Agilent ESA Series Spectrum Analyzer (E4448A) - Can not initialize.

[Numes]

I have downloaded the drivers for the Agilent ESA series Spectrum Analyzers from NI and I am having trouble just running the initialization VI.

I am currently trying to run the VI called: agesa initialize With Options.vi on Labview 7.0 Express

This is the error I receive:
agesa Initialize With Options.viDriver Status: (Hex 0xBFFF0015) Primary Error: (Hex 0xBFFF0015) Timeout expired before operation completed.
It looks like the Spectrum Analyzer does do a few things (Changes Carrier Frequency to 50 MHz), but it's getting hung up somewhere else.

If I highlight execution, the error comes out of the Call Library Function Node elaboration output in the aforementioned VI.

Here are the settings of the VI I have:
Settings:
id query: true
reset device: false
Option string: Simulate=0,RangCheck=1,QueryInstrStats=2,Cache=1 (The default)
Resource Name: GPIB0::16:INSTR

Any help anyone could provide would be appreciated. Keep in mind, I am fairly new at this. Thanks.

From NI Spy (Numbers 20 and 22 with the ">" are the error lines):
Note: This post can only be 5000 characters, so I have deleted a few of the steps:

7. viWrite (0x001D6008, "*IDN?", 5, NULL)
Process ID: 0x00000388 Thread ID: 0x00000728
Start Time: 09:10:37.822 Call Duration: 00:00:00.000
Status: 0 (VI_SUCCESS)

8. viRead (0x001D6008, "Agilent Technologies,...", 511, 50)
Process ID: 0x00000388 Thread ID: 0x00000728
Start Time: 09:10:37.822 Call Duration: 00:00:00.000
Status: 0 (VI_SUCCESS)

9. viWrite (0x001D6008, ":SYST:OPT?", 10, NULL)
Process ID: 0x00000388 Thread ID: 0x00000728
Start Time: 09:10:37.822 Call Duration: 00:00:00.000
Status: 0 (VI_SUCCESS)

10. viRead (0x001D6008, ""226".", 512, 6)
Process ID: 0x00000388 Thread ID: 0x00000728
Start Time: 09:10:37.822 Call Duration: 00:00:00.000
Status: 0 (VI_SUCCESS)

11. viPrintf (0x001D6008, "%s?")
Process ID: 0x00000388 Thread ID: 0x00000728
Start Time: 09:10:37.832 Call Duration: 00:00:00.000
Status: 0 (VI_SUCCESS)

12. Formatted viWrite (0x001D6008, "*IDN?", 5, 5)
Process ID: 0x00000388 Thread ID: 0x00000728
Start Time: 09:10:37.832 Call Duration: 00:00:00.000
Status: 0 (VI_SUCCESS)

13. viRead (0x001D6008, "Agilent Technologies,...", 512, 50)
Process ID: 0x00000388 Thread ID: 0x00000728
Start Time: 09:10:37.832 Call Duration: 00:00:00.000
Status: 0 (VI_SUCCESS)

14. viPrintf (0x001D6008, "*CLS;*ESE 1;*SRE 32")
Process ID: 0x00000388 Thread ID: 0x00000728
Start Time: 09:10:37.832 Call Duration: 00:00:00.000
Status: 0 (VI_SUCCESS)

15. Formatted viWrite (0x001D6008, "*CLS;*ESE 1;*SRE 32", 19, 19)
Process ID: 0x00000388 Thread ID: 0x00000728
Start Time: 09:10:37.832 Call Duration: 00:00:00.000
Status: 0 (VI_SUCCESS)

16. viPrintf (0x001D6008, ":CALC:LLIN:CMOD FIX")
Process ID: 0x00000388 Thread ID: 0x00000728
Start Time: 09:10:37.832 Call Duration: 00:00:00.000
Status: 0 (VI_SUCCESS)

17. Formatted viWrite (0x001D6008, ":CALC:LLIN:CMOD FIX", 19, 19)
Process ID: 0x00000388 Thread ID: 0x00000728
Start Time: 09:10:37.832 Call Duration: 00:00:00.000
Status: 0 (VI_SUCCESS)

18. viPrintf (0x001D6008, ":CALC:MARK:FCO:RES:AUTO %s")
Process ID: 0x00000388 Thread ID: 0x00000728
Start Time: 09:10:37.832 Call Duration: 00:00:00.010
Status: 0 (VI_SUCCESS)

19. Formatted viWrite (0x001D6008, ":CALC:MARK:FCO:RES:AU...", 26, 26)
Process ID: 0x00000388 Thread ID: 0x00000728
Start Time: 09:10:37.832 Call Duration: 00:00:00.010
Status: 0 (VI_SUCCESS)

