Remote access GPIB instruments via GPIBConf device names

[Gary_H]

Hi,

I'm trying to run Labwindows 2009 SP1 code on an office based PC while trying to operate GPIB instrumentation

on another part of the network.

Normally this is not problem thanks to VISA Server on the target PC and the use of VISA Alias names within the

office PC code.

But this code has been inherited and uses a different method which was the best at the time.

The code uses device name strings which have been defined using the GPIB utility: GpibConfig.exe,

on the target machine. So when a device is first initialised, the name defined in the GPIB utility is used

by the code and access to the associated instrument is achieved.This works fine when the code and

the instruments reside on the same PC.

My question: is there some way I can use VISA Server to access remote GPIB instruments using

the names defined on the target PC with the GpibConfig.exe utility ?

Thanks,

Gary.

[K C]

Hi Gary,

You can name the instruments with the same as your target PC in MAX.

I used this method without any problems for GPIB, LAN instruments and COM ports.

Kees

[Gary_H]

Hi Kees,

Just to clarify, the office PC code calls the library GPIB function: ibfind( ), the first parameter of which is, for

example, "DMM", the "Device Name".

Will the ibfind( ) function look only for "DMM" definition in the file created by the GpibConfig.exe

utility on the office PC, and so ultimately fail because I want "DMM" on a networked PC.

Or does ibfind( ) happily use the "DMM" Visa Alias name defined in MAX, on the office PC, which has access to a Remote

System ?    

Put another way, where does ibfind( ) resolve the "Device Name" parameter ?

Thanks,

Gary.

[K C]

I don't know anything about ibfind() It works for me because I am using LabVIEW. LabVIEW uses the VISA names to connect to a device.

Sorry, but I cannot help you any further with this one.

Kees 

[Dennis_Knutson · Accepted solution]

The low level GPIB functions have no knowledge of VISA functions or aliases. That must be a very old application since VISA has been around for 10+ years. Do you still have the source code so you can change from GPIB to VISA?

[Gary_H]

Thank you for the replies, I thought it might be a bit of a long shot to use VISA Server.

The code has been inherited and is not mine to change at the moment.