Agilent Technologies E5810A User Manual

Agilent E5810A

LAN/GPIB Gateway for Windows

User’s Guide

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Front Matter

Notice

The information contained in this document is subject to change without notice.

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U.S. Government Restricted Rights

The Software and Documentation have been developed entirely at private expense. They are delivered and licensed as "commercial computer software" as defined in DFARS 252.227- 7013 (Oct 1988), DFARS 252.2117015 (May 1991) or DFARS 252.227-7014 (Jun 1995), as a "commercial item" as defined in FAR 2.101(a), or as "Restricted computer software" as defined in FAR 52.227-19 (Jun 1987) (or any equivalent agency regulation or contract clause), whichever is applicable. You have only those rights provided for such Software and Documentation by the applicable FAR or DFARS clause or the Agilent standard software agreement for the product involved.

Declaration of Conformity

The Declaration of Conformity (DoC) for this instrument is available on the Agilent Web site. You can search the DoC by its product model or description at the Web address below.

http://regulations.corporate.agilent.com/DoC/search.htm

NOTE

If you are unable to search for the respective DoC, please contact your local Agilent representative.

ICES Statement

Instruction manual symbol affixed to product. Indicates that the user must refer to the manual for specific WARNING or CAUTION information to avoid personal injury or damage to the product.

Indicates the field wiring terminal that must be connected to earth ground before operating the equipment — protects against electrical shock in case of fault.

Frame or chassis ground terminal— typically connects to the equipment's metal frame

Alternating current (AC).

Direct current (DC).

Warning. Risk of electrical shock.

Calls attention to a procedure, practice, or condition that could cause bodily injury or death.

Calls attention to a procedure, practice, or condition that could possibly cause damage to equipment or permanent loss of data.

WARNING

CAUTION

This ISM device complies with Canadian ICES-001. Cet appareil ISM est conforme à la norme NMB-001 du Canada.

Safety Symbols

WARNINGS

The following general safety precautions must be observed during all phases of operation, service, and repair of this product. Failure to comply with these precautions or with specific warnings elsewhere in this manual violates safety standards of design, manufacture, and intended use of the product. Agilent Technologies assumes no liability for the customer's failure to comply with these requirements.

Ground the equipment: For Safety Class 1 equipment (equipment having a

protective earth terminal), an uninterruptible safety earth ground must be provided from the mains power source to the product input wiring terminals or supplied power cable.

DO NOT operate the product in an explosive atmosphere or in the presence of flammable gases or fumes.

For continued protection against fire, replace the line fuse(s) only with fuse(s) of the same voltage and current rating and type. DO NOT use repaired fuses or short-circuited fuse holders.

Keep away from live circuits: Operating personnel must not remove

equipment covers or shields. Procedures involving the removal of covers or shields are for use by service-trained personnel only. Under certain conditions, dangerous voltages may exist even with the equipment switched off. To avoid dangerous electrical shock, DO NOT perform procedures involving cover or shield removal unless you are qualified to do so.

DO NOT operate damaged equipment: Whenever it is possible that the safety

protection features built into this product have been impaired, either through physical damage, excessive moisture, or any other reason, REMOVE POWER and do not use the product until safe operation can be verified by service-trained personnel. If necessary, return the product to Agilent for service and repair to ensure that safety features are maintained.

DO NOT service or adjust alone: Do not attempt internal service or

adjustment unless another person, capable of rendering first aid and resuscitation, is present.

DO NOT substitute parts or modify equipment: Because of the danger of

introducing additional hazards, do not install substitute parts or perform any unauthorized modification to the product. Return the product to Agilent for service and repair to ensure that safety features are maintained.

Documentation History

All Editions and Updates of this manual and their creation date are listed below. The first Edition of the manual is Edition 1. The Edition number increments by 1 whenever the manual is revised. Updates, which are issued between Editions, contain replacement pages to correct or add additional information to the current Edition of the manual. Whenever a new Edition is created, it will contain all of the Update information for the previous Edition. Each new Edition or Update also includes a revised copy of this documentation history page.

