NI-488.2
NI-488.2 User Manual
NI-488.2 User Manual
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August 2008
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Contents
About This Manual
Using the NI-488.2 Documentation...............................................................................xi
Accessing the NI-488.2 Help ..........................................................................xii
Conventions ...................................................................................................................xii
Related Documentation..................................................................................................xiii
Chapter 1
Introduction
Setting Up and Configuring Your System .....................................................................1-1
Controlling More Than One Interface.............................................................1-2
Configuration Requirements ...........................................................................1-2
Chapter 2
Measurement & Automation Explorer (Windows)
Overview........................................................................................................................2-1
Starting Measurement & Automation Explorer.............................................................2-2
Troubleshoot NI-488.2 Problems ..................................................................................2-3
Add a New GPIB Interface............................................................................................2-4
Remove a GPIB Interface ..............................................................................................2-4
Scan for GPIB Instruments............................................................................................2-5
Instruments Not Found....................................................................................2-5
Too Many Listeners on the GPIB....................................................................2-5
Communicate with Your Instrument .............................................................................2-6
Basic Communication (Query/Write/Read) ....................................................2-6
Advanced Communication ..............................................................................2-7
View NI-488.2 Software Version ..................................................................................2-8
Monitor, Record, and Display NI-488.2 Calls...............................................................2-8
View or Change GPIB Interface Settings ......................................................................2-9
Change GPIB Permissions.............................................................................................2-10
View GPIB Instrumentation Information ......................................................................2-11
Change GPIB Device Templates ...................................................................................2-12
Enable/Disable NI-488.2 DOS Support.........................................................................2-12
Access Additional Help and Resources .........................................................................2-13
NI-488.2 Help..................................................................................................2-13
National Instruments GPIB Web Site..............................................................2-13
View or Change GPIB-ENET/100 Network Settings....................................................2-13
Device Configuration ......................................................................................2-13
Update GPIB-ENET/100 Firmware ................................................................2-14
© National Instruments Corporation v NI-488.2 User Manual
Contents
Chapter 3
GPIB Explorer (Mac OS X and Linux)
Starting GPIB Explorer ................................................................................................. 3-2
Mac OS X........................................................................................................ 3-2
Linux ............................................................................................................... 3-3
Add a New GPIB Interface............................................................................................ 3-4
Delete a GPIB Interface................................................................................................. 3-5
View NI-488.2 Software Version.................................................................................. 3-5
View or Change GPIB Interface Settings...................................................................... 3-6
Access Additional Help and Resources......................................................................... 3-8
NI-488.2 Help ................................................................................................. 3-8
National Instruments GPIB Web Site ............................................................. 3-8
View or Change GPIB-ENET/100 Network Settings ................................................... 3-8
Device Configuration...................................................................................... 3-9
Update GPIB-ENET/100 Firmware................................................................ 3-9
Chapter 4
Developing Your NI-488.2 Application
Interactive Instrument Control ......................................................................................4-1
Choosing Your Programming Methodology ................................................................. 4-2
Choosing a Method to Access the NI-488.2 Driver........................................ 4-2
Windows........................................................................................... 4-2
Mac OS X ......................................................................................... 4-4
Linux................................................................................................. 4-5
Choosing How to Use the NI-488.2 API ........................................................ 4-5
Communicating with a Single GPIB Device .................................... 4-5
Using Multiple Interfaces and/or Multiple Devices ......................... 4-6
Checking Status with Global Functions ........................................................................4-6
Status Word (Ibsta) ......................................................................................... 4-7
Error Function (Iberr)...................................................................................... 4-8
Count Function (Ibcnt).................................................................................... 4-9
Using Interactive Control to Communicate with Devices............................................. 4-9
Programming Models .................................................................................................... 4-9
Applications That Communicate with a Single GPIB Device........................ 4-9
Items to Include ................................................................................ 4-9
General Program Steps and Examples.............................................. 4-10
Applications That Use Multiple Interfaces or Communicate
with Multiple GPIB Devices........................................................................ 4-11
Items to Include ................................................................................ 4-11
General Program Steps and Examples.............................................. 4-12
NI-488.2 User Manual vi ni.com
Language-Specific Programming Instructions for Windows ........................................4-14
Microsoft Visual C/C++ (Version 6.0 or Later)..............................................4-14
Borland C/C++ (Version 5.0.2 or Later) .........................................................4-14
