The following tips can help you successfully program the PXIe VNA.
The PXI VNA is programmable using the SCPI language. The SCPI documentation is included in this help file.
In the PXI VNA, SCPI commands MUST be sent through either HiSLIP or through the IVI-COM/Labview driver pass-through.
The PXI VNA software supports the HiSLIP interface for SCPI commands. This MUST be enabled from the Soft Front Panel using the IO configuration dialog. Learn more.
Note: If you can NOT connect with an external PC using LAN (HiSLIP), add a single exception to the firewall – either for the 835x.exe or for port 4880.
These drivers are the preferred programming interface to the PXI VNA software. The IVI COM driver is extensively documented in its own help file located at "c:\program files\ivi foundation\ivi\drivers\agna\agna.chm". The LabView driver is also documented. Both the driver and help file are included on the CD that was shipped with the product.
There are numerous examples for using the IVI-COM driver to perform common operations. They are located at: "c:\program files\ivi foundation\ivi\drivers\agna\examples".
Each of these drivers has a SCPI pass-through interface that can be used to send SCPI commands directly to the instrument.
It is NOT necessary to launch the soft front panel to use these drivers.
By default, the SFP is NOT visible when using the driver interface to connect to the PXI VNA. However, both the remote program and the SFP can run simultaneously. This can be useful during development to help diagnose any programming errors. Start the SFP by clicking the "Network Analyzer" icon on the controller desktop.