Edition 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 2002

Edition 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 2003

Edition 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 2004

Edition 4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . January 2005

Edition 5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . September 2007

Edition 6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . June 19, 2009

Edition 7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 20, 2009

Edition 8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . August 4, 2011

Edition 9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . January 1, 2012

Edition 10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . September 24, 2012

Edition 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . March 19, 2013

Agilent Technologies E5810A LAN/GPIB Gateway for Windows User’s Guide

Trademark Information

Windows is a trademark or registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

Support Information

Support information for the E5810A LAN/GPIB Gateway for Windows follows. When calling Agilent with support questions, please have the following information available so we can provide you with a quicker solution to the problem.

 E5810A Serial Number (printed on bottom of the unit and displayed

on the

 Description of the Problem  Corrective actions already tried (see Chapter 4 - Troubleshooting

Information for suggested troubleshooting tips)

Welcome page of the E5810A Web access)

Contacting Agilent  You can reach Agilent Technologies at this telephone number in the

Americas:

Americas Call Center: 1-800-829-4444

 For other countries, contact your country’s Agilent support

organization. A list of contact information for other countries is available on the Agilent Internet site:

www.agilent.com/find/assist

A list of other Agilent Web sites follows.

URL Description

www.agilent.com/find/assist Agilent Technologies “Contact us” page

www.agilent.com/find/e5810a The latest E5810A product information with links to key

Web sites such as FAQs, Data Sheets, etc.

www.agilent.com/find/iolib Update the Agilent IO Libraries Suite software

www.agilent.com/find/techsupport The latest customer support information

www.agilent.com/find/ADN Connectivity resources all in one place

www.agilent.com/find/manuals Technical support information, including manuals,

application notes, FAQs, and software and firmware downloads

www.agilent.com/find/connectivity For connection, communication and control of test

instruments from your computer, you can find out the latest in the world of connectivity.

User’s Guide Information

This Agilent E5810A LAN/GPIB Gateway for Windows User’s Guide describes installation, configuration, and use of an E5810A LAN/GPIB Gateway for Windows that is connected to an Enterprise (corporate) network, to a Local Network, or directly to a PC.

NOTE

All Agilent IO Libraries information in this guide refers to Agilent IO Libraries Suite version 15.0 or above. For specific information on other versions of the Agilent IO Libraries or Agilent IO Libraries Suite, see the documentation for that version. You can download both updates and older versions (for backward compatibility) of the IO Libraries software at http://www.agilent.com/find/iolib.

What’s in This Guide?

A listing of the guide contents follows.

NOTE

This guide is NOT a tutorial on Local Area Networks (LANs) or specific LAN operation. Consult your Information Technology (IT) department for LAN specifics for your application.

Chapter Description

Chapter 1, “E5810A

Description,”

Chapter 2, “Installing the

E5810A,”

Chapter 3, “Using E5810A Web

Access,”

Chapter 4, “Troubleshooting

Information,”

Appendix A, “E5810A

Specifications,”

Appendix B, “Using the Telnet

Utility,”

“Glossary” Defines some of the technical terms used in this guide.

Accessing an Electronic Copy of This Guide

There are three ways you can access an electronic (.pdf) version of this guide, as follows. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader Version 3.0 or later to view the electronic version.

Describes the E5810A, including hardware description and network operation.

Shows how to install the E5810A and the Agilent IO Libraries Suite.

Shows how to use the E5810A Web access to interface with the E5810A from your PC.

Shows some ways to troubleshoot the E5810A, including front panel, network, PC client, and instrument checks.

Provides specifications for the E5810A.

Provides a summary of using the Telnet utility.

 Access From the E5810A Web Access. After the E5810A is installed,

you can access an electronic version of the manual by going to the

Welcome page and clicking User’s Guide (under the E5810A Documentation

heading).

