New PMCS Software: Any Luck

[ninjaginga]

Hey there!
We just set up the PMCS station here and we have been working out the kinks.

Have you had any issues setting it up and how have you resolved these?

Thanks for any feedback!

-Ginger

[kenhuman]

I set ours up a couple of weeks ago, and for the most part it worked out of the box.   We had a guy try to install the drivers for the old NI USB-GPIB-A bridges which somehow completely bricked the new computer they sent out.   My solution was to reformat, stick Windows XP on the box, and reinstall the all of the drivers that corresponded to the model number of the machine from the HP website.   Then I stuck the newest version of the Agilent USB-GPIB bridge drivers and NextGen on it, and it works great.   What problems are you having?

[mdbuike]

I guess my question is, since the CPIN was designed for VISTA (what the box comes with) is it still valid with XP?

Inspectors love those kind of questions, and the tap dance that goes with it..

That, and the machine is supposed to have the standard desktop on it...

Mike

[kenhuman]

Well for the long answer, I can't find anything in the documentation requiring any particular version of Windows.   The file READBEFOREINSTALLATION. txt that can be found in 33K10-4-2-10-WA-2. zip makes a direct reference to USB-GPIB bridges that run under Vista or XP and this same file lists a requirement for the MS . NET framework which will run on XP or Vista.   This strongly suggests that running under XP is okay.   So, if an inspector has such a question, I'd suggest simply asking him to locate that particular requirement.

As far as the machine having the SDC, it's not connected to the base network.   Networked machines need the SDC, stand-alone machines, also known in the PMEL world as controllers, do not.

Short answer, I called up AFMETCAL and they said it's cool.

[mcguirepmel]

I configured ours last month and this is what I found.  NI GPIB-USB A is not supported for Windows Vista.  If you are loading the new PMCS Software on Vista, you must use the Aglilent GPIB-USB adapter.  Make sure you enable the 488 device on Agilent IO library software.  Our system is working fine until now.  Hope this help.

[CalLabSolutions]

Was the NI GPIB card Black or was it Blue..

The Black ones are USB 1.0..  They are quite old.  I stoped using them when I installed XP..  The Blue ones are 2.0..  I am pretty sure they are supported.  I don't know all the INs and OUTs of what you are trying to do, but I do know NI has drivers for them..

PS.. I have a Black USB-GPIB card if any one is interested. 

[Smokey]

I configured ours last month and this is what I found.  NI GPIB-USB A is not supported for Windows Vista.  If you are loading the new PMCS Software on Vista, you must use the Aglilent GPIB-USB adapter.  Make sure you enable the 488 device on Agilent IO library software.  Our system is working fine until now.  Hope this help.

Correct, the USB-A is not supported but the USBHS and USB-B are supported through NI-VISA upgrade or version 2.7 and up. For those of you in AF PMEL's with a PATEC Controller you will be receiving a new controller and it comes with 2 GPIB-USBHS interfaces so that will help alleviate the problem as well since you can use the extra interface on your PMCS controller. Well that is of course if you want, I wanted both capabilities on our's so I can utilize the PMCS controlloer for other use's as well.