User`s guide

Connecting Instruments to LAN

Step 7: Communicate with Instruments

Communicating Using VISA Assistant

VISA Assistant is an application program that uses the Agilent IO Libraries

to communicate with LAN, USB, and GPIB instruments. VISA Assistant

can automatically detect and assign VXIplug&play instrument drivers to

instruments.

VISA Assistant can also be used to send and receive strings to instruments

which support formatted I/O. For other instruments, VISA Assistant allows

you to read and write memory areas. An example follows to show one way

to communicate with a 33220A using VISA Assistant.

Example: Communicating Using VISA Assistant

This example shows one way to use VISA Assistant to communicate with

an Agilent 33220A to return the ID string for the instrument. To open

VISA Assistant, click the

Agilent IO Libraries Control icon (blue icon on the

Windows taskbar) and click

Run VISA Assistant to display the VISA Assistant

main screen. Then, use the steps in this figure to return the identification

string for an Agilent 33220A.

2 Select the

Formatted I/O tab

3 Select the SCPI

button

4 Click the *IDN?

button

1 Highlight

instrument

to be

addressed