VISA and VXIplug&play Driver: Send a Command String to the 548xx Oscilloscope Read Me

This sample program illustrates the use of the standard VXIplug&play driver functions by sending a command using Microsoft® Visual C.

Date: Oct 2004

Version: 1.0

Language: Microsoft Visual C

Instruments: Oscilloscopes

OS Requirements: Microsoft Windows® 98 SE, NT® 4.0, ME, 2000, or XP

Additional Software: Agilent IO Libraries M.01.01.04 (or later)

Illustrates the use of the standard VXIplug&play driver functions using Microsoft Visual C:

hp548xx_init
hp548xx_close
hp548xx_reset
hp548xx_revision_query
hp548xx_self_test
hp548xx_error_message
hp548xx_error_query

Illustrates the use of several utility functions:

hp548xx_errorQueryDetect
Sets the driver to check the instrument for errors.

hp548xx_cmd

Sends a command string to the instrument. In this Sample, it sends a command which generates an error which then illustrates the use of hp548xx_error_query and hp548xx_error_message (in the check_err macro). It is also used to send a command that clears event status registers.

One of the most interesting things about this Sample is the error detection portion, most of the second half of the program. After trying it out, you might think that setting errorQueryDetect to true is a great idea! In fact, it's not a bad idea for the hp548xx, but beware of the potential performance impact. With errorQueryDetect set on, the instrument is queried at least once, if not several times, for all functions which access the instrument. If your application is sensitive to performance, this might make the application too slow.

One effective strategy is to create and debug your application with errorQueryDetect set on, then remove it and leave it off for production applications.

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