Edit LAN Instruments

To edit properties of a manually-added LAN instrument:

Select the LAN instrument from the Instruments list. Click the button.
Modify the interface properties (described in detail below) as needed.
Click OK to add this interface to your configuration.

You cannot edit a LAN instrument that was discovered by the Instrument Discovery Service. See About Instrument Discovery and Identification for more information on discovery.

When using VXI instruments over the LAN, you can access only message-based instruments. This is because the VISA memory access functions (viPeek, viPoke, viMapAddress and so on) are not supported by the VXI-11 and SICL-LAN protocols.

Set LAN Address:

Hostname or IP Address

Fill in the instrument's hostname (such as myinstr.mycompany.com) or its IP address. For help in deciding which to use, see Deciding Between Hostname and IP Address.

Your instrument's documentation explains how to set or determine the instrument's hostname or IP address.

TCPIP Interface ID

If you have added additional LAN interfaces (for example, to allow different timeouts for different groups of instruments), choose the interface to be associated with this instrument. LAN interfaces are a logical construct; they do not directly correspond to physical LAN segments or interface cards.

Set Protocol:

In most cases, you do not need to change this setting. The LAN protocol can be set or modified only for manually added instruments.

This setting allows you to choose the protocol used to communication with this instrument, and to configure the instrument's remote name or socket port number. The default value is Instrument protocol with remote name inst0.

Protocol Features When to choose Remote name Credential

Instrument (VXI-11)

Provides nice protocol features like GPIB emulation

Default connection type because it is the most common LAN protocol supported by instruments

Slowest and oldest connection type

Choose this protocol for older instruments if you need GPIB emulation like Device Clear and SRQ’s. Default name is inst0
Example VISA address:
TCPIP0::10.112.157.234::inst0::INSTR
NA

Socket

Fastest connection type

Lacks protocol features of VXI-11 and HiSLIP

Designed to just send SCPI commands across TCP/IP socket

Choose this protocol for older instruments when you need fast speed.
Default port is 5025; Some instruments use port 5023

Example VISA address:
TCPIP0::10.112.157.234::5025::SOCKET

The "@" character signifies a secure, encrypted, and anonymous connection. IO Libraries 2024 Update 1 and later support this type of anonymous connection.

Example:
TCPIP0::@10.112.157.234::5025::SOCKET

HiSLIP

Almost as fast as Socket

Provides nice protocol features like GPIB emulation

Available on newer instruments

Choose this protocol if its available on your instrument. Default name is hislip0
Example VISA address:
TCPIP0::10.112.157.234::hislip0::INSTR

Credential identifies the authentication mechanism used for communication. Creating credentials is optional, and you are free to create as many as you need.

A credential can be:

blank - signifies an anonymous connection without encryption.

@ character -signifies a secure and anonymous connection with encryption, or

an alphanumeric string without spaces starting with a letter of the alphabet and ending with an "@" (the string is configured using SIC Expert that identifies connection mechanism (PLAIN/SCRAM) and username/password(if any).

Examples of VISA addresses:

Example 1 Credential- user1@
TCPIP0::user1@10.112.157.234::hislip0::INSTRnote: user1 is configured using SIC Expert

Example 2 Credential- @
TCPIP0::@10.112.157.234::hislip0::INSTR

Example 3 Credential- blank
TCPIP0::10.112.157.234::hislip0::INSTR

Protocol	Features	When to choose	Remote name	Credential
Instrument (VXI-11)	Provides nice protocol features like GPIB emulation Default connection type because it is the most common LAN protocol supported by instruments Slowest and oldest connection type	Choose this protocol for older instruments if you need GPIB emulation like Device Clear and SRQ’s.	Default name is inst0 Example VISA address: TCPIP0::10.112.157.234::inst0::INSTR	NA
Socket	Fastest connection type Lacks protocol features of VXI-11 and HiSLIP Designed to just send SCPI commands across TCP/IP socket	Choose this protocol for older instruments when you need fast speed.	Default port is 5025; Some instruments use port 5023 Example VISA address: TCPIP0::10.112.157.234::5025::SOCKET	The "@" character signifies a secure, encrypted, and anonymous connection. IO Libraries 2024 Update 1 and later support this type of anonymous connection. Example: TCPIP0::@10.112.157.234::5025::SOCKET
HiSLIP	Almost as fast as Socket Provides nice protocol features like GPIB emulation Available on newer instruments	Choose this protocol if its available on your instrument.	Default name is hislip0 Example VISA address: TCPIP0::10.112.157.234::hislip0::INSTR	Credential identifies the authentication mechanism used for communication. Creating credentials is optional, and you are free to create as many as you need. A credential can be: blank - signifies an anonymous connection without encryption. @ character -signifies a secure and anonymous connection with encryption, or an alphanumeric string without spaces starting with a letter of the alphabet and ending with an "@" (the string is configured using SIC Expert that identifies connection mechanism (PLAIN/SCRAM) and username/password(if any). Examples of VISA addresses: Example 1 Credential- user1@ TCPIP0::user1@10.112.157.234::hislip0::INSTRnote: user1 is configured using SIC Expert Example 2 Credential- @ TCPIP0::@10.112.157.234::hislip0::INSTR Example 3 Credential- blank TCPIP0::10.112.157.234::hislip0::INSTR

