Problem to run Agilent GPIB card with NI-VISA : recurrent conflict seen in Agilent VISA 32 open report although all things properly set...

[Yoyo87]

Hi NI developpers,

I have a recurrent problem to properly set my installation using a GPIB Agilent Card and labview.

Of course, the very known configuration tips are in principle set :

- Agilent VISA a the secondary VISA (side-by-side mode)

- the passeport for tulip is enabled in NI-MAX

- the NI-488 support in enabled in Agilent librabry suite 16.1

I un-installed and re-installed all component twice, but always get the same error message when I want to talk to a Keithley 2400 SMU :

- First, the agilent GPIB interface is properly recognized in both Agilent Connexion expert and NI-MAX

- Then the keitjley 2400 instrument is initially working properly in both Agilent Connexion Expert and NI-MAX

BUT : when I try to send a command to the instrument (either through VISA assistant or using the instrument driver in Labview), the instrument returns an error (fist error "Query unterminated" followed immediatly by a second error code "Invalid while in local")

At the same time, the conflict manager (VISA 32 open report) in Agilent Connexion expert says "NI-VISA has returned an error. There is an interface conflict between the NI VISA and the Agilent VISA". It suggests that the conflict occurs when different interfaces are assigned the same interface number in the two VISA.

So, aware of the conflict that can occurs in a side-by-side installation, I tried to change the SICL Interface ID of the board in Agilent Connexion Expert (from gpib0 to gpib9) and reboot, but it didn't help.

So, can you help me fix this recurrent problem ?

Is it necessary to also change the VISA interface ID, or the GPIB address of the Agilent GPIB board in Connexion Expert ? Should it be the same address (9 for instance) ?

I really don't get it.

Sorry for this new message on such configuration topics, but I didn't find any useful tips in the forums.

Cheers,

Yoyo87.

[Yoyo87 · Accepted solution]

Finally, I got my system running after several tests, although I could not manage to use NI-VISA as primary VISA (enabling the tulip passport) with agilent VISA (enabled for NI-488 programs) at the same time.

I did un-installed all agilent and NI components and re-install them in the right order (NI first, then agilent): nothing changed.

I check for updates from agilent and NI, and use several different VISA versions from both: nothing changed and I still got the communication errors when trying to send command through NI-VISA Interactive control or through labview (although it worked well through agilent connection expert). 

I really don't know why, but I solved my problem by installing Agilent VISA as primary VISA. By this way, although I don't see the Agilent board in  NI-MAX, I can still send command to the GPIB instruments by labview using their VISA address or aliases defined in Agilent Connection expert...

I am still interested to understand why I was not able to run both VISAs on my system with only one agiulent PCI GPIB board...so if any one of you sees an obvious reason for that...

Thanks in any case, even if I didn't get much reply on that topic....

Yoyo87

[Artantilus]

I have exactly the same problem. I am not sure, but I think this is related to using a 32-bit Labview on a 64-bit machine. When I install the Agilent VISA, it automatically installs both the 64-bit Visa and the 32-bit VISA. I suspect this causes some issues. I haven't had this problem on a 32-bit machine.