New to IVI, can't configure MAX, Instr won't initialize

[Wensu]

Hello, I am trying to configure the IVI section in MAX so that I can use the IVI driver "agesa_LV70" to control an agilent spectrum analyzer (E4440A).  I have read Using Measurement & Automation Explorer 3.0 to Configure Your IVI System and Using IVI Drivers in LabVIEW, but they were unclear about how things interrelate (specifically "physical names", "virtual names", and "repeated device capabilities"). 

When I try to initialize my Spec An, the initialize.vi times out.  I have attached a jpg image showing screenshots of my MAX configuration as well as screenshots of the VI I am using to initialize and close an IVI session. 

Could anyone please have a look and tell me where I have gone wrong in configuring MAX?

Thank you,
Victor

[Wensu]

Here is the image.

[Makoto]

According to your NI-MAX setting, the Hardware Asset "PSA" configues the GPIB address at "GPIB0::18::INSTR".  But your InitClose example opens the instrument directly with VISA address "GPIB0::16::INSTR".  Which is the correct instrument address (16 or 18)?  Also, If directly passing a VISA address to Initialize function, no logical name is applied, therefore any IVI settings in NI-MAX are meaningless.  If you utilize the IVI configuration you set in NI-MAX, the Initialize call must take the logical name you created - "SpectrumAnalyzer".

As for Virtual Name and Physical Name, you do not always have to configure the map of them.  You can always use one of physical names for the channel name regardless the mapping.  In this case you can just leave them empty in your Driver Session.

[gagi1]

Hi Victor,

There are a couple of things you should do:

- Make sure that you can communicate with the instrument from the "Devices and Interfaces" section in MAX (Scan for instrument>Communicate with Instrument)

- If the "GPIB::18::INSTR" is the correct address, than try to use this resource descriptor in your specific driver Initialize VI.

The important thing to point out when using IVI is that if you do not plan to develop your application using the IVI Class Driver VIs and you do not care much about the interchangeability, then you can develop your application using the specific driver VIs. In that case, there is no need  to do any MAX configuration since you can use the VISA resource name. The logical name is needed only with the class driver VIs.

Regards,

Vesna

[Wensu]

Hello, Makoto and Gagi1,
Thank you for the time you have spent helping me. 
I have reviewed your points and think it appropriate that I clarify some points.

It appears you may have mistaken the control label for the value passed to the control,  the device address is indeed GPIB0::18::INSTR. 

I have attached a new set of screenshots, the new screenshots are to the far right.
Please note that the list of devices are included and do verify that the PSA E4440A is to be found at address 18.

Having read the aforementioned NI articles, I was aware that one may use either the logical name or the VISA address to the IVI drivers, but it seems that the same timeout error is returned regardless of which I use.  To demonstrate, I have attached two screenshots of my InitClose.VI, one run using the device logical name, and another using the VISA gpib address.
Please note that both ways result in the same error. 

Further, I have attached a screenshot of the "Initialize with Options.VI" used by agesa_LV70 as it is the source of the error. 

Again, thanks for helping me out!

Victor

[Wensu]

Update:
Still having same problem, kind of stuck. 

[gagi1]

Hello Victor,

Since it seems that you get the timeout error when you use a VISA resource name as well, I do not think that the problem is in the IVI MAX configuration. You should try to use the VISA Interactive Control (Start>Programs>NI>VISA) to verify whether you can communicate with your instrument using VISA or not. Also, please note that the IVI driver has been tested with the firmware revision A.08.00 and later. It is recommended to use the latest firmware revision with this driver.

Regards,

Vesna

[Noel]

If you are able to communicate with your instrument with either VISA Interactive Control and/or within MAX by right-clicking on your GPIB controller card in Devices and Interfaces and selecting "Scan for Instruments", the next step I would recommend is to use NI-SPY to view VISA calls when running your simple Initialize Close VI.  By spying on the VISA calls, you can see at what command/query call caused the timeout.    This should give better insight into the cause of the problem.

You can launch NI-Spy through your Windows Start menu.   Start>>National Instruments>>NI Spy.   You'll want to set the options to view VISA calls.

As pointed out earlier, I would recommend getting your application working without the MAX settings first.  Later, if you need the MAX settings for class drivers, you will either need to change your selected channel name "Spec Analzyer" to match the default in the class driver or be sure to specify your selected channel name in each VI that takes a channel name as an input.

Noel

[Wensu]

Vesna,
I think you hit it on the head.  I checked the firmware version and it is only 7.00.
I will try to update the firmware and will post back to this thread if I continue to have problems. 
Thank you very much for looking into my issue!

Regards,
Victor