Troubleshoot Instrument Connections
The Keysight Instrument Discovery Service auto-discovers many instruments that are physically connected to your PC or are on your local LAN subnet, and automatically adds them to the Instrument list. In some cases, however, you may need to manually add that instrument to your configuration.
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In order for the software to recognize and communicate with a PXI modular instrument, you must first enable the HiSLIP interface from the instrument's Soft Front Panel (SFP). For more information, see Connecting to PXI Modular Instruments. |
If an instrument you are expecting to see is not shown, launch Keysight Connection Expert to manually add that instrument to your configuration – usually for serial (RS-232) instruments and LAN instruments that are not on your local subnet or are older LAN-based instruments.
Note that if one of your instruments was discovered at an earlier time but communication can no longer be established with that instrument, it will not be shown in the Instrument list. In most cases, this means that the instrument has been disconnected or turned off. If you are experiencing connection issues with an instrument, verify that the instrument is turned on and is properly connected to the selected interface. Then try refreshing the Instrument list in Connection Expert.
To launch Connection Expert, right-click the Keysight IO Libraries Suite icon on the taskbar and select Connection Expert. For more information on using Connection Expert and troubleshooting connectivity issues, view the help file from Connection Expert.
Common Connectivity Issues
Below is a list of common connectivity issues to review if you are having problems connecting your instruments.
Check SCPI compatibility - Verify that the instrument firmware supports SCPI. Make sure your instrument firmware is up to date.
Verify IO Communication - Verify that you can communicate with your instrument using Keysight Connection Expert.
Check Proxy Settings - Proxy servers are commonly used to control access from an internal network to the external Internet. In some situations, you may not be able to establish communication with an instrument if you are using a proxy server. By default, the software uses the proxy settings configured for your computer.
Supported Instruments - Although we are continually adding support for new instruments, not all Keysight instruments are currently supported. For a complete list of instruments supported by the PathWave Manager application, go to www.keysight.com/find/BenchVueInstruments.
Keysight IO Libraries Suite - From the Windows Control Panel, uninstall the following two shared components: (1) IVI Shared Components and (2) VISA Shared Components. Then perform a Repair (not Modify) of Keysight IO Libraries Suite, which will reinstall the two shared components.
Keysight IO Libraries Suite and NI MAX - If National Instruments Measurement & Automation Explorer™ was previously installed and then removed in a "side by side" installation with Keysight IO Libraries Suite, you will need to restore some missing files. From the Windows Control Panel, find Keysight IO Libraries Suite and then select Modify (not Repair) to restore the missing files.
Keysight USB/GPIB Converter and NI MAX - If you are using the Keysight 82357B USB/GPIB Interface Converter with National Instruments Measurement & Automation Explorer™, make sure to select the Passport to Tulip option in NI MAX.
Keysight USB/GPIB Converter and Addresses to Avoid - If you are using the Keysight 82357B USB/GPIB Interface Converter, avoid the following GPIB addresses: 9, 11, 13, 25, 27, and 29. These addresses do not always respond correctly to a Serial Poll operation which the software uses. Note that some Keysight instruments, such as the Keysight 34970A, use "9" as their default GPIB address; be sure to change the address to ensure proper operation.
PXI Modular Instrument Connections - In order for the software to recognize and communicate with a PXI modular instrument, you must first enable the HiSLIP interface from the instrument's Soft Front Panel (SFP). For more information, see Connecting to PXI Modular Instruments.
Verify RS-232 Settings - If you are connecting to your instrument via RS-232, make sure you have configured the COM port settings on your computer to agree with your instrument settings (baud rate, parity, etc.). Since some instruments work best with handshaking enabled, you might also try using a USB/RS232 interface converter (such as the FTDI US232R-100 converter). Make sure you have installed the correct driver for the USB/RS232 interface converter and that it shows up in Windows Device Manager.
Install Latest Instrument Firmware - Make sure your instrument firmware is up to date.
Verify User Login - Make sure that you are logged into your computer with the same User Name as your last session. If the application is running while a second user logs into the same computer, the second user will not be able to launch the application.