Verify Connection:

Allow *IDN Query

Manually added LAN instruments are typically identified using their LXI Identification XML if they implement the LXI 1.2 (or higher) standard. If not, they are identified using a *IDN? query. Clear (uncheck) this option if you do not want *IDN? to be sent to this instrument.

If you uncheck this option, and the instrument does not provide mDNS identification, the instrument address will be shown as unidentified (with a icon) in the Instruments view, and identifying information such as the model number will not be shown. In that case, the instrument will appear in the Instruments view as Unknown Instrument.

Test This VISA Address

The VISA address (connection string) for a LAN instrument consists of the TCPIP interface ID, the hostname or IP address, the instrument name or socket port number, and the letters INSTR. Once you have configured the connection information, you will see the generated VISA address to the right of the button labeled Test This VISA Address.

When you click Test This VISA Address, the software attempts to connect to the instrument at that address. The state of the connection is displayed below the VISA address, and if the connection succeeds, the manufacturer, model, and serial number are displayed below that. (If the instrument does not return a valid serial number, or if the serial number is 0, a placeholder in the form *VISAAddress is shown instead.)

The state of the connection is typically Verified or Failed. If the connection failed, details of the failure may also be displayed.

Click here for a list of possible errors.

Failed: Timeout opening the connection: *IDN? response was not received within 5 seconds for LAN instruments.

Failed: Unable to determine device identity: A *IDN? request could not be sent.

Failed: This is not a valid element for this agent: The LXI Identification XML for this instrument contains an invalid XML element.

Failed: The device to be Verified does not have a Hostname or IP Address: The hostname/IP address field is blank.

Failed: The LXI information provider is not available: Connection could not be established or LXI information was not correctly returned.

Failed: The LXI information page could not be opened: The LXI Identification XML information could not be read (and formerly was readable).

Failed: LXI mDNS instrument service deleted: Either the instrument was disconnected and its mDNS announcements timed out, or the instrument executed an orderly shutdown (for example, was turned off) and unannounced its LXI mDNS services.

Failed: IDN read failed with status…: *IDN? read failed with the cited VISA error status.

Failed: Write of '*IDN?' failed with status…: *IDN? write failed with the cited VISA error status.

Failed: UnLock for IDN read failed with status…: The unlock operation after reading the *IDN? response failed with the cited VISA error status.

Failed: Lock for IDN read timeout with status…: The lock operation before the *IDN? query timed out with the cited VISA error status.

Failed: Lock for IDN read failed with status…: The lock operation before the *IDN? query failed with the cited VISA error status.

Failed: viOpen failed with status…: viOpen for *IDN? failed with the cited VISA status.

Failed: viOpenDefaultRM failed with status…: viOpenDefaultRM for *IDN? failed with the cited VISA status.

Failed: No LAN access is available: The PC has no network access.

View Web Page:

The Instrument Web Interface button attempts to open a Web browser on the specified IP address or hostname. A typical LAN-enabled instrument hosts a Web page that provides access to instrument configuration information and functionality. If your instrument does not host a Web page, or if the instrument is not correctly configured, you may see a browser error.

Saving the Configuration

The OK button is enabled if you have made changes to the information in this view. When you have finished entering the information, click OK to save the configuration or Cancel to revert to the previous saved values.

Editing LAN Interface Properties

Some of the settings that affect your LAN instruments are properties of the LAN interface. To edit LAN interface properties, see Edit LAN Interfaces.

Deleting the Instrument

Click the Remove button () to permanently remove this instrument from your configuration. Only instruments that were manually added can be manually removed.