[time-nuts] Getting GPIB to work on HP5382B Universal counter

[Hal Murray]

> I'd very much appreciate any help that I can get in setting up a
> HP5328B to communicate over GPIB. The goal is to log/graph the
> frequency over time of various VFO's projects I'm working on.

> I am using the Agilent 82357A USB to GPIB Interface, I have the manual
> for the counter, so I know some of the basic GPIB commands. I've
> downloaded the Agilent IO Libraries Suite 15.5 and it looks like I can
> send simple commands to the counter, but I am not having any luck
> reading from the counter.

> I'd like to use Visual Basic to send commands and receive the
> frequency measurements... but need some HP5328B specific libraries?

I haven't worked with either the 82357A or HP5328B. I have worked with 
similar gear.

I doubt if you need any HP5328B specific libraries.

Do you have any documentation for the libraries you are using?

There may be some initialization magic that you need to do.

Can you find any examples using the 82357A and the libraries you have?  (even 
if they talk to another type of box, they may give you some ideas)

What makes you think you are sending commands?  Do lights blink or such?  Or 
just that your program doesn't hang?

If I was debugging something like that, I pick the simplest example I could 
find and work on it.

There is probably a reset command.  It might blink some lights but it doesn't 
send back any data.

There is probably an ID command to tell you what type of device you are 
talking to.  If you can get that to work you are over the hump.

Sometimes things like this are timing sensitive.  A delay of 10 or 100 ms 
after each send might help.



-- 
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