gpib-usb-hs on vmware fusion

[WM_John_Weeks]

I'm running Windows 7 64-bit on an iMac with OS X 10.6.5 via VMWare Fusion. I installed NI-488.2 driver but can't see my GPIB-USB-HS device. This post: http://forums.ni.com/t5/Instrument-Control-GPIB-Serial/NI-488-2-does-work-on-Windows-XP-Mode-within-... seems to indicate that someone else has had success; his problem was using XP Mode.

Can anyone shed light on this? Can I expect the combination of GPIB-USB-HS with Windows 7-64 on VMWare Fusion on an iMac to work?

I also have a USB-6215 that works well.

Thanks!

[Hassan_Atassi]

Hi John,

This is definetly not a supported or tested case for the GPIB-USB-HS device.  However you may want to try the following:

Have you checked out this article on Using NI myDAQ with a Mac Computer? I know this is talking about a myDAQ, but I am pretty sure most of it will apply to the gpib-usb-hs, particularly step 4 in option 2 where it says: "Important: Finally, plug your myDAQ into your Mac and then click on the "Connect National Instruments NI myDAQ" slection in the USB section of the Virtual Machine option at the top of your Windows Virtual Machine.  If this step is skipped, your myDAQ will not show up in your virtual machine."

[WM_John_Weeks]

Thanks, Hassan.

I realize it's not a supported platform, but it would really cut down on the clutter on my home consulting desk if I could eliminate the PC 🙂

I am aware of the Connect USB Device menu in VMWare; I will have to go back and make sure I was sufficiently methodical about setting up the connection and then looking for it in MAX.

Are there issues with 64-bit Windows 7?

[JasonSmith]

I just did a sanity check with Fusion 3.1.2 running on Mac OS X 10.5.8, and we were able to successfully query a device through a GPIB-USB-HS.

I know this is an older version of Mac OS X, but it is what I had available to easily try out.

-Jason

[srdfrn]

Hi John,

I don't believe there are any major issues between 488.2 and Windows 7 64 bit.  What version of NI-488.2 do you have installed on your machine? 

You can read more about the major updates and fixes to NI-488.2 that have come out since Windows 7 64-bit support was released in the readme file for the latest driver version.

Regards,

Stephanie R.

National Instruments

[JasonSmith · Accepted solution]

John-

I moved my virtual machine to an OS X 10.6.6 system, and things did not work immediately. The GPIB-USB-HS was not visible in MAX, and in Device Manager it looks good, when when I open the properties page it says that there is no driver loaded.

I was able to get the GPIB-USB-HS working by choosing to update driver software through the Device Manager. The steps to do this are as follows:

1. Right-click on the GPIB-USB-HS in Device Manager, and select "Upgrade Driver Software..."

2. Select  "Browse my computer for driver software," then "Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer."

3. You should be shown exactly one GPIB-USB-HS driver to choose from. Select it and click Next.

4. When this has completed, view the properties of the device and make sure it says "This device is working properly."

All I did was the same sanity-check of a single query with the device, but it seems to be working.

Let us know if that helps,

Jason S.

[WM_John_Weeks]

Jason, Thanks! Upgrading your OS was above and beyond the call of duty.

I will try it out tonight. Right now I'm on my day job...

[WM_John_Weeks]

That procedure worked! Thank you.

Just in case it's helpful to others, In order to find the GPIB-USP-HS device in the Device Manager, I had to open National Instruments GPIB Interfaces to get to the device, but that's not a stretch 🙂