Two HP3458A synchronous triggering - time delay

[Tina2]

Hi,

I would like to get time difference between synchronous triggering 2 HP3458A instruments. Expected time is in nanoseconds or microseconds. Find eclosed VI. Whole project includes reseting both HP3458A, settling parameters, getting data, calculating mean and errors. Which subVI should I use for highest accurate time measurements? And where (Before or/and after Read)? I think Get Date/TIme are not useful for this purpose.

Best,

Kristina.

[nyc_(is_out_of_here)]

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@Tina2 wrote:

Hi,

I would like to get time difference between synchronous triggering 2 HP3458A instruments. Expected time is in nanoseconds or microseconds. Find eclosed VI. Whole project includes reseting both HP3458A, settling parameters, getting data, calculating mean and errors. Which subVI should I use for highest accurate time measurements? And where (Before or/and after Read)? I think Get Date/TIme are not useful for this purpose.

Best,

Kristina.

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What do you mean by time difference between synchronous triggering?

It is possible to trigger two or more instruments at the same time. Is that what you mean?

[Tina2]

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@nyc_(is_out_of_here) wrote:

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@Tina2 wrote:

Hi,

I would like to get time difference between synchronous triggering 2 HP3458A instruments. Expected time is in nanoseconds or microseconds. Find eclosed VI. Whole project includes reseting both HP3458A, settling parameters, getting data, calculating mean and errors. Which subVI should I use for highest accurate time measurements? And where (Before or/and after Read)? I think Get Date/TIme are not useful for this purpose.

Best,

Kristina.

---

What do you mean by time difference between synchronous triggering?

It is possible to trigger two or more instruments at the same time. Is that what you mean?

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I would like to have time delay, which is small, but is existing.

[nyc_(is_out_of_here)]

Time delay where?

Between the trigger to the first HP3458A and the second?

As I wrote before, if you want both instruments to be triggered at exactly the same time, there is a procedure to do that.

http://forums.ni.com/t5/Instrument-Control-GPIB-Serial/Trigger-2-equipments-concurrently-using-GPIB/...

[Tina2]

Is it procedure dependant or software dependant? We are working in highly precise laboratory. And if it means there is time delay in triggering (let say) 12 ps, we  consider it is not at same time.

[nyc_(is_out_of_here)]

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@Tina2 wrote:

Is it procedure dependant or software dependant? We are working in highly precise laboratory. And if it means there is time delay in triggering (let say) 12 ps, we  consider it is not at same time.

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You must configure the two instruments via VISA or 488.2 commands to be ready to receive the trigger command.

Edit: http://forums.ni.com/t5/Instrument-Control-GPIB-Serial/same-command-to-multiple-instruments/td-p/362...

[Dennis_Knutson]

Your question has nothing to do with NI hardware or software. You can measure the delta t between the separate trigger pulses if you use a very good scope and connect the two cables into two channels. You would obviously need to make the length of the two trigger cables as identical as possible. Any other delay would be within the two different instruments. What do the specs say about the delay between receiving a remote trigger and starting the measurement? Have you asked agilent? I don't of a way to actually measure this without getting inside the instrument itself. For minimal delay between two channel measurements, you should have chosen a single instrument with multiple channel inputs that are simultaneously sampled. Wasn't that a discussion in your lab?

[nyc_(is_out_of_here)]

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@Dennis_Knutson wrote:
Your question has nothing to do with NI hardware or software. You can measure the delta t between the separate trigger pulses if you use a very good scope and connect the two cables into two channels. You would obviously need to make the length of the two trigger cables as identical as possible. Any other delay would be within the two different instruments. What do the specs say about the delay between receiving a remote trigger and starting the measurement? Have you asked agilent? I don't of a way to actually measure this without getting inside the instrument itself. For minimal delay between two channel measurements, you should have chosen a single instrument with multiple channel inputs that are simultaneously sampled. Wasn't that a discussion in your lab?

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They're using LabVIEW so the question is certainly relevant. And I suspect trying to trigger the two instruments at the same time.

[Dennis_Knutson]

But the trigger delay between two channels is independent of LabVIEW and the GPIB controller. That's assuming the use of an external trigger and that both are programmed correctly.

[nyc_(is_out_of_here)]

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@Dennis_Knutson wrote:
But the trigger delay between two channels is independent of LabVIEW and the GPIB controller. That's assuming the use of an external trigger and that both are programmed correctly.

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My impression is that English is not her first language.

I am not certain yet what she is trying to do.

I suspect she wants to trigger the two instruments at the same time and does not know how.

Hopefully, she will return to confirm or provide more details.