be appreciated greatly.

[Sergei]

Hi, May be the NI VISA has to be 3.1, look to the release note:
Before you install NI-VISA 3.2, we strongly recommend that you uninstall
any versions of VISA prior to NI-VISA 2.0.1. NI-VISA 3.2 should upgrade
properly over NI-VISA versions 2.0.1 through 3.1.
Also try to find the information how working NI VISA and AG VISA together.
Br,Sergei

[PPLUO]

VISA 3.2 do not work
I have changed the visa into 3.2version.
the same error message

[Dennis_Knutson]

Do not enable tulip unless you install Agilent's VISA and you should not install any Agilent software unless you have an Agilent GPIB-USB. Since you have a GPIB-USB, you shouldn't be messing around with any of the serial ports anyway. You should have a GPIB cable connected to the instrument and it should be detected in MAX as a GPIB device.

[JLS]

Hello,

I posted a response to this earlier (different stream I believe), but you may also wish to take a look at the following knowledge base entry:


Can I Use Both National Instruments (GPIB) and Agilent/HP (HPIB) Controllers in the Same System?

http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/3efedde4322fef19862567740067f3cc/3b3626d9c1f999218625694200791ad7?OpenDocument

[dong8]

hi,

recently I come to work with Labview vi programs on the Agilent HPIB interface (HP 82340 ISA card), without any other NI GPIB card. The Agilent IO library is installed, with its VISA as seccondary to NI-VISA. The IO configuration is ok and all the softwares remain state-of-the-art. In MAX 3.1, I can see the hardware, like the card and connected devices, listed as "miscellaneous VISA resources".

However, when I test in Labview one instrument driver, i.e. a vi library, it cannot get thru to the device. These instrument driver vi's use GPIB functions, and the GPIB initialisation always failed. I tried to use VISA functions, and they can communicate to the devices. Why this happened?

The problem is that I cannot find the VISA function alternative to some GPIB function. Like for serial poll or interface clear, there seems no VISA application available.

I know, for the Agilent GPIB interface, the IO configuration needs be done with its own utility. But is there any bridge between the HP IO configuration and the GPIB initialization? Why the two big Agilent and NI cannot match their solution?

Look forward to having your advice.

[Dennis_Knutson]

The native LabVIEW GPIB functions are for NI cards only. They access the NI-GPIB dll which is written only for NI hardware. Low level GPIB functions from Agilent only access their hardware. Agilent and NI did get together to create a bridge and that bridge is called VISA. You should be able to do everything with VISA that you do with the traditional GPIB commands. You mention sending interface clear. On the Instrument I/O>VISA>VISA Advanced>Interface Specific palette is the VISA function VISA GPIB Send IFC. For serial polling, you use the VISA Read STB.

[dong8]

hi,

thanks for the confirmation. I shall follow the VISA line.
hope this helps clarify the compatibility problem between HPIB and NI-GPIB, on either level, controller board or instrument driver.

[GaryZ21]

I am also having a problem recognizing instruments connected to my Agilent's HPIB.   The Agilent Visa is secondary w/ the NI Visa being primary.  I am currently running MAX ver 4.30f0.  The HPIB card is installed in my computer, and when I run MAX, the gpib0 is recognized under the "Remote Systems"

Under that GPIB0 leaf, I have "Devices and Interfaces" and then the following VISA Error.

0xBFFF00A7 (VI_ERROR_MACHINE_NAVAIL)

I have a three feet GPIB cable connected from the HPIB to the agilent 34401A (DMM).  All I want to try now is to establish communication.  How can I send "IDN?" out to the DMM via CVI or MAX?

[Sputnikrent]

Hi Gary,

If you have an HPIB card in your computer, it should not turn up under Remote Systems. This is only for resources that are not local and are on a network (e.g. GPIB ENET/100). I think that the gpib0 that you see there is probably not the HPIB card.

You can set your HPIB card to be detected in MAX by enabling the VISA Tulip passport. There are instructions on how you can do this here.

Let us know how it goes!