hp871xb driver

[fatoni]

Dear all,

I'm doing a measurement automation using LabVIEW 7.1 to control the measurement on HP8714C Network analyzer. I'm using hp871xb driver. I have tried to make a vi as I attached and it runs without error. I could see the waveform and save it in .txt file. But I still have a problem on how to configure the parameters of the measured channel (e.g. Log mag, phase etc.) using this driver. In HP8714C there is 'format' button that can be used to choose the parameters of the measured channel.

I think I should find the vi for those 'format' button and I could place it in my vi that I attached, may be between Configure Scale.vi and Read Wafeform.vi.

I need any idea to solve this problem. Thank you

[Dennis_Knutson]

It's unlikely that you will find a single function to set all of the parameters. You will have to look at all of the existing functions (make sure context help is on) and determine which ones to use for each parameter you want to set. Sometimes, you have to cross reference the command in the programming manual to the VIs by doing a text search for a specific command. Other times, the description of the VI and the controls on the front panel are enough.

[ben64]

The driver only gives you a subset of all possible commands. I will recommend you look at the network analyzer programming manual, get use to SCPI type commands if you are not (that is a very usefull knowledge) and use the VISA write VI for the settings not available with the driver VIs. As an example the command to set the display to Log Mag for ch1 would be: CALC1:FORM MLOG; (or long version CALCulate1:FORMat MLOG;)

Hope this help.

Ben

[fatoni]

Thanks for the reply

Now I'm trying to make a vi that will be used to control the "format" button on HP8714C. I just use the boolean input to control what parameter will be displayed, that is true for LogMagnitude and false for Phase. I attach the vi (Named "format_button.vi") in this message. I place this vi in  the main vi I have attached before beetwen Configure Scale.vi and Read Waveform.vi. But I found error displayed on HP8714C in this form :

HP-IB error :-350

Too many errors

CALC:FORM:MLOG1.000000 (when the input boolen is true) and CALC:FORM:PHASE (when false).

And also, in the control panel of the main vi, I didn't observed the change on the waveform graph according to the changing of boolean input for format_button.vi. 

I have read the programming manual and found SCPI command related to this problem. I think I 've written the command correctly according to the example in the manual.

What mistakes I've done ? What should I do then ?

Thank you.

Fatoni

[ben64 · Accepted solution]

I didn't try the command (we don't use 8714C VNA) but from the code you posted I can see some errors. The first one is a syntax error, there should not be a ":" between FORM and MLOG, just put a space. The second one is for channel selection, the command CALC1 is used for channel 1 and you should use CALC2 for channel 2. Also, in the false case replace MLOG by the value for phase (you will find this value in the programming manual). Another one, don't use the format value function in the case structure, it append the channel number at the end of the string (the 1 or 2 should be after CALC without space, i.e. CALC1 or CALC2)

Ben

[fatoni]

Dear all,

I've tried to connect the format_button2.vi on my main vi and I've made some modification so I could run and then save sequentially log magnitude and phase of the waveform. 

Thanks to all of you. It's a great support from a nice forum.

I'll join this forum again in another problem....

Fatoni