N6030 driver in LabView

[JPLEng]

Hi:
How do it get MAX to recognize my N6030A. I'm using LV 8.0.
 I guess I eventually need it to show up as a selection in my Automation Refnum.
Nothing I do in the MAX IVI setup changes the Auto. Refnum pull down options.
Is there a procedure for all this that I'm missing.

Thanks

[Brian F.]

Hello JPLEng. 

Thank you for contacting National Instruments.

Is the N6030A an Agilent Arbitrary Waveform Generator?  I just wanted to clarify this first because we sell a DAQ card that is called the NI-PCI6030E which is fairly similar (character wise) to the N6030A that you typed.  If you are using the N6030A, how are you connecting this instrument to your PC?  Is it via GPIB, serial, or some other external connection?  Let us know so we can assist you further.  Have a great day!

Brian F
Applications Engineer
National Instruments

[JPLEng]

Yes its the Agilent Arb.

I have it in a NI PXI chassis. With a NI controller.

It seems from the other N6030a threads that someone has figured out how to get MAX to
recognize the driver.

Any help?

Thanks

[Nick_CH]

Hello,

On the web site of NI, we can found the N6030A Instrument Driver to use this device with Labview or Labwindows/CVI (driver not supported by NI). To use this driver, you must have NI-VISA, IVI Compliance Package, .NET Framework Support 1.1.

I suppose, when those stuffs are installed, it should be possible to see the N6030A in MAX under IVI zone. just try it!!!
Drivers could be found under "Drivers and Update"

PS: The N6030A is an agilent device and the MAX is the configuration tool for NI devices.

Best regard
Nick_CH

[JPLEng]

I've downloaded all the suggested drivers and software already.

It does not though automaticlly show up in MAX.

Is there a way to register/set it up in MAX so that Visa Vi's can use it?

Thanks

Alex

[Brian F.]

Hello JPLEng. 

MAX only will detect and display NI products with a few exceptions.  The only exception for Agilent hardware seems to be Agilent/HP's IEEE488 interface cards as featured in this knowledgebase article:

How Do I See My Agilent 82357A GPIB-USB Interface in MAX/LabVIEW?
https://knowledge.ni.com/KnowledgeArticleDetails?id=kA03q000000YHcyCAG&l=en-US

I would recommend using the N6030A Instrument Driver to program in LabVIEW since this is the recommended software to use with this Agilent hardware.

Brian F
Applications Engineer
National Instruments

Message Edited by Brian F. on 12-29-2006 10:14 AM

[JPLEng]

Hi Brian

Its not that I need the N6030A to show up in MAX. Its that i need to access the N6030A driver via Labview. I just figured seeing the 6030 in MAX would tell me that
Labview will recognize it.
I have all the relevant software installed.
What I need is  when I open a new Block Diagram and place a Automation Open on it. I have to be able to select an Active X class. Which I can browse with a pull down. When I browse I do not see the 6030A. Hence I assume its not registered in MAX. Isnt all this a standard task with a non NI card.  It looks like maybe others using the 6030 have gotten past this point.

Help

Thanks

Alex

[Adam W]

Hi Alex,

It looks like Agilent did not make Active X functionality for this device.  However, it does install an IVI Driver Session in MAX (My System > IVI Drivers > Driver Sessions).  It also installs a couple DLLs and header files for the instrument.  I haven't tested it, but you should be able to call functions from those DLLs directly in LabVIEW either by importing the DLL or using a Call Library Function Node.  If you look in the help file that installs with the N6030A software, it discusses the IVI C API functions and attributes for the driver, as well as the locations of the dlls and header files.

Perhaps using those you can access your device instead of using Active X.

Hope this helps!

Adam W
Applications Engineering
National Instruments

[JPLEng]

Hi Adam:

Thanks for the response.

I've read all the 'help' stuff. It says what youre saying. Access the driver functionality with IVI. And I noticed other N6030 threads talk about using the Call Library Node.
But I don't see how to actually implement this. And secondly how can verify basically that Labview sees the N6030A.
It seems to me I have to go through MAX. Are am I wrong here?

Thanks again

Alex

[Adam W]

Hi Alex,

Sorry I didn't address this in my earlier post; if you are just looking to see your card in MAX, there's a couple things to check/try.  First, if your device is made to work with NI-VISA, it should show up in MAX under your PXI system.  Check to see if it is there, and if it is not, you can go into Tools > NI VISA > VISA Options and check the box next to "Show all devices accessible to VISA."  If it still does not show, or you aren't sure your device is made to work with VISA, then you'll need to use the VISA Driver Development Wizard.  Try running through that tutorial, and see if it will show after that, or if you can use the VISAIC to find it.  The tutorial also discusses using LabVIEW with the PXI instrument as well. 

Hope this helps!

Adam W
Applications Engineering
National Instruments