GPIB-USB-HS will not recognise any instruments in LabVIEW but somewhat does in MAX - help

[BMFoley24]

Hi,

I'm having an issue getting my GPIB-USB-HS device to recognise instruments in LabVIEW.  The device worked last year on many instruments.  I've tried other GPIB-USB-HS devices too just to make sure it wasn't a faulty device.

NOTE:  I installed the latest drivers for NI-VISA 5.1.1 and NI-488.2 300 for Windows XP

See the images below:

This is the idsplay in MAX:
I'm unsure why there is a yellow "!" next to GPIB0::INTFC, I'm thinking this is an indication of my issue.  However, notice that instruments that my GPIB-USB-HS is connected to are recognised in MAX.  As you will see LabVIEW 8.5 doesn't recognise them.

I get this error warning in MAX when I try to open TOOLS>NI-VISA>VISA INTERACTIVE CONTROL:

This is the image of my LabVIEW 8.5 window when I try to select a VISA of a connected instrument (one of which MAX recognises):

Any help would be very much appreciated 🙂

Thank you,

- Brian

[nyc_(is_out_of_here)]

Maybe try disconnecting the cable, then deleting the device in Device Manager in Windows XP. Reboot and let Windows find the driver again.

[BMFoley24]

When I disconnect the cable, the device doesn't show up in Device Manager...so should I plug it in and try your theory without disconnecting?

[nyc_(is_out_of_here)]

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@BMFoley24 wrote:

When I disconnect the cable, the device doesn't show up in Device Manager...so should I plug it in and try your theory without disconnecting?

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You should read and follow the directions for this cable.

[BMFoley24]

You're implying I did not read nor follow the directions. I have. GPIB Installation Guide. (NI-488.2)

The directions for this cable are too simplistic, and negates any detail whatsoever. Have you read it?

Let me summarsie...or plagiarize:

Step 1) Insert the NI-488.2 CD and choose Install NI-488.2

Step 2) When you have completed the software installation, RESTART the computer

Step 3) Install your GPIB hardware (Shows picture of human hand plugging in GPIB-USB-HS to desktop)

Step 4) (Ethernet information, not necessary)

Step 5) (Ethernet information, not necessary)

Did I miss something?..I still receive the same issues in the images in my original post here.

[nyc_(is_out_of_here)]

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@BMFoley24 wrote:

You're implying I did not read nor follow the directions. I have. GPIB Installation Guide. (NI-488.2)

The directions for this cable are too simplistic, and negates any detail whatsoever. Have you read it?

Let me summarsie...or plagiarize:

Step 1) Insert the NI-488.2 CD and choose Install NI-488.2

Step 2) When you have completed the software installation, RESTART the computer

Step 3) Install your GPIB hardware (Shows picture of human hand plugging in GPIB-USB-HS to desktop)

Step 4) (Ethernet information, not necessary)

Step 5) (Ethernet information, not necessary)

Did I miss something?..I still receive the same issues in the images in my original post here.

---

I have read the instructions.

I don't find the instructions simplistic at all.

Some people prefer to do things opposite as in installing the hardware before the software.

USB devices can be troublesome sometimes.

Hence my earlier suggestion.

[BMFoley24]

There are no uninstall instructions or GPIB-USB-HS driver removal from Device Manager instructions.

However, I did follow the install instructions for the in order.

I would confirm if I could uninstall, but there are no instructions.

Is there any other possible issue?  Why would instruments be found if the device was installed improperly?

[MilanR]

Hi Brian,

Does the device appear correctly in Device Manager as show in the screenshot below?

 

What version of the NI-488.2 Driver do you have installed as well as what version of the NI-VISA driver?

This can be found by opening Measurement and Automation Explorer and checking under My System » Software

From the screenshot you provided it looks like the GPIB-USB-HS device is communicating with other instruments, but it is the GPIB::INTFC device that is not communicating properly. Is the GPIB::INTFC instrument on the same GPIB chain as the other instruments or is connected to a separate GPIB-USB-HS device? Are you able to communicate with other instruments correctly? Does the GPIB-USB-HS device work correctly on another machine?

[BMFoley24]

Hi Milan,

Yes in the Device Manager, the GPIB-USB-HS device when connected to the computer shows up as displayed in your Device Manager screenshot.

The version of NI-488.2 driver is the newest one from the NI website: ni4882_300.exe

The version of NI-VISA driver wis also the newest one from the NI website: visa511full.exe

The GPIB::INTFC instrument was on the same chain as the other instruments connected to a separate GPIB-USB-HS device.

However, I did completely disconnect 1 instrument from that chain to see if I could communicate separately with the GPIB-USB-HS device.

When I did this - the GPIB-USB-HS device could see the instrument, but I still saw the GPIB::INTFC issue. as in the first screenshot I provided.

To make sure the GPIB-USB-HS device was working properly, I powered up a separate laptop and used the same GPIB-USB-HS device connected soley from the laptop to the 1 instrument and LabVIEW recognised the instrument and I didn't see the GPIB::INTFC issue.

So in summary, it seems the issue is soley with the laptop I'm using, which is strange because it worked properly from this laptop in the past.  The only new thing I did was install LabVIEW 8.5.

- Brian

[BMFoley24 · Accepted solution]

Thank you all for your assistance,

Problem Solved after hours of uninstalling and re-installing all National Instruments devices/software.

Once all programs were uninstalled (with a disk cleanup on my harddrives- possibly unnecessary)

LabVIEW 8.5.1 was re-installed

NI-DAQ was re-installed

NI-Visa 5.1.1 was re-installed

NI-488.2 ver 2.7.3 was re-installed (properly)

Now LabVIEW recognises all ports/devices and connects to instruments properly once again.

My issue must have been installing LabVIEW 8.5.1 after already having installed LabVIEW 2009.

Somewhere during the installation of 8.5.1 - the main post issue occured.

Thanks again