Configure for VISA and SICL

Configure for SCPI LAN using SICL / VISA

• PNA Supported Interfaces

• Keysight I/O Libraries

• SICL / VISA Programs Running on the PNA

• Configure the PNA for SICL / VISA

• Configure the External Controller

Other Topics about GPIB Concepts

PNA Supported Interfaces

The PNA supports the following interfaces for SICL / VISA communication:

• LAN - as a remote GPIB interface. The PNA LAN is presented as a virtual GPIB interface. It does NOT support simple TCPIP-based control. Therefore, when configuring the Keysight IO libraries on your PC, add a REMOTE GPIB interface, which uses the LAN client interface.

• GPIB - requires that your external controller have a GPIB card.

Note: For optimum LAN interface performance, use COM to control the PNA. SCPI commands can be sent to the PNA using the COM SCPIStringParser object.

The following interfaces are NOT supported:

• USB

• Serial

Keysight I/O Libraries

The Keysight I/O libraries includes the drivers to allow you to communicate with Keysight test instruments. Every PNA is shipped with the Keysight I/O libraries installed. We recommend you do NOT upgrade the Keysight I/O libraries on the PNA as unexpected results may occur. If you choose to upgrade the Keysight I/O libraries on the PNA, do NOT change the default folder path in the InstallShield Wizard.

To communicate with the PNA, the Keysight I/O libraries must also be installed on your external controller.  To purchase the Keysight I/O libraries, or download a free upgrade, go to www.Keysight.com and search for IO Libraries. Scroll to find Software, Firmware & Drivers.

SICL / VISA Programs Running on the PNA

You can run your SICL / VISA program on the PNA to control the PNA. Although the Keysight I/O libraries are already installed on the PNA, it is configured as the Host. You must also configure a SICL or VISA LAN Client interface on the PNA, specifying the LAN hostname of that same PNA.

If your program uses the COM interface to VISA, and is compiled on a PC with the Keysight IO Libraries Suite (version 14 or later), and the resulting executable is copied and run on the PNA, it will produce a “type mismatch error”. This is because the PNA has the ‘M’ version of Keysight I/O libraries. The following Visual Basic code is an example of how to avoid this error when communicating with the PNA from within the PNA:

Dim rm As IResourceManager
Dim fmio As IFormattedIO488
Set rm = CreateObject("AgilentRM.SRMCls")
Set fmio = CreateObject("VISA.BasicFormattedIO")
Set fmio.IO = rm.Open("GPIB0::22")
fmio.WriteString "*IDN?" & Chr(10)
MsgBox fmio.ReadString()
 

Controlling the PNA over LAN while controlling other instruments over GPIB

The PNA can NOT be both a controller and talker/listener on the same GPIB bus. Using SICL / VISA, you can use LAN to control the PNA, leaving the PNA free to use the rear-panel GPIB interface to control other GPIB devices.

Configure the PNA for SICL / VISA

1. On the PNA, click System then check Windows Taskbar

2. Click Start then point to Program Files, Keysight IO Libraries, then click IO Config

3. Select each GPIB Interface and click Edit to verify (or make) the default settings in the following table. These settings are REQUIRED when using a 82357A USB / GPIB Interface with the PNA.

4. When complete, click OK to close the edit dialog.

5. Click OK to close the IO Config dialog.

Configure the External Controller

Please refer to the Keysight I/O libraries documentation to learn how to configure your controller to communicate with the PNA. These links can show you how to find the following PNA information:

• PNA full computer name

• GPIB Address

• IP Address

This example program can help test your VISA configuration.