Detect Tektronix oscilloscope with PCI-GPIB with NI VISA rather than TekVISA

[abeaver]

I have a Tektronix oscilloscope that has a NI PCI-GPIB card. When using TekVISA the machine can detect itself but using NI VISA it cannot. Tektronix told me that TekVISA creates a virtual instrument and places it on the bus. Has anyone ever used this type of configuration?

The alternative method is to use a different machine all together with a 488.2 interface or loop back to the oscilloscope with difference 488.2 interface such as a GPIB-USB-HS.

[mikeporter]

I'm sorry, but I am confused. What do you mean that the o'scope has a PCI GPIB card in it and that it can detect itself? Is this an instrument or a computer? What is its model number and how do you want to use it?

Mike...

[abeaver]

The oscilloscope is a computer which runs Windows and has a PCI GPIB card. It can detect itself when using TekVISA but cannot detect itself when using NI VISA through MAX. Tektronix says this is because TekVISA creates a "virtual GPIB instrument" that can access itself when acting as the GPIB controller. But if you put the oscilloscope in Talk/Listen mode you can access it with NI VISA if you have an alternate 488.2 device which in my case is a GPIB-USB-HS.

[Dennis_Knutson]

I'm not sure you actually have to install NI-VISA on order to use LabVIEW. Try it without. There is also an option in MAX to enable Tulip support. See if that makes a difference. I'm mostly guessing. I had Tek scope like yours for a demo but I only used it connected to an external pc.

[abeaver]

I need NI VISA because I am querying instruments.

[Dennis_Knutson]

TekVISA can query instruments just like Agilent VISA, or the other flavors of VISA out there.

[abeaver]

I had various issues with TekVISA. The main one was auto detection of connected instruments. To get TekVISA to recognize an instrument you would have to exit any LabVIEW programs, open TekVISA, query the instruments, and then re-open the LabVIEW programs.

Don't get me wrong, TekVISA works for the most part (I tried) but I have a fairly extensive program that I know works with NI VISA I don't see a reason to switch.

[Dennis_Knutson]

Then try the tulip option.

[abeaver]

Can you provide some more explaination for tulip? Maybe a link? Thanks

[Dennis_Knutson]

Select software>NI-VISA>VISA Options.