Visual Basic (Version 6.0) ..............................................................................4-15
Direct Entry with C .........................................................................................4-15
gpib-32.dll Exports............................................................................4-15
Directly Accessing the gpib-32.dll Exports ...................................... 4-16
Language-Specific Programming Instructions for Mac OS X....................................... 4-19
Language-Specific Programming Instructions for Linux ..............................................4-19
Chapter 5
Debugging Your Application
NI Spy ............................................................................................................................5-1
Global Status Functions .................................................................................................5-1
NI-488.2 Error Codes ....................................................................................................5-1
Configuration Errors ......................................................................................................5-2
Timing Errors.................................................................................................................5-2
Communication Errors...................................................................................................5-3
Repeat Addressing...........................................................................................5-3
Termination Method........................................................................................5-3
Other Errors ...................................................................................................................5-3
Contents
Chapter 6
NI Spy Utility
Overview........................................................................................................................6-1
Starting NI Spy ..............................................................................................................6-1
Windows..........................................................................................................6-1
Mac OS X and Linux.......................................................................................6-1
Monitoring API Calls with NI Spy ................................................................................6-2
Using the NI Spy Online Help.......................................................................................6-2
Locating Errors with NI Spy..........................................................................................6-2
Debugging Existing Applications..................................................................................6-3
Viewing Properties for Recorded Calls .........................................................................6-3
Exiting NI Spy ...............................................................................................................6-3
Performance Considerations ..........................................................................................6-3
© National Instruments Corporation vii NI-488.2 User Manual
Contents
Chapter 7
Interactive Control Utility
Overview ....................................................................................................................... 7-1
Getting Started with Interactive Control .......................................................................7-1
Interactive Control Syntax............................................................................................. 7-4
Number Syntax ............................................................................................... 7-4
String Syntax...................................................................................................7-5
Address Syntax ............................................................................................... 7-5
Interactive Control Commands...................................................................................... 7-5
Status Word ................................................................................................................... 7-11
Error Information........................................................................................................... 7-11
Count Information .........................................................................................................7-12
Chapter 8
NI-488.2 Programming Techniques
Termination of Data Transfers ...................................................................................... 8-1
High-Speed Data Transfers (HS488).............................................................................8-2
Enabling HS488 .............................................................................................. 8-2
System Configuration Effects on HS488 ........................................................ 8-3
Waiting for GPIB Conditions........................................................................................ 8-4
Asynchronous Event Notification in NI-488.2 Applications ........................................8-4
Calling the ibnotify Function .......................................................................... 8-4
ibnotify Programming Example...................................................................... 8-6
Writing Multithreaded NI-488.2 Applications .............................................................. 8-9
Device-Level Calls and Bus Management .................................................................... 8-11
Talker/Listener Applications ......................................................................................... 8-12
Serial Polling ................................................................................................................. 8-12
Service Requests from IEEE 488 Devices...................................................... 8-13
Service Requests from IEEE 488.2 Devices................................................... 8-13
Automatic Serial Polling.................................................................................8-13
Stuck SRQ State ............................................................................... 8-14
Autopolling and Interrupts................................................................ 8-14
SRQ and Serial Polling with Device-Level Traditional NI-488.2 Calls ......... 8-15
SRQ and Serial Polling with Multi-Device NI-488.2 Calls............................ 8-15
Example 1: Using FindRQS ............................................................. 8-16
Example 2: Using AllSpoll............................................................... 8-17
Parallel Polling ..............................................................................................................8-17
Implementing a Parallel Poll........................................................................... 8-17
Parallel Polling with Traditional NI-488.2 Calls.............................. 8-18
Parallel Polling with Multi-Device NI-488.2 Calls .......................... 8-19
NI-488.2 User Manual viii ni.com
Appendix A
GPIB Basics
Appendix B
Status Word Conditions
Appendix C
Error Codes and Solutions
Appendix D
Common Questions
Appendix E
Technical Support and Professional Services
Glossary
Contents
Index
© National Instruments Corporation ix NI-488.2 User Manual
About This Manual
This manual describes the features and functions of the NI-488.2 software.
You can use the NI-488.2 software with Windows 2000/XP/Vista,
Mac OS X, and Linux.
Using the NI-488.2 Documentation
The following NI-488.2 documentation is available with your NI-488.2
software distribution CD:
• The Getting Started/Installation Guide briefly describes how to install
the NI-488.2 software and your GPIB hardware.
• This manual describes the features and functionality of the NI-488.2
software.
