Instrument Manager Tab (Hardware)

Menu Path: Utilities > Hardware > Instrument Manager

The Instrument Manager provides a convenient means of adding, deleting, and even ignoring instrument connections without having to leave the VSA software. The Instrument Manager replaces the VSA IO Connections utility, but it also enables users to make instrument connections that previously had to be made with the Keysight Connection Expert.

The Instrument Manager's main panel displays a list of instruments that are configured for discovery within the VSA software. During discovery (VSA startup) and rediscovery (clicking the Rediscover Instruments button), the VSA software will discover the instruments in the list except for the ones that are set to be ignored. You can also choose to discover instruments from VISA (Keysight Connection Expert). The combined list of discovered instruments is displayed in the Discovered Instruments tab. The most recent discovery log is available in an expanding panel in both the Instrument Manager tab and the Discovered Instruments tab for ease of troubleshooting if an instrument is not discovered as expected.

The instruments configured in the Instrument Manager's Add/Edit New Instrument Address dialog will appear in the list in the following format:

VXI-11 and HiSLIP

TCPIP0::<Hostname or IP Address>::<Remote Name>::INSTR <(optional Name)>

Custom LAN Local Area Network: A communications network that serves users within a local geographical area, typically over distances of around 100m. Wireless LANs use wireless communicaitons to network devices so there is no need for data cabling. (AgtDigital and N6841A)

TCPIP::<Hostname or IP Address>:<Port> <(optional Name)>

Custom LAN (Vita49)

UDP::<Hostname or IP Address>:<Port> <(optional Name)>

The Ignore icon indicates that an instrument address will be ignored during discovery. You can ignore an instrument during discovery instead of deleting it from the list if you don't need it for the current measurement but want to keep its connection for future use. You can change the Ignored status in the Add/Edit New Instrument Address dialog or by right-clicking the instrument in the Instrument Manager list.

Add New Instrument

Opens the Add/Edit New Instrument Address dialog to create a new instrument connection.

Edit Current Instrument

Opens the Add/Edit New Instrument Address dialog to edit an existing instrument connection.

Delete Current Instrument

Deletes the currently selected instrument from the list.

You can ignore an instrument during discovery instead of deleting it from the list if you don't need it for the current measurement but want to keep its connection for future use.

Rediscover Instruments

If hardware is missing from the list of discovered instruments, you can refresh the list by clicking the Rediscover Instruments button. You do not need to re-start the VSA software to discover new instruments; the Rediscover Instruments button function will discover any newly added or fixed hardware connections and update the Discovery Log.

The Rediscover Instruments button will turn orange when a change has been made that requires rediscovery.

If a real instrument is not listed, the VSA has lost connectivity. Verify that the instrument is powered on and that the hardware is still connected to the VSA. See Selecting Hardware for more information.

Include instruments from VISA (Keysight Connection Expert) in Instrument Discovery

When selected, the Instrument Discovery process will discover instruments configured in the Instrument Manager as well as VISA instruments configured using the Keysight Connection Expert. When cleared, only instruments configured in the Instrument Manager will be included for discovery.

Properties

The Properties expanding panel displays information about the selected instrument. The following information is displayed:

Address: Displays the instrument address configured in the Add/Edit New Instrument Address dialog.
Name: Displays the optional Name entered in the Add/Edit New Instrument Address dialog. This property only appears if a name has been entered.
Model: (Custom LAN protocol only) Displays the Custom Model selected in the Add/Edit New Instrument Address dialog.
Ignored: Displays whether the selected instrument will be included or ignored during instrument discovery/rediscovery. You can change the Ignored status in the Add/Edit New Instrument Address dialog or by right-clicking the instrument in the Instrument Manager list.

Discovery Log

The Discovery Log expanding panel displays the most recent discovery log for comparison with the current list of discovered instruments.