 Access from the IO Control. If the Agilent IO Libraries Suite is

installed, a blue circled IO icon appears on the right hand side of the Windows toolbar. To access an electronic version of this guide, click the IO icon, then click

GPIB Users Guide

Documentation and then click E5810A LAN/

 Access from the Web. On your Web browser address line, type:

www.agilent.com/find/manuals and navigate to the E5810A

manual.

E5810A Related Documentation

Product Related Documentation

Agilent IO Libraries Suite

VISA To use the E5810A with VISA, you must configure a remote interface (also

SICL To develop and use SICL I/O applications for the E5810A in Windows,

T&M Toolkit To develop programs in Visual Studio .NET, see the Agilent T&M Toolkit

Suggested documentation you can use for E5810A LAN/GPIB Gateway for Windows operation with the listed I/O application software products follow. After the Agilent IO Libraries Suite has been installed on your PC, .pdf files of the Agilent IO Libraries Suite documentation including VISA and SICL User’s Guides are available. Click the blue IO icon on the Windows taskbar and then click Documentation.

The Agilent IO Libraries Suite Getting Started Guide and the IO Libraries Suite Online Help describe the use of the IO Libraries Suite.

known as VISA LAN Client operation). To develop and use VISA applications for the E5810A, see the Agilent VISA User’s Guide.

see the Agilent SICL User’s Guide for Windows.

product. Information is available at www.agilent.com/find/toolkit.

1 E5810A Description

E5810 Hardware Description ....................................................... 15

Typical Network Connections ............................................... 15

Front Panel Features ............................................................ 17

Rear Panel Features ............................................................ 21

Rack Mount Kit (Optional) .................................................... 21

E5810A Software/Firmware ......................................................... 22

E5810A Operating Features ................................................. 23

Typical Network Operation ................................................... 24

Software/Firmware Architecture ........................................... 25

Typical Network IP Addressing ............................................ 27

Communicating with the E5810A ......................................... 29

2 Installing the E5810A

Installation Flowchart ................................................................... 35

Before You Install the E5810A..................................................... 37

Check Shipment Items ......................................................... 37

Rack-Mount the E5810 (Optional) ........................................ 38

Getting Network Information ........................................................ 39

Getting Enterprise Network Information ............................... 39

Getting Local Network Information ....................................... 39

Configuring the E5810A on a Local Network............................... 41

What is a Local Network? ..................................................... 41

Connecting the E5810A to a Local Network ......................... 43

Configuring the E5810A for Local Network Operation ......... 46

Installing the E5810A on an Enterprise Network ......................... 52

Connecting the E5810 to the Network .................................. 52

Configuring the E5810A for Enterprise Network Operation .. 53

Verifying Instrument Communication........................................... 58

Open the Instrument Page ................................................... 58

Instrument Page Functions .................................................. 59

Installing and Configuring Agilent IO Libraries Suite.................... 61

Configuring a Remote GPIB Interface .................................. 63

Configuring a Remote Serial Interface ................................. 65

Verifying Communication From Your PC ............................. 68

Programming Instruments .................................................... 69

3 Using E5810A Web Access

Opening Your Web Browser for E5810A Web Access ................ 75

Using the Welcome Page ............................................................ 76

Navigation Bar ...................................................................... 77

E5810A Current Settings ...................................................... 78

Table of Contents 11

E5810A Support Information ................................................. 79

E5810A Documentation ........................................................80

Viewing and Modifying Configuration ........................................... 81

Viewing E5810A Configuration .............................................81

Modifying E5810A Configuration ..........................................82

Finding and Querying Instruments ...............................................92

Finding Instruments ..............................................................93

Querying Instruments ............................................................94

Other Web Access Functions .......................................................97

Determining Session Status .................................................. 97

Using Web Help .................................................................... 98

Updating E5810A Firmware ..................................................99

4 Troubleshooting Information

Troubleshooting Overview..........................................................109

Checking the E5810A................................................................. 110