• The GPIB Hardware Guide contains detailed instructions on how to
install and configure your GPIB hardware. This guide also includes
hardware specifications and compliance information.
To view these documents, you need Adobe Acrobat Reader, which you can
download from
www.adobe.com.
Windows
To view these documents online, insert your NI-488.2 software distribution
CD and select the View Documentation option. The View Documentation
utility helps you find the documentation that you want to view. You can also
view these documents at
ni.com.
Mac OS X
To view these documents online, insert your NI-488.2 software distribution
CD and open the Documentation folder. You can also view these
documents at
ni.com.
Linux
To view these documents online, insert your NI-488.2 software distribution
CD and browse to the
documents at
© National Instruments Corporation xi NI-488.2 User Manual
ni.com.
Documentation directory. You can also view these
About This Manual
Accessing the NI-488.2 Help
The NI-488.2 Help addresses questions you might have about NI-488.2
and includes a function reference and troubleshooting information.
Windows
Select Start»Programs»National Instruments»Measurement &
Automation. Select Help»Help Topics»NI-488.2.
Mac OS X
Select Applications»National Instruments»NI-488.2»
Explore GPIB. Select Help»Help Topics»NI-488.2.
Linux
Run GPIB Explorer by entering the following command:
<InstallDir>
/natinst/ni4882/bin/gpibexplorer
<InstallDir>
software. The default is
Select Help»Help Topics»NI-488.2.
is the directory where you chose to install the NI-488.2
/usr/local.
Conventions
The following conventions appear in this manual:
» The » symbol leads you through nested menu items and dialog box options
to a final action. The sequence File»Page Setup»Options directs you to
pull down the File menu, select the Page Setup item, and select Options
from the last dialog box.
This icon denotes a note, which alerts you to important information.
bold Bold text denotes items that you must select or click in the software, such
as menu items and dialog box options. Bold text also denotes parameter
names.
IEEE 488 and IEEE 488 and IEEE 488.2 refer to the ANSI/IEEE Standard 488.1-2003
IEEE 488.2 and the ANSI/IEEE Standard 488.2-1992, respectively, which define the
GPIB.
NI-488.2 User Manual xii ni.com
About This Manual
italic Italic text denotes variables, emphasis, a cross-reference, or an introduction
to a key concept. Italic text also denotes text that is a placeholder for a word
or value that you must supply.
monospace Text in this font denotes text or characters that you should enter from the
keyboard, sections of code, programming examples, and syntax examples.
This font is also used for the proper names of disk drives, paths, directories,
programs, subprograms, subroutines, device names, functions, operations,
variables, filenames, and extensions.
monospace bold Bold text in this font denotes the messages and responses that the computer
automatically prints to the screen. This font also emphasizes lines of code
that are different from the other examples.
monospace italic
Platform Text in this font denotes a specific platform and indicates that the text
Italic text in this font denotes text that is a placeholder for a word or value
that you must supply.
following it applies only to that platform.
Related Documentation
The following documents contain information that you may find helpful as
you read this manual:
• ANSI/IEEE Standard 488.1-2003, IEEE Standard Digital Interface
for Programmable Instrumentation
• ANSI/IEEE Standard 488.2-1992, IEEE Standard Codes, Formats,
Protocols, and Common Commands
© National Instruments Corporation xiii NI-488.2 User Manual
Introduction
This chapter describes how to set up your GPIB system.
Setting Up and Configuring Your System
Devices are usually connected with a cable assembly consisting of a
shielded 24-conductor cable with both a plug and receptacle connector at
each end. With this design, you can link devices in a linear configuration,
a star configuration, or a combination of the two configurations. Figure 1-1
shows the linear and star configurations.
1
Device A
Device B
Device C
a. Linear Configuration
Figure 1-1. Linear and Star System Configuration
© National Instruments Corporation 1-1 NI-488.2 User Manual
b. Star Configuration
Device DDevice A
Device CDevice B
Chapter 1 Introduction
Controlling More Than One Interface
Figure 1-2 shows an example of a multi-interface system configuration.
gpib0 is a PCI-GPIB and is the access interface for the voltmeter. gpib1
is a GPIB-ENET/100 and is the access interface for the plotter and printer.
