Controlling the PXB Using GPIB

The GPIB interface in the PXB is shipped from the factory configured as a listener, which means that it is ready to be controlled over GPIB. The PXB's internal GPIB interface can also be configured as a talker (output or controller) using the Agilent IO Libraries.

GPIB and its associated interface operations are defined in the ANSI/IEEE Standard 488.1-1987 and ANSI/IEEE Standard 488.2-1992. See the IEEE website, http://www.ieee.org, for details on these standards.  

View the following topics for related information.

• Installing the GPIB Interface in Your PC

• USB to GPIB Interface

• Verifying the GPIB Connection

• GPIB Programming Interface Examples

• Troubleshooting the GPIB Interface

Installing the GPIB Interface in Your PC

The following table lists some of the available interface cards that can be installed in the remote PC used to control the PXB. Follow the interface card instructions for installing and configuring the card. Refer to the Agilent website, http://www.agilent.com/find/gpib, for details on GPIB interface cards.

USB to GPIB Interface

You can also connect the PXB's GPIB interface to the PC's USB port using the Agilent 82357B USB/GPIB Interface Converter, which eliminates the need for a GPIB card in the PC. Before connecting the interface converter from your PC to the PXB, ensure that your PC has the latest IO libraries and 82357B driver installed.

With the USB/GPIB converter, the USB interface functions as a GPIB interface to the external instruments.

Verifying the GPIB Connection

Connect a GPIB interface cable between the PXB and the PC. The following table lists cable part numbers.

Confirm the PXB is Configured as a Listener

The PXB is set to listener as its default configuration. You can verify this using the following procedure.

1. On the PXB, click the Agilent IO Control icon in the lower-right of the Windows desktop.

   

2. Select Agilent Connection Expert from the popup menu.

3. In the Connection Expert explorer pane, select the PXB's GPIB interface node. Illustration...

   

4. In the Agilent 82350 PCI GPIB Interface panel, ensure that System Controller is not selected. Illustration...

   

5. If System Controller is selected, click the Change Properties... button, and perform the following procedure.

1. Clear the System controller (recommended) check box.

2. Click OK to accept the changes.

3. Close the Agilent Connection Expert.

4. Ensure that the Agilent IO Libraries Suite is installed on your PC.

5. Reboot the PXB.

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Configure the PC

The following procedure shows how to set up the connection to the PXB from the remote PC after you have installed the GPIB card in your PC.

1. Ensure that your PC has a GPIB card installed and ready for use.

2. On the PC, click the Agilent IO Control icon in the lower-right of the Windows desktop.

   

3. Select Agilent Connection Expert from the pop-up menu.

4. In the Connection Expert explorer pane, select the PXB's GPIB instrument connection. Illustration...

   

5. In the GPIB Instrument panel, click the Change Properties... button.

6. If you have changed the PXB's GPIB address, ensure that you select the correct address in the GPIB address drop-down menu. Illustration...

   

7. If desired, select a secondary address using the Secondary address drop-down menu.

8. Click OK to accept the changes.

9. Close the Agilent Connection Expert.

Setting the PXB GPIB Address

The following procedure sets the PXB's GPIB address from the PXB user interface.

If several devices exist on a bus, be sure each has a unique GPIB bus address.

1. In the PXB user interface, select System in the menu bar. Illustration...

   

2. Select GPIB Address to access the Configure GPIB Address dialog box. Illustration...

   

3. Select the desired address using the up or down arrow. The default GPIB address is 19 and the range is 130.–

4. Click OK.

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GPIB Programming Interface Examples

Refer to the Agilent IO Libraries documentation and the Agilent IO Libraries programming examples for information on how to open a session with an instrument.

Before Using the GPIB Examples

The PXB is shipped with the Agilent VISA library and SICL already installed. If the National Instruments PCI-GPIB interface card is used, the NI-VISA library along with the NI-488.2 library should be installed. However, if the Agilent Connection Expert is used, the NI-VISA library does not have to be installed if the National Instruments PCI-GPIB interface card is used. Refer to Selecting IO Libraries for GPIB and the documentation for your GPIB interface card for details.

Troubleshooting the GPIB Interface

Using Interactive IO

Use the Agilent Connection Expert Interactive IO available in the Agilent IO Libraries Suite to verify instrument communication over the GPIB interface by using standard IEEE 488.2 commands.

1. On the PC, click the Agilent IO Control icon in the lower-right of the Windows desktop.

   

2. Select Agilent Connection Expert from the popup menu.

3. In the Connection Expert explorer pane, select the GPIB instrument connection currently connected to the PXB.

4. In the GPIB Instrument pane, note that an IDN query (identification string) was done indicating whether or not the GPIB connection to the PXB has been made.

5. Select Interactive IO from the Connection Expert tool bar. The Agilent Interactive IO dialog box will be displayed.

6. With the *IDN? command in the Command box, click Send & Read.
   
   The default command is the Identification (IDN) query, which outputs an identifying string. The response will show the following information:
   
   <company name>, <model number>, <serial number>, <firmware revision>

7. Close the Agilent Interactive IO dialog box, then close the Agilent Connection Expert.

If You Have Problems

1. Verify that the PXB’s address matches the address declared in the program.

2. Remove all other instruments connected via GPIB and rerun the program.

3. Verify that the GPIB card’s name or ID number matches the GPIB name or ID number configured for your PC.

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