> 20. viQueryf (0x001D6008, "%s?", "%hd")
> Process ID: 0x00000388 Thread ID: 0x00000728
> Start Time: 09:10:37.842 Call Duration: 00:00:17.085
> Status: 0xBFFF0015 (VI_ERROR_TMO)

21. Formatted viWrite (0x001D6008, ":BAND:RES:AUTO?", 15, 15)
Process ID: 0x00000388 Thread ID: 0x00000728
Start Time: 09:10:37.842 Call Duration: 00:00:00.000
Status: 0 (VI_SUCCESS)

> 22. Formatted viRead (0x001D6008, "", 4000, 0)
> Process ID: 0x00000388 Thread ID: 0x00000728
> Start Time: 09:10:37.842 Call Duration: 00:00:17.085
> Status: 0xBFFF0015 (VI_ERROR_TMO)

23. viClose (0x001EC548)
Process ID: 0x00000388 Thread ID: 0x00000728
Start Time: 09:10:54.927 Call Duration: 00:00:00.000
Status: 0 (VI_SUCCESS)

24. viStatusDesc (0x00000000, 0xBFFF0015, "Timeout expired before oper...")
Process ID: 0x00000388 Thread ID: 0x00000728
Start Time: 09:10:54.927 Call Duration: 00:00:00.000
Status: 0 (VI_SUCCESS)

[alipio]

Hi Numes
I just tested that vi in Agilent E4446A and it runs fine.
I use Lv7.1 xp and last version of 488.
The only thing that looks souspicious to me is the default query:
QueryInstrStats=2. try ...=1. I got errors if diferente from 0 or 1.

Cheers
Alipio

[Numes]

> Hi Numes
> I just tested that vi in Agilent E4446A and it runs fine.
> I use Lv7.1 xp and last version of 488.
> The only thing that looks souspicious to me is the default query:
> QueryInstrStats=2. try ...=1. I got errors if diferente from 0 or 1.
>
> Cheers
> Alipio

Oops, that was a typo. It is in-fact: QueryInstrStats=1.

I will try to see if it works on 7.0 (not express) and 7.1

[alipio]

Hi again
I was reviewing my docs abotut programming this agilent and found source errors for some vis:

Make sure that pressing " System> config I/O > Config remote lang > Language" the selected one is SCPI.
If another compatibility mode is selected, you will get timeouts for commands not AGESA.

Hope this is the problem...Tell me about that.

Alipio

[Numes]

Well, I don't seem to have that option on the E4448A, here's what i do have:

System -> Config I/O ->
GPIB Address
IP Address
Host name
Subnet Mask
Gateway Address
SCPI LAN

Under System -> Config I/O -> SCPI LAN ->
SCPI Telnet
SCPI Socket
SICL Server

None of the above stuff seems applicable if I am only using GPIB?? I tried modifying some of the options above, didn't seem to help.

Here's some more information in the Error History on the Spectrum Analyzer:
-420, Query UNTERMINATED, &ltErr>
-113, Undefined header, :BAND:&ltErr&gtRES:AUTO?

The above looks like #21, and the error, #22, is right after it. Any idea what that means?

I'm going to try it on another computer... More to come!

[Numes]

Just tried it on Labview 7.1 on a different computer. Same results.

It must be something with the setup of the Spectrum Analyzer. This is frustrating.

I wonder if the Config Remote language option is embedded somewhere else?

[alipio]

Hi
Sometimes, it is a long work to make everything run.
Ok.
Just to be sure, my versions are:
Lv 7.1
Visa 3.1
488.2 ver. 2.3
Ivi cp ver. 2.1.2

Interface: GPIB-USB B

Try another vis to see if they run.

Tomorrow, I will make some more tests...Will let you know.
cheers
Alipio

[Numes]

Wow!

Figured it out:
I was in the Phase Noise Mode! When I switched it to Spectrum Analysis Mode it started talking fine. I could have sworn I have tried to power on and power off, it must have stayed in Phase Noise Mode.

Wow. That only cost me I day. I suppose I should be fortunate 🙂

Thanks, Alipio, for your help.

[alipio]

Congratulations.

Yes, they use to keep last setup for next time.

I was testing more vis (actually I use the analyzer in compatibility mode whit old software) from agesa driver and they run quite fine.

Greetings
Alipio

[Kaspar]

Hello,

   I cannot get the E4448A spectrum analyzer to initialize and it is in the proper mode. Are there any option strings that I can put to the initialization string that will ALWAYS force the correct mode, etc so that I can correctly initialize the E4448A? The default initialization string is being used and the E4448A does not want to initialize.

Thanks for any help!