VISA resource find doesn't display my USB/GPIB device

[Chris2051]

Hi,

             I am using LabView 8.0 with MAX 4.2.1.3001. I am attempting to communicate with an old HP8563E spectrum analyzer with a GPIB over USB device with VISA vi's to no avail. When trying to find any valid VISA devices with the "VISA Find Resource" vi no devices are returned. Can anyone offer any suggestions?

-Chris

[Dennis_Knutson]

What kind of 'GPIB over USB device'? Is it an NI controller? Is the controller visible in MAX and did you first do a scan for instruments in MAX? Are there any other VISA resources such as com or printer ports on your pc and are these listed in MAX?

[Chris2051]

I am using the NI GPIB-USB-HS device. It is visible in MAX and I can interact with the spectrum analyzer within MAX. I issued the string "?*INSTR" to the "VISA Resource Find" vi and the return list was empty. I am runing the software on a laptop which has USB/Firewire ports, NIC and Modem. I'm not sure which of these if any should have shown up on the list.

[Dennis_Knutson]

First, do you have NI-VISA installed. This would be listed in MAX. Second, can you simply place a VISA Resource Name control on the front panel or block diagram and click the little arrow on the right side and get a list of resource names?

[Chris2051 · Accepted solution]

I finally got back around to it and the VISA drivers were not installed. This baffled me because in the past versions of LabView, like 6.0, VIs which required certain drivers (like serial port write)were not available unless the associated drivers were installed. Perhaps this philosophy has changed in the newer versions. Anyhow, thanks for your help

-Chris

[rolfk]

---

Chris2051 wrote:

I finally got back around to it and the VISA drivers were not installed. This baffled me because in the past versions of LabView, like 6.0, VIs which required certain drivers (like serial port write)were not available unless the associated drivers were installed. Perhaps this philosophy has changed in the newer versions. Anyhow, thanks for your help

-Chris

---

No, LabVIEW always has linked weakly to VISA. This means the VISA functions do not cause a broken arrow eventhough there is no VISA installed but instead they return an according error in the error cluster. If you would have done some proper error handling you would have seen the error in the error cluster out.

Rolf Kalbermatter

[Chris2051]

I did examine the error cluster, however, the errors were too broad and general hence my reason for posting the question. If the error had said "No VISA Driver" installed it would have been pretty clear!

[dorota_wanda]

Hi,

I'm searching for solution for a quite similar problem, but I have installed VISA and other drivers.

I'm using NI-PXI-GPIB card to communicate with two DMM's. When I do this through MAX - it works. I can use "communicate with instruments" and I can send to them any command I want, both instruments respond. But when I try with "VISA write" block in vi I don't see these instruments in "VISA resource name" (even after refresh). I can see there COM ports and one another PXI card, but not GPIB instruments.

I'm working on Win7, LabView 2016. I have installed VISA 16.0 and GPIB 16.0 drivers.

You can see on screenshot the results of what I did. At firts I run vi. After I switched on MAX and "communication with instruments". As you can see, I'm using VISA resource name the same as it is in MAX - but I typed it myself (refresh doesn't show GPIB instr).

My PXI chassis is not from NI, but I have another system like this (same chassis, same card, Win7, LabView 2015) where GPIB card works (but drivers are one version older 15.0).

Can you please advise me what to do next ?? (I'm running out of ideas).

Dorota

[dorota_wanda]

OK, I found it. I read on forum about more-less similar problem with gpib-32.dll file.

I reinstalled GPIB driver and now all work.

I think gpib-32.dll was overwritten by ADLink GPIB driver instalation. I'm using ADLink controller which has GPIB port (and I have installed all drivers). I wanted to use this port but finally I decided to use NI-PXI-GPIB card.