Network Hardware User Manual

Appendix B Troubleshooting and Common Questions

When should I use IBIC 488.2?

You can use IBIC 488.2 to practice communication with your instrument,

troubleshoot problems, and develop your application program. For more

information about IBIC 488.2, refer to Chapter 4, Interface Bus Interactive

Control Utility,intheNI-488.2 User Manual for MacOS.

How do I use an NI-488.2 language interface?

For information about using NI-488.2 language interfaces, refer to the

NI-488.2 User Manual for MacOS.

My I/O worked with a board interface, but it times out when I use the

GPIB-ENET/100 interface. What should I do?

Network communication is slower than straight cable communication.

You might need to raise the Timeout value using the NI-488 Config utility.

Refer to Chapter 4, GPIB Configuration, for more information.

How do I communicate with my instrument over the GPIB?

Refer to the documentation that came from the instrument manufacturer.

The command sequences you use are totally dependent on the specific

instrument. The documentation for each instrument should include the

GPIB commands you need to communicate with it. In most cases, NI-488

device-level calls are sufficient for communicating with instruments. Refer

to Chapter 2, Developing Your Application,intheNI-488.2 User Manual

for MacOS, for more information.

How should I check for errors in my GPIB application?

Examinethevalueof

ibsta

after each NI-488 or NI-488.2 call. If a call

fails, the ERR bit of

ibsta

is set and an error code is stored in

iberr

For more information about global status variables, refer to Chapter 2,

Developing Your Application,intheNI-488.2 User Manual for MacOS.