How to fix LabVIEW/MAX inconsistency

[scipgmr]

Hi,

For reasons unknown (to me), my MAX (Measurement and Automation explorer) is failing to include three Agilent instruments presently in place on our system in the MAX "Miscellaneous VISA Resources" list. Despite this, any of our LabVIEW block diagrams that need to communicate with these instruments through VISA READs and WRITEs are having no problems doing so. Can anyone please provide advice of how we can get our Agilent equipment to appear in the MAX list, and also an explanation of how it could be that our VISA READ/WRITEs can be working when MAX apparently can't find them ? All equipment is attached on one GPIB from a 3rd party vendor.

Thanks very much.

Walt

[RTSLVU]

I am guessing your program uses the actual GPIB addresses(GPIB::address::INSTR) in it's VISA calls, not a VISA alias. So MAX in not really needed for your program to operate.

The "third party" GPIB card could have "compatibility" problems with MAX. I have found that some of these "compatibility" problems are simply hoops NI makes you jump through for not buying NI hardware. Like for instance the GPIB "Tulip" driver is the only driver that is not enabled by default, and that is the driver needed to make many "third party" GPIB interfaces work properly.

[Carl_W]

He is correct. You will need to go into MAX then go to software. Go to Visa and in the right pane at the bottom click Visa Options. Then go to passports and check the box for NI Visa Tulip.dll and you should be good to go.

[scipgmr]

Carl w. and Previous Responder,

I tried implementing your advice but had to take a detour which though seems good still did not result in success.

First, under MAX->software I found NI-VISA and NI-VISA Runtime (no vanilla VISA) and they did not lead to VISA Options. What did work for me was MAX -> Tools -> NI-VISA -> VISA Options, under which I found Passport, the List of Passports, and was able to check NI-VISA tulip.dll

Secondly however, performing a MAX Refresh (as well as shutting down and restarting MAX) still did not show any instruments in the Miscellaneous VISA Resources list that weren't already there. Strangely it's the instruments with a single-digit address that are missing. But, as I mentioned in my initial posting, my LabVIEW guis can communicate with the unlisted instruments fine.

If there's anything further I can do, I'm interested. Otherwise, thanks for your help and the information you conveyed.

Walt

[christian_w]

... a long time ago I worked with Agilent/HP .... and as far as I remember Agilent GPIB system controller use a 7 as default and NI the 14

nowadays the VISA is more or less vendor independent, but there's a difference between primary and secondary VISA...

So I suggest to install Agilent's I/O Libraries with NI VISA as primary and setup the VISA aliases there and maybe NI-MAX is able to read these settings as a 'Miscellaneous VISA Resource'

Hope it helps

Christian

[RTSLVU]

What is the "third party vender" of your GPIB interface?

[scipgmr]

Out 3rd-party GPIB board vendor is Quality Instrumentation Solutions Inc

(http://www.drivercure.com/vendor/view_vendor.php/Quality%20Instrumentation%20Solutions,%20Inc.?compa... ).

The board is their GPIB-488 (vintage 2007) which I believe has been obsolete since about 2009. FYI here's the only description I coud find

http://support.elmark.com.pl/advantech/ia/DOCS/GPIBProgrammingReferenceManual.pdf

Thanks.

Walt /scipgmr

[Carl_W]

Here are few documents on how to enable the Tulip.dll. 

http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/websearch/3B3626D9C1F999218625694200791AD7?OpenDocument

I have also included a screen shot of what the page looks like in MAX. I have circled all the options you need to click on to get to the Passport section where you select the Tulip.dll.