GPIB Control of Spectrum analyser

[Mark.Boden]

Hi There

I have a HP 8591 EM spectrum analyser and EMC receiver I wish to control this via GPIB.

I would basically like to control everything from my PC if possible which covers everything on the front panel and to pull of all the data for analysis maybe in the fom of a csv file?????.

I have never used LABVIEW before so may I ask that no assumptions are made about how much I should know and any help on this would be greatly appreciated. I intend to use this set up for the analysis of PCBs in a home made faraday cage 🙂 many thanks for your assistance

[billko]

Look on the NI Site for drivers for this equipment, or...

Grab the programmer's guide and study up.  🙂  (If you go this route, it wouldn't hurt to study up on SCPI commands, either.)

[Mark.Boden]

Programmers guide, be more specific please. where would I find this???

I am unable to find drivers for it

[JÞB]

Start HERE

Then go to Menu of any LabVIEW panel and select Help>>Find Instrument Drivers

The instrument drivers you find will likely have examples.

And Google will usually help you navigate to the equipment manufacturer's website where you would find all equipment documentation.

[Dennis_Knutson]

You should be able to easily find the driver with Help> Find Instrument Drivers. At http://www.ni.com/downloads/instrument-drivers/ you will find links on how to use a driver. The programmers guide would be available from Agilent. Getting the manual should have been your first step. You can't write a program unless you understand the instrument itself.

[Mark.Boden]

WOW the responses are fast :). I am talking to the device however the *IDN? is returning an error. I will go to the manual of the device and look at the programmers guide but to get off plots would be helpful and I can then expand upon this once I learn more.

Thank you all for the help but keep it coming 🙂

[billko]

...And no one can tell me they can't find a manual for an HP/Agilent piece of equipment.  They are the undisputed heavyweight manual champions of the world.  😉  They have manuals for the manuals.  LOL that's just a bit of exaggeration.

[billko]

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@Mark.Boden wrote:

WOW the responses are fast :). I am talking to the device however the *IDN? is returning an error. I will go to the manual of the device and look at the programmers guide but to get off plots would be helpful and I can then expand upon this once I learn more.

Thank you all for the help but keep it coming 🙂

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That you tried to send that command is half the battle.  There are probably just a few tweaks you need to do to get this thing going!

[Mark.Boden]

Then tweak away Bill, you have my permission :). Just kidding, I read somewhere that it doesn't recognise the *IDN? command and there is an alternative based upon the age of the product?? is there an alternative in getting the PC to recognise the Analyser?

[Dennis_Knutson]

Is the instrument truly not detected or is MAX just reporting that it did not respond to the idn query? If it's just the idn, then you just ignore the message.