How to determine what kind of instrument is at ResourceName xyz?

[v.m.1]

Hello,

I've got some instruments on the USB port e.g. "Function Generator", "DC Power Supply" and an "RF Step Attenuator". Now I have to determine programmatically by VISA / IVI what kind/class of instrument do I have on Resource Name xyz.

For example:

I got from VISA several Recource Names e.g. USB0::0x0699::0x0343::C011295::INSTR. Now i what to determine, is there a Function Generator, a PowerSupply or a Step Attenuator...

Is there a way to do it in C# with NI.VisaNS?

[Jochen]

Couldn't you ask the instruments to identify themselves? Most instruments provide a command for self identification (e. g. "*IDN?).

Regards,

Jochen

[v.m.1]

Unfortunately not, my dc power supply and step attenuator doesn't support any idetifications requests.

otherwise i would have to implement an inflexible, static identifications with the return string that would come from *IDN? . So I wouldn't have the device interchangeability. 😕

Is there an other way?

[v.m.1]

I expected, that there is some kind of comparision between VISA and the special device driver.

ok, actual I'm just "brutforcing". I retrieve from VISA all available Resource Names and try to send a command via an instrument class specific interface e.g. IVIfge.So if it fails, it means its an other instrument class.

But I don't like this method...

[Dennis_Knutson]

There is nothing implemented in the IVI spec for identifying instruments. If your instruments do not support the *IDN? query, then you have few options. One that comes to mind is to assign a meaningful alias so you would not get the cryptic canonical VISA name.

[markus kossmann]

For USB attached devices you could try to decode the ressource name. The numbers in the ressource name  include  unique vendor and  device IDs.