Hi,
When you write your information, does the instrument on the receiving side actually read the data sent? It is hard to guess at what could be going wrong given this data. Do you have a GPIB analyzer that you could hook up to analyze the signals on the bus? If the data is getting to the instrument, are you sure that the instrument is trying to return data? Also you might consider using a regular PC with RS232 to make sure that both the 232CV is working as well as the instrument you are connected to before you switch to the more advanced microprocessor approach.
Best Regards,
Aaron K.
Application Engineer
National Instruments