One
GPIB
Another
GPIB
Digital
Voltometer
Plotter
gpib0
LINK
PWR/RDY
10/100
ENET
gpib1
TX RX TALK LISTEN
GPIB
GPIB-ENET/100
I
0
Printer
Figure 1-2. Example of Multiboard System Configuration
Configuration Requirements
To achieve the high data transfer rate that the GPIB was designed for,
you must limit the number of devices on the bus and the physical distance
between devices. The following restrictions are typical:
• A maximum separation of 4 m between any two devices and an
average separation of 2 m over the entire bus.
• A maximum total cable length of 20 m.
• A maximum of 15 devices or controllers connected to each bus,
with at least two-thirds powered on.
NI-488.2 User Manual 1-2 ni.com
Chapter 1 Introduction
For high-speed (HS488) operation, the following restrictions apply:
• All devices in the system must be powered on.
• Cable lengths must be as short as possible with up to a maximum
of 15 m of cable for each system.
• There must be at least one equivalent device load per meter of cable.
If you want to exceed these limitations, you can use a bus extender to
increase the cable length or a bus expander to increase the number of
device loads. You can order bus extenders and expanders from
National Instruments.
© National Instruments Corporation 1-3 NI-488.2 User Manual
Measurement & Automation
Explorer (Windows)
This chapter describes Measurement & Automation Explorer,
an interactive utility you can use with the NI-488.2 software for Windows.
Mac OS X and Linux
NI-488.2 for Mac OS X and NI-488.2 for Linux have a similar program
called GPIB Explorer. For more information, refer to Chapter 3, GPIB
Explorer (Mac OS X and Linux).
Overview
You can perform the following GPIB-related tasks in Measurement &
Automation Explorer:
• Establish basic communication with your GPIB instruments.
• Scan for instruments connected to your GPIB interface.
• Launch the NI-488.2 Troubleshooting Utility to troubleshoot GPIB
and NI-488.2 problems.
• Launch NI Spy to monitor NI-488.2 or VISA API calls to GPIB
interfaces.
• View information about your GPIB hardware and NI-488.2 software.
• Reconfigure GPIB interface settings.
• Locate additional help resources for GPIB and NI-488.2.
2
© National Instruments Corporation 2-1 NI-488.2 User Manual
Chapter 2 Measurement & Automation Explorer (Windows)
Starting Measurement & Automation Explorer
To start Measurement & Automation Explorer, select Start»Programs»
National Instruments»Measurement & Automation. Figure 2-1 shows
Measurement & Automation Explorer.
Note You must choose to run as Adminstrator to allow changes to GPIB Interface
Settings. To do this, right-click on the Measurement & Automation Explorer icon and
select Run as Administrator.
Figure 2-1. Measurement & Automation Explorer
NI-488.2 User Manual 2-2 ni.com
Chapter 2 Measurement & Automation Explorer (Windows)
Troubleshoot NI-488.2 Problems
To troubleshoot NI-488.2 problems, run the NI-488.2 Troubleshooting
Utility, as follows:
1. Start Measurement & Automation Explorer as described in the
Starting Measurement & Automation Explorer section.
2. Select Help»Troubleshooting»NI-488.2 Troubleshooting Utility.
The Troubleshooting Utility tests your GPIB interface and displays the
results, as shown in Figure 2-2.
Figure 2-2. NI-488.2 Troubleshooting Utility
© National Instruments Corporation 2-3 NI-488.2 User Manual
Chapter 2 Measurement & Automation Explorer (Windows)
Add a New GPIB Interface
For plug-and-play interfaces (such as PCI or USB), the system
automatically detects and installs the hardware.
To add a new GPIB-ENET/100 to your system, complete the following
steps:
1. Start Measurement & Automation Explorer as described in the
Starting Measurement & Automation Explorer section.
2. Right-click on the Devices and Interfaces folder and select
Create New.
3. In the Create New dialog window, select the GPIB-ENET/100 item
and click Finish.
The Add GPIB-ENET/100 Wizard appears.
4. Follow the prompts in the Add GPIB-ENET/100 Wizard to add your
interface.
5. Measurement & Automation Explorer automatically updates the list of
installed GPIB interfaces. You also can select View»Refresh to update
the list.
Remove a GPIB Interface
To remove a Plug and Play interface from your computer, disconnect it,
making sure to turn off the computer if the interface requires it.
To remove a GPIB-ENET/100 interface from your computer, you must
manually delete it from within Measurement & Automation Explorer by
completing the following steps:
1. Start Measurement & Automation Explorer as described in the
Starting Measurement & Automation Explorer section.
