interfacing OSA with pc over a cross over cable

[austin2]

Can we interface optical spctrum analyzer 86140B  to a pc using a cross over cable and then configure ip's to set up Lan and use labview to control the OSA?????

Thanks,

ershad

[Dennis_Knutson]

Don't see why not. I've done it with other instruments. As long as you can assign a fixed IP and you can verify that from the manual.

I can't find an NI driver for it so you would have to write your own code unless Agilent has a driver

Message Edited by Dennis Knutson on 02-09-2010 08:02 PM

[austin2]

i have configured OSA ip as 192.168.0.2 and pc to be 192.168.0.1 and same subnet mask (both connected over cross over cable) and then tried to acess from pc in run with \\192.168.0.2 and pc is unable to find the comp on network. if i have to install some kind of drivers are they called agilent i/o drivers/ plug n play drivers? and should be installed on pc? (i dont have good understanding of drivers sry) or they are related to NI labview?

i also used NI-MAX to acess the OSA but i couldnt, Is GPIB needed for using NI-MAX or can i use cross over cable also to acess OSA from labview-MAX.

thanx.

[Dennis_Knutson]

I don't know what you mean by "in run with \\192.168.0.2". To test the connection, do a ping. If that does not work, try a different cable.If that still does not work, you should contact Agilent.

If it's a VXI-11 compliant instrument (check the manual), the only low level driver you would need is NI-VISA

[austin2]

Let say if pc is able to acess OSA with cross connected cable using ping , can i use labview VI-MAX after installing visa driver will be able to control my OSA?

thanks.

[Dennis_Knutson]

Again, you should check the manual but typically yes. Once it's detected in MAX, you can use the VISA Communicator to do something simple like the *IDN? query.