Instrument Not Found

[NickDeez]

This problem just recently reared its head, as I've just put an old PCI-GPIB card into a new computer (the card is from 1998).  After doing so, I installed the NI-488.2 v 2.6 and LabVIEW 7.1, I then updated the NI-VISA to 4.4.1 and ran Measurement and Automation Explorer.  As I suspected, the card is found and seems to be working properly, but when I hit the 'Scan for Instruments' button, I receive the 'Instrument Not Found' message.  After trying it again, MAX then tells me that I have 1005 instruments connected to the GPIB with all PADs at 0 and all SADs at 'None', and no 'Identification' for any of them.  The two instruments connected via GPIB to the PC are a Tektronix TDS 5104B Digital Phosphor Oscilloscope and an Aerotech Unidex 11. Could anyone please help me with this odd problem which did not occur with my old computer (both are running Windows XP SP3, and the one that I had the card installed in previously is only about a year old).  Thank you.

Nick Bianco

[Ana P]

Hi NickDeez,

Can you confirm what version of the drivers, NI 488.2 and NI-VISA, you had installed in the previous computer? Also, what is the part number and serial number of your card? I’m not sure what might be wrong in this case; it seems that the problem could be the drivers or the card itself. This version of the drivers should work with the PCI-GPIB card; do you still have access to the previous computer? Can you double check that your hardware still works correctly? I just want to confirm that the hardware didn't get damaged when moving from one system to the other. NickDeez, I also suggest that you run NI-Spy in your new system and provide us the NI Spy Capture file. This KB details how to get this file. I’ll wait to hear from you.

Have a nice day,

[NickDeez]

Ana,

The drivers I had installed on the old computer were NI 488.2 v 2.5 and NI-VISA 4.3.  After uninstalling the newest versions on the new computer (2.6 and 4.4.1) I installed the slightly older - and previously working ones (2.5 and 4.3) that were fine on my old computer (Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz/1066, Intel P965 Motherboard, etc.) on the new computer (Intel Core 2 Duo 3.0 GHz/1333, Intel P45 Motherboard).  As far as checking if it still works on the old computer, I am unable to do that at the moment, but I do know it was working on the old computer less than a week ago.  In addition, with regards to the NI Spy, I followed the instructions in the Knowledge Base link and tried to run it, apparently to no avail (I've attached the file for you just so you can see).  Thanks.

Nick

[Ana P]

Hi NickDeez,

Yes, the Capture file was indeed empty. It is weird that it returned like that, so I want to make sure that first you start running NI-Spy, then go to MAX and hit the Scan for Instruments the first time, and then the second time when it tells you that it found several instruments connected, and finally go back to NI-Spy and stop the record. If this again return an empty file, can you please provide information on the versions of the NI-Spy and MAX that you have installed. Thanks and have a nice day,

[NickDeez]

Ana,

I believe it was the card.  Our research group purchased another PCI-GPIB in 2005, which was installed on a different computer.  Fortunately they have no need of it anymore, and I installed that card, booted, had the drivers recognize that card, ran MAX, hit 'Scan for Instruments' and voila - it found my two instruments, and everything is working just fine.  I don't know if something (resistor, connection, etc.) went bad on the old card, but the newer one from '05 works just fine.  Thanks for your help.  As far as the version of NI Spy goes, I was using 2.5.2.  Hopefully I don't have to worry about this problem again.  Thank you very much.

Nick

[Ana P]

I’m glad to hear that is working now. Thanks for sharing with the forum your solution. Have a nice day,

[elahetal]

Hello,

I use PCI-GPIB and YOKOGAWA 7651 power supply, while scanning the instrument, I have an ERRor that  the instrument does not answer to query *IDN?

I checked the http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/allkb/72FAD7156202DDF9862568900048F006?OpenDocument  for troubleshooting but found nothing, could you please help me regarding that? I have attached the capture file by NI spy. 

[K C]

Hi,

I am afraid that the 7651 does not support the *IDN? command. I will get back to you tomorrow  (at work) to show how to communicate with this device.

btw. the 7651 is a DC-source and not a power supply.

[smercurio_fc]

---

elahetal wrote:

Hello,

I use PCI-GPIB and YOKOGAWA 7651 power supply, while scanning the instrument, I have an ERRor that  the instrument does not answer to query *IDN?. 

---

IDNET has drivers. It's not uncommon for older instruments to not implement standard SCPI commands.

Message Edited by smercurio_fc on 03-24-2010 04:12 PM

[elahetal]

Thanks for our inputs,

Dear K C , u r right it doesn't support SCIP so it doesn't support *IDN but I tried its own commands that I found in the mannual to communicate with the device using the GPIB example as well as IBIC but none of them worked for me. I appreciate your help KC and looking forward to hearing you.

smercurio-fc:

I already have installed that driver but the problem comes up when the MAX can not scan the instrument , using the driver is the next step, isn't it? Thought, I have tried that as well but I recieve an error while running the VI.