2. Expand Devices and Interfaces by clicking the + next to the folder.
3. Right-click on your GPIB-ENET/100 interface and select Delete from
the context menu.
4. When prompted, confirm your selection.
5. Select View»Refresh to update the list of interfaces in
Measurement & Automation Explorer.
NI-488.2 User Manual 2-4 ni.com
Scan for GPIB Instruments
To scan for instruments connected to your GPIB interface or to add a new
instrument to your system, complete the following steps:
1. Make sure that your instrument is powered on and connected to your
GPIB interface.
2. Start Measurement & Automation Explorer as described in the
Starting Measurement & Automation Explorer section.
3. Expand the Devices and Interfaces directory by clicking the + next
to the folder.
4. Right-click on your GPIB interface and select Scan for Instruments
from the drop-down menu that appears.
Measurement & Automation Explorer displays the connected
instruments in the right window pane.
Instruments Not Found
If Measurement & Automation Explorer reports that it did not find any
instruments, make sure that your GPIB instruments are powered on and
properly connected to the GPIB interface with a GPIB cable. Then, scan for
instruments again, as described in the Scan for GPIB Instruments section.
Chapter 2 Measurement & Automation Explorer (Windows)
Too Many Listeners on the GPIB
If Measurement & Automation Explorer reports that it found too many
Listeners on the GPIB, refer to the following possible solutions:
• If you have a running GPIB Analyzer with the GPIB handshake option
enabled, disable the GPIB handshake option in the GPIB Analyzer.
• If you have a GPIB extender in your system, Measurement &
Automation Explorer cannot detect any instruments connected to
your GPIB interface. Instead, you can verify communication with
your instruments using the Interactive Control utility. To do so,
select Tools»NI-488.2»Interactive Control. For more
information about verifying instrument communication, type
at the Interactive Control command prompt.
© National Instruments Corporation 2-5 NI-488.2 User Manual
help
Chapter 2 Measurement & Automation Explorer (Windows)
Communicate with Your Instrument
To establish basic or advanced communication with your instruments,
refer to the following sections.
For more information about instrument communication and a list of the
commands that your instrument understands, refer to the documentation
that came with your GPIB instrument. Most instruments respond to the
*IDN? command by returning an identification string.
Basic Communication (Query/Write/Read)
To establish basic communication with your instrument, use the NI-488.2
Communicator, as follows:
1. Start Measurement & Automation Explorer as described in the
Starting Measurement & Automation Explorer section.
2. Expand the Devices and Interfaces directory by clicking the + next
to the folder.
3. Select your GPIB interface.
4. If you have not already done so, scan for connected instruments.
Right-click on your GPIB interface and select Scan for Instruments
from the drop-down menu that appears. Refer to the Scan for GPIB
Instruments section for more information.
Measurement & Automation Explorer displays the connected
instruments below your GPIB interface.
5. Right-click on your GPIB instrument in the left window pane and
select Communicate with Instrument from the drop-down menu that
appears.
NI-488.2 User Manual 2-6 ni.com
Chapter 2 Measurement & Automation Explorer (Windows)
The NI-488.2 Communicator dialog box appears, as shown
in Figure 2-3.
Figure 2-3. NI-488.2 Communicator
6. Type a command in the Send String field and do one of the following:
• To write a command to the instrument then read a response back,
click the Query button.
• To write a command to the instrument, click the Write button.
• To read a response from the instrument, click the Read button.
To view sample C/C++ code that performs a simple query of a GPIB
instrument, click the Show Sample button.
Advanced Communication
For advanced interactive communication with GPIB instruments, use the
Interactive Control utility, as follows:
1. Start Measurement & Automation Explorer as described in the
Starting Measurement & Automation Explorer section.
2. Expand the Devices and Interfaces directory by clicking the + next
to the folder.
3. Right-click on your GPIB interface and select Interactive Control
from the drop-down menu that appears. Interactive Control
automatically opens a session to the selected GPIB interface.
4. At the command prompt, type NI-488.2 API calls to communicate
interactively with the your instrument. For example, you might use
ibdev, ibclr, ibwrt, ibrd, and ibonl.
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Chapter 2 Measurement & Automation Explorer (Windows)
To view the online help for Interactive Control, type help at the Interactive
Control command prompt. For more information on using this utility, refer
to Chapter 7, Interactive Control Utility.