Checking Front and Rear Panel Displays ........................... 110

Checking E5810A Parameters ............................................ 113

Checking the Network ................................................................ 114

Network Configuration Problems Summary ........................ 114

Checking Web Browser Settings ........................................ 115

Checking Other Network Problems ..................................... 117

Checking PC Client Connections ............................................... 119

Verifying PC Client Connections ......................................... 119

Checking syslog Messages ................................................ 121

Runtime Error Messages .................................................... 124

Checking Instruments.................................................................127

Checking GPIB Instruments ................................................127

Checking RS-232 Instruments ............................................ 128

A E5810A Specifications

Specifications and Supplementary Information ..........................131

Supported Network Protocols..................................................... 134

B Using the Telnet Utility

Using the Telnet Utility................................................................ 137

Telnet Commands for the E5810A .............................................140

Glossary

12 Table of Contents

E5810A Description

This chapter gives guidelines to install, configure, and troubleshoot the E5810A LAN/GPIB Gateway for Windows (E5810) for use with supported, network-equipped computer systems, including:

 E5810 Hardware Description  E5810 Software/Firmware

14 Chapter 1

E5810A Description

LAN GPIB RS232

E5810

Typically Router or Switch

GPIB Instruments

To RS-232 Instrument

LAN Patch Cables

GPIB

Enterprise Network Connections

To Enterprise Network

GPIB Ports

E5810 Hardware Description

The E5810 LAN/GPIB Gateway for Windows provides a gateway between network-equipped computer systems and GPIB and/or RS-232 based instruments. This section provides an overview of E5810 hardware, including:

 Typical Network Connections  Front Panel Features  Rear Panel Features  Power-On and Default Settings  Rack Mount Kit (Optional)

Typical Network Connections

The E5810 can be connected to an Enterprise (corporate) network, to a Local network (isolated LAN), or directly to a PC and can be connected to as many as 14 GPIB instruments and/or to one RS-232 instrument. The E5810 allows I/O applications to obtain measurement data either locally or remotely from GPIB and/or RS-232 instrumentation. The following figures show typical network and direct PC connections to an E5810.

Enterprise Network Connections

In a typical Enterprise (corporate) network, the E5810 is connected to the network by a router or switch. For this configuration, the E5810 is visible to the Enterprise network.

Chapter 1 15

E5810A Description

Local Network Connections (Multiple PCs can Communicate with the E5810)

LAN GPIB RS232

E5810

Typically Hub or Switch

GPIB Instruments

To RS-232 Instrument

LAN Patch Cable

GPIB

LAN GPIB RS232

E5810

GPIB Instruments

To RS-232 Instrument

Crossover

Cable

GPIB

Direct PC Connection (Only One PC can Communicate with the E5810)

Connect to PC LAN Card

E5810 Hardware Description

Local Network Connections

Typically, a hub or switch is used for local network configuration. A cable/ DSL router may be used to provide a DHCP Server. For typical direct connections from a PC to the E5810, a

crossover cable is connected from

the E5810 LAN port to a LAN card on the PC. For Local Network or direct PC connections, the E5810 is not visible on the Enterprise network.

16 Chapter 1

E5810A Description

Activity

LAN GPIB RS232

Power Fault

Preset

E5810A LAN/GPIB Gateway

agiltb6

169.254.58.10

Display

A 16-character, two-line display that displays the Hostname (if known) and the IP Address plus system messages.

Power LED

When ON (Green), shows AC power is applied to the E5810.

LAN LED

Flashes for activity on the LAN.

GPIB LED

Flashes for GPIB instrument activity.

Fault LED

If ON (RED) for >10 sec, indicates possible hardware failure. Briefly turns ON at power-on while the E5810 is running its self-test.

Preset Button Depressing for <10 sec temporarily resets only the default password (E5810). Depressing for >10 sec resets all parameters to factory default values and reboots the E5810.

RS232 LED

Flashes for RS-232 instrument activity.

