Installation guide

Chapter 4 79
Configuring I/O Interfaces
Configuring VXI Interfaces
n The E1406A Command Module version consists of a Windows PC
with an 82350 (or equivalent) GPIB card and a VXI mainframe with
an E1406A Command Module and one or more VXI instruments.
I/O communication from the PC to the VXI instruments is via the
GPIB card, GPIB cable, and E1406A Command Module.
n The E8491B Module version consists of a Windows PC with an
IEEE-1394 OHCI-Compliant (FireWire) PC card and a VXI
mainframe with an E8491B IEEE-1394 to VXI Module and one or
more VXI instruments. I/O communication from the PC to the VXI
instruments is via the PC card, IEEE-1394 to VXI cable, and E8491B
Module.
Configuring GPIB-VXI (E1406A) Interfaces
An IO interface can be defined as both a hardware interface and as a
software interface. The purpose of the IO Config utility is to associate a
unique interface name with a hardware interface.
The IO Libraries use an
Interface Name or Logical Unit Number to identify an
interface. This information is passed in the parameter string of the
viOpen
function call in a VISA program or in the
iopen function call in a SICL
program. IO Config assigns an Interface Name and Logical Unit Number to
the interface hardware, as well as other necessary configuration values for
an interface when the interface is configured.
Using IO Config to
Configure GPIB-VXI
(E1406A) Interfaces
To configure GPIB-VXI (E1406A Command Module) interfaces using the
IO Config utility, click the Agilent IO Libraries Control icon (blue icon on the
Windows taskbar) and click Run I
O Config. When the main screen
appears, highlight the
GPIB-VXI menu item (see the following figure) and
then click the C
onfigure button.
When the
GPIB-VXI Command Module Configuration screen appears, set the
VISA Interface Name, GPIB Interface Name, and GPIB Primary Address as
required. Then, click the
OK button.
NOTE
After the system is configured, this screen may also display an
Edit VISA
Config...
button. Clicking this button allows you to manually configure the
interface as desired. See the IO Libraries Readme file for details.