View NI-488.2 Software Version
To view the NI-488.2 software version, complete the following steps:
1. Start Measurement & Automation Explorer as described in the
Starting Measurement & Automation Explorer section.
2. Expand the Software directory by clicking the + next to the folder.
3. Click NI-488.2.
Measurement & Automation Explorer displays the version number
of the NI-488.2 software in the right window pane.
Monitor, Record, and Display NI-488.2 Calls
To monitor NI-488.2 calls, use NI Spy, as follows:
1. Start Measurement & Automation Explorer as described in the
Starting Measurement & Automation Explorer section.
2. Expand the Devices and Interfaces directory by clicking the + next
to the folder.
3. Select your GPIB interface in the left window pane of Measurement &
Automation Explorer.
4. On the toolbar, click the NI Spy button to open the application.
5. On the NI Spy toolbar, click the blue arrow button to start a capture.
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Chapter 2 Measurement & Automation Explorer (Windows)
6. Start the NI-488.2 application that you want to monitor.
NI Spy records and displays all NI-488.2 calls, as shown in Figure 2-4.
Figure 2-4. NI-488.2 Calls Recorded by NI Spy
For more information about using NI Spy, select Help»Help Topics
in NI Spy or refer to Chapter 6, NI Spy Utility.
View or Change GPIB Interface Settings
The default behavior of NI-488.2 software is to allow only administrators
to make changes to the GPIB interface settings. You can change this
behavior by following the instructions described in the Change GPIB
Permissions section.
To view or change your interface settings, complete the following steps:
1. Start Measurement & Automation Explorer as described in the
Starting Measurement & Automation Explorer section.
Note You must choose to run as Adminstrator to allow changes to GPIB Interface
Settings. To do this, right-click on the Measurement & Automation Explorer icon and
select Run as Administrator.
2. Expand the Devices and Interfaces directory by clicking the + next
to the folder.
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Chapter 2 Measurement & Automation Explorer (Windows)
3. Select your GPIB interface in the left window pane of Measurement &
Automation Explorer.
The interface properties appear in the right window pane of
Measurement & Automation Explorer, as shown in Figure 2-5.
Figure 2-5. GPIB Interface Properties in Measurement & Automation Explorer
4. (Optional) Change the settings for your interface and click Save to
apply the settings.
Change GPIB Permissions
NI-488.2 allows administrators to allow nonadministrators to make
changes to GPIB settings. This is controlled using the Measurement &
Automation Explorer menu item at Tools»NI-488.2»Require
Administrator Privileges. This menu is enabled only if you run MAX as
an administrator. In either case, a check next to the menu indicates that you
can change GPIB settings only when you run MAX as an administrator.
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Chapter 2 Measurement & Automation Explorer (Windows)
To toggle between the different modes, complete the following steps:
1. Start MAX as an administrator as described in the Starting
Measurement & Automation Explorer section.
Note You must choose to run as Adminstrator to run in administrator mode. To do this,
right-click on the Measurement & Automation Explorer icon and select Run as
Administrator.
2. Select Tools»NI-488.2»Require Administrator Privileges from the
menu.
3. Enable or disable the requirement in the NI-488.2 Settings dialog box
and click OK.
View GPIB Instrumentation Information
To view information about your GPIB instruments, complete the
following steps:
1. Start Measurement & Automation Explorer as described in the
Starting Measurement & Automation Explorer section.
2. Expand the Devices and Interfaces directory by clicking the + next
to the folder.
3. Select your GPIB interface.
Measurement & Automation Explorer displays the connected
instruments in the right window pane.
4. If you have not already done so, scan for connected instruments.
Right-click on your GPIB interface and select Scan for Instruments
from the drop-down menu that appears. Refer to the Scan for GPIB
Instruments section earlier in this chapter for more information.
5. Double-click on the instrument displayed in the right window pane.
Measurement & Automation Explorer lists all the attributes for
the instrument, such as the primary address, the secondary address
(if applicable), the instrument’s response to the identification query
(
*IDN?), and the GPIB interface number to which the device is
connected.
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Chapter 2 Measurement & Automation Explorer (Windows)
Change GPIB Device Templates
For older NI-488.2 applications, you might need to modify one of the
device templates to find a given GPIB instrument by name, for example,
ibfind("fluke45"). Older applications still use ibfind instead of the
preferred
ibfind to obtain device handles and use ibdev instead. You can use
ibdev to dynamically configure your GPIB device handle. ibdev also
eliminates unneccessary device name requirements.