E5810 Hardware Description

Front Panel Features

This section describes the E5810 front panel features,

NOTE

The Hostname, if detected, is displayed on the first line of the E5810 front panel display. The IP Address of the E5810 is displayed on the second line of the E5810 front panel display.

Front Panel Display/LEDs

This figure shows E5810 front panel functions.

Chapter 1 17

E5810A Description

Power Applied

Display is blank, Power (Green) and Fault (Red) are ON.

169.254.58.10

Activity

LAN GPIB RS232

Power Fault

Preset

E5810A LAN/GPIB Gateway

Activity

LAN GPIB RS232

Power Fault

Preset

E5810A LAN/GPIB Gateway

Searching for DHCP Server

Display displays message, Power (Green) is ON and Fault (Red) is OFF. This typically takes 20 to 30 seconds and can take up to 150 seconds if a DHCP Server is not present.

Searching for DHCP Server...

IP Address and Hostname Displayed

Display displays Hostname, (if known) and IP address, only Power (Green) is ON.

Activity

LAN GPIB RS232

Power Fault

Preset

E5810A LAN/GPIB Gateway

Hostname IP Address

E5810 Hardware Description

Typical Power-On Sequence

This figure shows major steps in a typical power-on sequence for an E5810 that is connected to a network that supports Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) and Domain Name Service (DNS). If the network does not support DHCP and/or DNS, the power-on sequence may be different than that shown.

18 Chapter 1

E5810A Description

E5810 Hardware Description

Power-On (Default) Settings

Parameter Default Parameter Default

DHCP: ON GPIB Address: 21

IP Address: 169.254.58.10 GPIB Logical Unit: 7

Subnet Mask: 255.255.0.0 RS-232 SICL Interface Name: COM1

Default Gateway: 0.0.0.0 RS-232 Baud Rate: 9600

DNS Server(s): 0.0.0.0 RS-232 Parity: NONE

Hostname: none RS-232 Bits: 8

Description: Agilent E5810

Universal Plug & Play: ON RS-232 Flow Control: NONE

LAN Keepalive (sec): 7200 sec RS-232 SRQ: RI

When power is first applied to the E5810 and the hardware self-test has completed, the E5810 is initialized to the factory-set default configuration. This table shows the default configuration parameter settings for the E5810.

The E5810 uses these default configuration values until you set any other configuration values. The E5810 also uses these values when you press the

Preset button and hold it down for >10 seconds. See Chapter 3, “Using

E5810A Web Access” for a description of each parameter.

RS-232 Stop Bits: 1

I/O Timeout (sec): 120 sec Password E5810

GPIB SICL Interface Name: gpib0

Preset Button

Operation

The Preset button on the front panel of the E5810 is used to reset the E5810 to its default configuration values (preset at the factory). As shown in the figure on the next page, the

Preset button has two modes of operation:

 If you depress the Preset button and release it in <10 seconds, only

the E5810 password is temporarily changed and is reset to its default value (E5810). If you cycle power or reboot the E5810, the E5810 will return to the actual password that was previously set. All existing configuration values remain unchanged.

 If you depress and hold the Preset button for 10 seconds or more, all

configuration values are reset to their factory default values and the E5810 is rebooted. All network connections to the E5810, if any, are also terminated without any cleanups.

Chapter 1 19

E5810A Description

Depress and Hold the Preset Button (>10 Seconds)**

Hostname

IP Address

Temporary Pass-

word = "E5810"

Hostname

IP Address

Hold to Reboot

& Set Defaults

Setting Factory

Defaults

Rebooting

E5810...

Depress and Quickly (<10 seconds) Release the Preset Button *

- The E5810 password is temporarily reset to its factory default (E5810).

- All other configuration parameters remain unchanged.

- This state is maintained until the next time the E5810 is booted.

- The front panel display sequence is as follows.

* Release the Preset button when Temporary Password = "E5810" is displayed.

Hostname

IP Address

Temporary Pass-

word = "E5810"

- All configuration parameters are set to their default values.

