tektronix AFG31000

[fhsikandar@gmail.com]

Hi! I am using tektronix AFG31000 function generator.I have installed the driver and the vis are working.I can send instructions to the instrument and it can read them. However, I can’t see any vi or button which can help me to read any settings such as frequency from the function generator. Usually, the drivers include a configure measurement.vi or read.vi which can be used to read a particular value. But the driver for this instrument has no such button.

Would using NIDaq help? I have tried it but it could not find any compatible device.

[ZYOng]

I assume that you are using Tektronix AFG 31000 Series Signal Generator - USB, Ethernet, IEEE 488.2 (GPIB) Driver for LabVIEW

Once you have extracted and copied the files to <LabVIEW>\instr.lib\, you can open the lvproj and explore the examples

[jjohn1]

Download the programmers manual and look up specific commands for the parameters you want to query.

One example would be to send a command such as

SOURce1:FREQuency:FIXed?

(or something similar) to query frequency on the first channel.

The VIs probably use VISA read and write VIs for communication (not daqmx).

Open the VI that sets the frequency, save a copy of it with another name, change the output string to something similar to the example above, and add a visa read VI after the visa write.  It should return the value.

[fhsikandar@gmail.com]

Would you please elaborate it further ? I’m a complete beginner to labview. What is the programmer’s manual ? Do I need to compose a completely new VI ? I am doing a labview project as part of my summer internship, the only things I have learned so far is how to use already developed VIs .

Also, there is no button which can give me access to the frequency.

[santo_13]

Please watch this tutorial - https://labviewwiki.org/wiki/VIWeek_2020/Proper_way_to_communicate_over_serial

[jjohn1]

Tektronix has their manuals online

https://www.tek.com/en/signal-generator/afg31000-function-generator-manual/afg31000-series-arbitrary...

If the VI you need does not exist, the easiest way is to save one of the VIs from the driver under a new name and modify it (as noted in previous post).

The waveform generator (AWG) probably has a button somewhere that will show frequency.  If not, plug the output into an oscilloscope and measure it.

I ALWAYS use a scope to verify output waveform characteristics (especially voltage!).  AWGs sometimes do unintended things in certain programming modes so this is important.

[fhsikandar@gmail.com]

the issue is the driver has only vis which give instructions to it, for instance the configure palette has configure frequency sweep, configure waveform generator etc. there is not a single button which can give me access to measuring/reading things.

Are there any built in vis which can help me resolve this issue?

[santo_13]

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fhsikandar@gmail.com wrote:

the issue is the driver has only vis which give instructions to it, for instance the configure palette has configure frequency sweep, configure waveform generator etc. there is not a single button which can give me access to measuring/reading things.

Are there any built in vis which can help me resolve this issue?

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So, you need to create your own VI to implement the functions that did not come with the driver. To do so, you need to refer the instrument's programmer's manual, write a VI based on that manual to use the SCPI command and VISA APIs.

[fhsikandar@gmail.com]

there is no VI which sets the frequency

[Kyle97330]

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@santo_13 wrote:

Please watch this tutorial - https://labviewwiki.org/wiki/VIWeek_2020/Proper_way_to_communicate_over_serial

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Why did you bring this up?  The device in question supports 3 different communication buses, but none of them are serial!

fhsikandar@gmail.com wrote:

there is no VI which sets the frequency

Assuming you are using the standard drivers linked above, there is a VI that sets the frequency, "Configure Arbitrary Waveform.vi".  It sets several other things as well, but it also sets the frequency.

It seems like you're trying to program the device but don't want to (or don't have the time to) spend the time to figure out how device programming (or LabVIEW) works "under the hood", so to speak.  I was in a similar situation once about 10 years ago, and I can understand this, but what got me through it was a senior engineer spending about 3 hours in a 1-on-1 session going over it and giving me the basics.  I can't spend the time typing out all of the information I got in those 3 hours into a forum post here, so is there maybe a senior engineer sort of person at the place you're doing your internship who you could ask for something like that?