Analysis Tools

NI Spy

NI Spy monitors, records, and displays the NI-488.2 calls made from NI-488.2 applications. You can use it to troubleshoot errors in your application and to verify the communication with your GPIB instrument. NI Spy shows which NI-488.2 calls are being used to communicate with your instrument. If your application is not working properly, you can use NI Spy to search for failed NI-488.2 calls. For more information, refer to the NI Spy help.

To start NI Spy, select Start»Programs»National Instruments»NI Spy. Or, click on the following button.

 Start NI Spy.

GPIB Analyzer

You can use GPIB Analyzer to test and debug your NI-488.2 application by monitoring and capturing GPIB events while your application is running. Analyzing this data can help you solve many of the difficulties associated with GPIB communication, such as addressing inconsistencies, protocol violations, and simple bus timeout conditions. For more information, refer to the GPIB Analyzer help.

To start GPIB Analyzer from within Measurement & Automation Explorer, select Tools»NI-488.2»GPIB Analyzer or click on the following button.

 Start GPIB Analyzer.

Tip  To capture GPIB bus activity, the GPIB Analyzer software requires special National Instruments GPIB Analyzer hardware.