- The E5810 is rebooted.

- The front panel display sequence is as follows.

** Release the Preset button when Rebooting E5810... is displayed.

E5810 Hardware Description

20 Chapter 1

E5810 Hardware Description

GPIB Port Connect one end of GPIB cable to this port and connect other end of cable to a GPIB instrument.

RS232 Port

Connect one end of RS-232 cable to this port and connect other end of cable to an RS-232 instrument.

LAN Port Connect one end of a LAN patch cable to this port and connect the other end of the cable to a router/hub/switch. OR Connect one end of a crossover cable to this port and the other end of the cable to a LAN card on your PC.

LAN Activity Lights When the green Ln light is ON, the E5810 is successfully connected to the LAN. When the green Tx light flashes, the E5810 is transmitting data onto the LAN.

POWER Port

Connect AC power cord to this port and plug cord into an AC outlet. The E5810 does not have a power switch. The Mains disconnect is to unplug the AC power cord from the AC outlet.

The power supply automatically conforms to the input voltage and frequency supplied, within 100V - 240V (±10%) @ 47-63 Hz.

Serial Number and Ethernet Address The E5810 Serial Number and Ethernet (MAC) Address are printed on a label on the underside of the E5810.

Rear Panel Features

This figure shows the rear panel features of the E5810.

E5810A Description

Rack Mount Kit (Optional)

As desired, you can mount up to two E5810 in a standard EIA rack using the E5810 Rack Mount Kit (E5810 Opt 100 or E5810-00100). The E5810 is one standard half-rack unit wide and one standard rack unit high. See the E5810-00100 Rack Mount Kit for installation instructions.

Chapter 1 21

E5810A Description

E5810A Software/Firmware

The E5810 LAN/GPIB Gateway for Windows provides an interface (gateway) that allows networked computers to talk or listen to GPIB and/or RS-232 devices via Local Area Network (LAN) connections. The E5810 connects a network (Enterprise or Local) from PCs with Windows XP/Vista/ 7/8/Server 2008 R2 to GPIB and/or RS-232 instruments. This section describes E5810 software/firmware features, including:

 E5810 Operating Features  Typical Network Operation  Software/Firmware Architecture  Typical Network IP Addressing  Communicating with the E5810

22 Chapter 1

E5810A Operating Features

Feature Description

E5810A Description

E5810A Software/Firmware

Remote access to instruments via LAN

I/O Software Included The E5810 includes the Agilent IO Libraries Suite, which includes

Supports DHCP Protocol

Access and control up to 14 GPIB and/or one RS-232 instrument via a 10BASE-T/100BASE-TX Ethernet. The E5810 detects the network and configures itself to the appropriate speed. The E5810 has a standard RJ-45 LAN connector. You can use adapters to connect other interface types, such as optical or wireless LAN.

Agilent Virtual Instrument Software Architecture (VISA), VISA COM, Standard Instrument Control Library (SICL), and several I/O utilities. This standard software provides compatibility with different hardware and software vendors. It provides the I/O software layer used when accessing the E5810. You can use a standard programming language, such as Visual Basic, Visual C++, Agilent VEE, etc.

The E5810 supports all I/O application operations provided by VISA, VISA COM, SICL, and Agilent VEE. The E5810 is supported on Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/7/8/Server 2008 R2.

You can also use the Agilent IntuiLink software (included with some Agilent products) to download data and send waveforms to the source, with no programming.

The E5810 supports Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) to get its IP address. Although the E5810 defaults to using DHCP, you can turn DHCP OFF and statically assign the E5810 IP address.

Ease of Use Built-in Web access and front panel display allow you to easily set up,

configure, and use the E5810. You can connect multiple E5810s in a test system. Each E5810 creates a separate GPIB bus.

