GPIB configeration problems

[Steve]

Hi

I have installed a NI GPIB card and the software to go with it. I
already
have a 96 way DAQ installed which works fine. The GPIB software has
been installed before the board and seems quite happy. The card is
recognised by the system and PCI-GPIB appears under the Devices and
interfaces, so the system recognises the fact that it has GPIB
hardware installed.

I have gone through the start-up wizard and and have configured as as
PCI-GPIB and given it the number GPIB0, the DAQ is labelled as 1.

Trying to use Max to talk to the instrument and going through
interactive controls to try to establish comms using *IDN? gives the
same result. Whatever I do I get the dialogue box claiming that the
instrument has to be powered up or cables checked
. These are all
known to be ok. This is about as far as I can get. If I run the
trouble shooting wizard I get a failure on the "GPIB interfaces
sequentially verified" section although the GPIB0 is recognised.
Further investigation brings up the standard box that says unknown
hardware error and the list of suggestions.

The software has had the primary and secondary address set to 0 and
then set to the instrument address of 18. Still no joy.

Whatever I try, when I run scan for instruments, I get the same
dialogue box advising me to check the cables and power to the
instrument.

The instrument I am using is a Racal-Dana 2101 microwave counter

What am I doing wrong?

thanks

Steve Habberley

[Ray K]

Hello Steve,

Have you checked to make sure that the instrument is 488.2 compliant? If it is not 488.2 compliant it will not respond to the scan for instruments and may not respond to *IDN?. Try comminucating via IBIC.

Open IBIC:
Measurement and Automation explorer >> Tools >> NI-488.2 >> Interactive Control

Go to this webpage:
IBIC
Below the screen shot is a list of commands with definitions of the commands and parameters. Type the commands into the IBIC window.
When you write a command to the instrument, try using a simple query that the instrument will respond to. The example used in the example is *IDN?, but that is part of the 488.2 standard and may not work for your instrument. Look i
n your instrument's user manual for an appropriate command.

If this does not work let me know which step failed and include an NI-SPY capture.

Regards,
Ray K
NI Applications Engineer