eurotherm temperature controler 900EPC

[buluk]

hi,
I am looking for a vi to communicate to a eurotherm
temperature-controler 900EPC.
The VI is to communicate with the controler via RS232 port.

do you have amy suggestions

thanks
martin

[abrause]

You could probably use these VIs as starting points:

http://labview.pica.army.mil/the-archives/vi/lv4/

Look for "euro" and "eurotherm" files.

Alan


"Martin Dommach" wrote in message news:3B03B027.96184984@desy.de...
> hi,
> I am looking for a vi to communicate to a eurotherm
> temperature-controler 900EPC.
> The VI is to communicate with the controler via RS232 port.
>
> do you have amy suggestions
>
> thanks
> martin

[Casper]

Sorry, but this link http://labview.pica.army.mil/the-archives/vi/lv4/ seems to be down.

Any other help??

[Johnner]

Casper,

I think the Info-LabVIEW infrastructure was transplanted last year to http://www.info-labview.org, and the folder archive you are looking for is here on its new filesystem. It appears that there are some Eurotherm driver files are there, as promised.

However, I have the feeling that what is posted there was designed for older models like the 808 and might need substantial modification to work with your model. Here are a few suggestions:

- Compare those files with the driver available on the ni.com/idnet Instrument Driver Library. The NI driver isn't designed for your model either, and is presumably based on the same code as above, but it may represent a more recent evolution.
- Maybe best of all, try to contact known LabVIEW users who have your model. Posting here is good, and will hopefully generate some additional responses. But if you search the Info-LabVIEW discussion archives, you can find some e-mail addresses of specific individuals who have actually modified the drivers above. Examples are here and here.

Regards,
John

[Casper]

Hi John,

thankz for your fast and helpful reply. I have checked the messages on info-labview.org and there might be some helpful information. I further on downloaded the eurotherm files from info-labview.

Now I have the problem, that those files are intended for labview 4.1 and win95. This results in several severe warnings and errors --> I'm stuck again.

I am able to read data from the eurotherm (i.e. a setpoint or the errorcodes) but I am unable to write data to the eurotherm 900EPC. Do I have to set a 'remote control' bit or something like that? I am quit sure to transmit the correct command. I am using a RS232 connection (yes, the rs232 onboard jumper is enabled)...

Thanks for your help,
c.

[Casper]

Hi Johnner,

thanks for you fast and helpful message! I have found the files on info-labview.org and already checked them. I also have sent a couple mails to several people on the messages.info-labview.org allthough those postings seem to be really old.

While evaluating the new files I hit on several severe warnings and errors. Those files seem to be intended for win95 and labview 4.1. I use win2k and labview 7.1. So I am stuck again.

I am quite certain to use the proper commands. I am able to read data from the 900EPC (i.e. setpoint 'SL', 'PV' or error codes 'EE') but I seem to be unable to write data to the 900EPC. I am using a rs232 serial connection (rs232 onboard jumper is enabled). Together with the GID '0' and the UID '1' a command should look like this:

\040011\021SP\s20.0\03\06 but nothing happens.

Do i have to enable a remote control bit, or something like that??

Thanks for help,
c.

[Johnner]

Casper,

Any progress, or contact with other Eurotherm users? Given that the driver VIs from the Info-LabVIEW archive were so old, it might be a better idea to use the ones from the NI Instrument Driver site instead, since they appeared to have been updated for LabVIEW 7.0.

Since you can read information from the instrument, it still seems likely that the problems writing commands out are related to the actual command structure, but I really can't offer any experience-based advice. Maybe after this thread is tickled back to the top, some of the instrument control gurus here can offer some ideas.

--John

[Casper]

Hi Johnner,

I finally have some results!! I have downloaded a program to achieve a direct communication with the eurotherm controller. And then I was able to detect my communication error. It seems, that the 808 is able to "read" a float value like this: 20,22 but this doesn't work for the 900EPC. So I replaced the "," by an easy string manipulation to a "." and the communication did finally work. I am now using a modified eurotherm_808 driver from the ni-driver-collection. But this difference between a 900 series controller (i.e. 902) to a 900EPC is not mentioned anywhere in the manuals nore in the digital communications handbook.

Thanks for your help! I really appreciate!!!

c.

[raphael16]

hi Casper
I want also to do the same thing, can you send me the vi to control the eurotherm 902, thanks you (mail : raph.martinelli@yahoo.fr)

[venkami]

Hi

I have finished using the GPIB controller chip as a slave and it is working. Now I wanted to program the chip as controller and communicate with the  Labview thro usb. I need to know what are the steps involved n how exactly  do i go about.

Thanks

Venkat