Chapter 1 23

E5810A Description

Client System

GPIB

GPIB Instruments

Server E5810

LAN

RS-232

RS-232 Instrument

E5810A Software/Firmware

Typical Network Operation

The E5810 provides a network gateway between network-equipped computer systems and GPIB and/or RS-232 based instruments. The gateway enables users to obtain measurement data either locally or remotely from GPIB and/or RS-232 instruments. See “Typical Network Connections” in this chapter for typical connections to Enterprise or Local Networks or to a PC.

The E5810 connects a local area network (LAN) from the computer system to the GPIB and/or RS-232 buses. Network-equipped computer systems that are supported for use with the E5810 include PCs with Windows XP/ Vista/7/8/Server 2008 R2. Using the client/server model of computing, the computer system is the

client, and the E5810 is the server.

Thus, applications running on the computer system can transparently interface to GPIB and RS-232 based instruments over the LAN. Since several computer systems can access the E5810, groups of users can share access to the same GPIB and/or RS-232 instruments via the E5810. In addition, existing I/O applications that are supported with the E5810 and are designed for GPIB or RS-232 can use the E5810 without modification other than an address change.

The E5810 and its attached instruments can be placed anywhere on the network (rather than with a particular controller or server computer system). This includes networks which span different geographic locations, such as when networked computer systems are located at several different sites. Thus, GPIB and RS-232 instruments can be located where they are most convenient. In addition, you can have more than one E5810 on a network, providing “clusters” of GPIB and/or RS-232 instrumentation at different locations.

24 Chapter 1

E5810A Description

Client System

Application

Agilent VISA

SICL

LAN Client

TCP

LAN Interface

Server (E5810) Instrument

LAN Server

TCP

IP I/O Driver LAN Interface

Instrument

Firmware

GPIB or RS-232 bus

E5810A Software/Firmware

Software/Firmware Architecture

To program instruments from your PC via the E5810 using a programming language such as C or Visual Basic, you must install and configure the Agilent IO Libraries Suite on the client PC.

Client System Architecture

As shown in the following figure, the client (PC) system contains the VISA LAN client software as well as the TCP/IP LAN software needed to access the E5810. The E5810 contains LAN server and TCP/IP LAN firmware so it acts as the LAN server.

The VISA LAN client software is also known as the Remote IO Client software. It is part of the Agilent IO Libraries Suite. The LAN server software is also called the Remote IO Server software.

The VISA LAN client software uses the TCP/IP LAN protocol suite to pass messages between the client system and the server (the E5810). Therefore, the client sends I/O requests over the network to the server. The server then executes those I/O requests on the appropriate GPIB and/or RS-232 based instrument(s) connected to the server.

Chapter 1 25

E5810A Description

E5810A Software/Firmware

How IO Application Software Works With the E5810

Before trying to perform an I/O application operation on the E5810 GPIB interface and the GPIB bus, the Remote IO Client software in the client computer system establishes a network connection to the remote I/O server (the E5810). Once the client establishes a connection, the client can begin to send I/O requests to the E5810.

The E5810 (remote I/O server) can have multiple clients connected and being serviced at any given time. The maximum number of concurrent client connections depends on memory usage in the E5810, including the number of clients and the number of current sessions running on those clients. However, up to 16 client connections can be running concurrently. Thus, if the maximum number of client connections to the E5810 has not been exceeded, the connection is allowed to occur.

Although several instruments can be connected to the E5810 GPIB bus, only one I/O application operation can occur on the GPIB bus at any given time. Therefore, once a client’s request begins to execute on the GPIB, all other client requests for operations on the GPIB must wait until the current client request completes. Client requests are serviced in a first come, first served manner, unless they are prohibited by interface or device locks.

If a client has a sequence of I/O application operations to perform that should not be preempted, the client should obtain a lock on the E5810 GPIB interface or device. Once the client’s sequence has completed, it should release its lock, allowing access for other clients.

When a client closes a connection, the E5810 frees up the resources allocated to that client, including any locks, pending I/O requests, memory usage, etc.