If you must modify a device template, run the GPIB Configuration utility.
1. Start Measurement & Automation Explorer as described in the
2. Select Help»Help Topics»NI-488.2 to view the NI-488.2 Help.
3. Search for the topic named How do I change a GPIB Device Template?
4. Double-click the device template you want to modify, such as DEV1.
5. Rename the template as described in your application documentation.
6. Click the OK button twice to save your changes and exit.
ibdev to obtain a device handle. In new applications, avoid using
Starting Measurement & Automation Explorer section.
and click the link to open the GPIB Configuration utility.
Enable/Disable NI-488.2 DOS Support
Note NI-488.2 DOS support is not available on Windows Vista or later operating systems.
To enable or disable NI-488.2 DOS support, complete the following steps:
1. Start Measurement & Automation Explorer as described in the
Starting Measurement & Automation Explorer section.
2. Click on your GPIB interface and select Tools»NI-488.2»
DOS Support... from the Explorer menu.
3. Enable or disable DOS support in the NI-488.2 Settings dialog box
and click OK.
4. If you are prompted to do so, restart your system.
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Chapter 2 Measurement & Automation Explorer (Windows)
Access Additional Help and Resources
To access additional help and resources for the NI-488.2 software and your
GPIB hardware, refer to the following sections.
NI-488.2 Help
The NI-488.2 Help addresses questions you might have about NI-488.2 and
includes a function reference and troubleshooting information. You can
access the NI-488.2 Help as follows:
1. Start Measurement & Automation Explorer as described in the
Starting Measurement & Automation Explorer section.
2. Select Help»Help Topics»NI-488.2.
National Instruments GPIB Web Site
You can access the National Instruments GPIB Web site as follows:
1. Start Measurement & Automation Explorer as described in the
Starting Measurement & Automation Explorer section.
2. Select Help»National Instruments on the Web»GPIB Home Page.
View or Change GPIB-ENET/100 Network Settings
To view or change the network settings of your GPIB-ENET/100, refer to
the following sections. For more information about your GPIB-ENET/100
network settings, refer to the GPIB-ENET/100 information in the GPIB
Hardware Guide.
Device Configuration
Use the NI Ethernet Device Configuration utility if you need to manually
configure the network parameters of the GPIB-ENET/100. If your network
uses DHCP, the network configuration is performed automatically at
startup and you do not need to run this utility unless you want to change the
hostname. Consult your network administrator if you do not know whether
your network uses DHCP.
1. Start Measurement & Automation Explorer as described in the
Starting Measurement & Automation Explorer section.
2. Expand the Devices and Interfaces directory by clicking the + next
to the folder.
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Chapter 2 Measurement & Automation Explorer (Windows)
3. Right-click on your GPIB-ENET/100 interface and select Device
Configuration from the drop-down menu that appears.
For more information about the NI Ethernet Device Configuration utility,
refer to the GPIB-ENET/100 information in the GPIB Hardware Guide.
Update GPIB-ENET/100 Firmware
You can run the Firmware Update utility in Measurement & Automation
Explorer, as follows:
1. Start Measurement & Automation Explorer as described in the
Starting Measurement & Automation Explorer section.
2. Expand the Devices and Interfaces directory by clicking the + next
to the folder.
3. Right-click on your GPIB-ENET/100 interface and select Update
Firmware from the drop-down menu that appears.
For more information about the Firmware Update utility, refer to the
GPIB-ENET/100 information in the GPIB Hardware Guide.
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GPIB Explorer (Mac OS X and
Linux)
This chapter describes GPIB Explorer, an interactive utility you can use
with the NI-488.2 software for Mac OS X and Linux.
You can perform the following GPIB-related tasks in GPIB Explorer:
• Add or remove GPIB interfaces.
• Reconfigure GPIB interface settings.
• Launch the NI-488.2 Troubleshooting Wizard to troubleshoot GPIB
and NI-488.2 problems.
• Launch NI Spy to monitor NI-488.2 calls to GPIB interfaces.
• Locate additional help resources for GPIB and NI-488.2.
3
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Chapter 3 GPIB Explorer (Mac OS X and Linux)
Starting GPIB Explorer
Mac OS X
To start GPIB Explorer from the Finder, double-click on Applications»
National Instruments»NI-488.2»Explore GPIB.
Figure 3-1 shows GPIB Explorer in Mac OS X.
Figure 3-1. GPIB Explorer (Mac OS X)
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