Set up PCMCIA-GPIB

[keithlex]

I have a new (not yet used) PCMCIA-GPIB card connected to a Keithley 197 voltmeter. The device manager shows the card. Ni 488 software is installed. Starting Measurement&Automation I am not able to see this card. What I am doing wrong there? Clicking F5 does not help. Serial and Parallel is shown Com 1, Com 3 and Lpt1. There also is an Unidentified PXI System shown (I do not have such). How to start up? Any ideas what I can do?

[keithlex]

I now started using VISA Interactive Control. Clicking on refresh I see GPIB0::INTFC. Unfortunately I cannot send anything to the instrument without getting error messages. I attached a HP5334B counter instead. Using refresh I am getting 31 addresses from GPIB0::10::0::INSTR to GPIB0::10::30::INSTR. But how to send now something? When I am writing *IDN? to GPIB0::10::30::INSTR there comes a message "Write operation *IDN?"  no error  return count 5 bytes. The instrument display tells Error 4.2. Is this really so complicated sending simple commands and getting response?

[keithlex]

I am using this on an XP laptop.

[Justin_P]

Hi Keith,

What version of the driver are you using?  It sounds like you are running into a known issue with the current version of the NI-488.2 driver.  R&D is aware of the situation and it is being tracked by CAR# 329127.  This should be fixed by the next release and available on our website soon.  Until then you can downgrade to 2.7.3.

Have a great day,

[keithlex]

Hi Justin,

I am using the newest version of the driver. I talked to Mr. Santl from NI before I installed this because I wanted to use the best possible driver available. I had the choice using the very old driver on the DVD that came with the device or using a newer one. I reported having problems. Unfortunately I was told that there would be no help. Even to my email to Mr. Santl I did not get a response yet. Nice to hear from you that there will be a solution. I really hope for this. Thank you very much for this positive answer. I appreciate this very much. Thank you ! 

[Michelle_N]

Hi keithlex,

I'm happy to announce the fix has just been released in NI-488.2 v3.0.2. Please upgrade to this version.

[keithlex]

Thank you very much Michelle !

Is there a chance using the DLL of the driver also in Win 7 to get access to this GPIB-PCMCIA-card? I know that there are registers inside. If I would know which registers to write to it should be not a big problem accessing this card also using Win 7. What do you think? Is it possible to get some informations here?