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Subnet

Router (Gateway)

To Enterprise

(Corporate)

Network and

Corporate

DHCP Server

Host PC

E5810 E5810

E5810 #1 IP Address 156.140.104.72

E5810 #2 IP Address 156.140.104.75

Router

Default Gateway: 156.140.104.1 Subnet Mask: 255.255.0.0

Host PC

IP Address

156.140.104.73

IP Address

156.140.104.74

IP Address

156.140.104.76

IP Address

156.140.104.77

Typical Network IP Addressing

This section describes typical Enterprise network IP addresses and subnet addresses on the network. This figure shows a typical Enterprise network, consisting of a Router (Gateway), a corporate Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) Server, and a subnet consisting of six hosts (two E5810s and four host PCs.) The Router sends packets of information to each host, based on the IP address of the host. The subnet is defined by the

Mask

for the IP addresses on the subnet.

E5810A Description

E5810A Software/Firmware

Subnet

Chapter 1 27

E5810A Description

E5810A Software/Firmware

Subnet Addressing A Subnet Mask is used to determine to which subnet an IP address belongs.

An IP address has two components: the network address and the host address. For example, assuming IP address 156.215.117.109 is part of a Class B network, the first two numbers (156.215) represent the Class B network address and the second two numbers (117.109) identify a specific host on this network. See the network.

For the subnet in the figure, an example IP address for E5810 #1 is

156.140.104.72, where 156.140 represents the network address and 104.72 represents the E5810 #1 host address. An example IP address for E5810 #2 is 156.140.104.75, where 156.140 represents the network address and

104.75 represents the E5810 #2 host address.

Glossary for a description of a Class B

E5810 IP Address Assignment

For the E5810 to operate on an Enterprise network, three addresses must be identified: E5810 IP Address, Subnet Mask, and Default Gateway Address.

If the Enterprise network supports Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), the E5810 will automatically receive an IP address, Subnet Mask, and Default Gateway from the DHCP Server. If the network does not support DHCP, the E5810 IP address must be configured manually.

In addition, if the network supports Domain Name Service (DNS), an E5810 Hostname can be configured. This can be done in one of two ways:

 The DNS Server IP Address is provided by the DHCP Server (this is

transparent to the user).

 A DNS Server IP address is supplied by the System Administrator

and entered on the

Configuring your E5810 LAN/GPIB Gateway page.

28 Chapter 1

Communicating with the E5810A

Using the E5810 Web Access

Agilent IO Libraries Are Not Required

LANPC E5810 Instruments

Use a supported Web Browser to access and configure the E5810.

The E5810 provides a Web Server that allows for access via the Web.

Instruments are programmed using standard instrument commands (such as SCPI) via the Web browser.

Using Supported Programming Languages

Agilent IO Libraries Are Required

LANPC E5810 Instruments

To program connected instruments, you must install and configure the Agilent IO Libraries Suite on your PC.

The interface must be configured for VISA LAN Client operation.

Program instruments using a supported programming language (such as C, etc.) and VISA or SICL.

GPIB

There are two ways you can communicate with the E5810 via a network: use the E5810 Web access or use a supported programming language with the Agilent IO Libraries Suite.

E5810A Description

E5810A Software/Firmware

Chapter 1 29

E5810A Description

E5810A Software/Firmware

Using E5810 Web Access

Since the E5810 is Web-enabled, you can communicate with the E5810 from a supported Web browser. The E5810 supports Internet Explorer 6.0 or greater. Typing in the E5810 IP address (or E5810 hostname, if known) on your Web browser address line and then pressing the E5810

Welcome page.

Enter key displays the

You can use the Web access to configure the E5810 and to communicate with GPIB and/or RS-232 instruments. For example, using the

your E5810 LAN/GPIB Gateway

page of the E5810 interface, you can view

Configuring

and modify the configuration of the E5810. Or, you can communicate with installed GPIB and/or RS-232 instruments using the

Instruments Connected to your E5810

“Using E5810A Web Access”

for information on E5810 Web access.

page of the interface. See Chapter 3,

Find and Control

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