I spent a couple frustrating hours debugging a test setup with programmable power supplies and counters (to make automated measurements of freq/Vtune on some VCOs, as well as "Vsupply pushing") I'm using something hacked from the sample Python code and the Prologix Ethernet device (which has been wonderful for the past few years), but this time it was a positive ordeal. I would get timeouts and error messages back from the devices. Turns out that I had one bad cable and one with a little piece of paper that had gotten into the connector when mating it. So.... is there some sort of systematic test scheme using the Prologix that can be used to check out a setup? Or using John Miles's Prologix Configurator to exercise it.

Hi Jim, We recommend starting with the procedure described in the FAQ to verify connectivity: http://prologix.biz/gpib-ethernet-1.2-faq.html Regards, Abdul -----Original Message----- From: time-nuts-bounces@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-bounces@febo.com] On Behalf Of Jim Lux Sent: Sunday, January 27, 2013 8:16 AM To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement Subject: [time-nuts] GPIB, Proloigix, cables I spent a couple frustrating hours debugging a test setup with programmable power supplies and counters (to make automated measurements of freq/Vtune on some VCOs, as well as "Vsupply pushing") I'm using something hacked from the sample Python code and the Prologix Ethernet device (which has been wonderful for the past few years), but this time it was a positive ordeal. I would get timeouts and error messages back from the devices. Turns out that I had one bad cable and one with a little piece of paper that had gotten into the connector when mating it. So.... is there some sort of systematic test scheme using the Prologix that can be used to check out a setup? Or using John Miles's Prologix Configurator to exercise it. _______________________________________________ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.

On 01/27/2013 05:15 PM, Jim Lux wrote: > I spent a couple frustrating hours debugging a test setup with > programmable power supplies and counters (to make automated measurements > of freq/Vtune on some VCOs, as well as "Vsupply pushing") > > I'm using something hacked from the sample Python code and the Prologix > Ethernet device (which has been wonderful for the past few years), but > this time it was a positive ordeal. I would get timeouts and error > messages back from the devices. > > Turns out that I had one bad cable and one with a little piece of paper > that had gotten into the connector when mating it. > > So.... is there some sort of systematic test scheme using the Prologix > that can be used to check out a setup? Or using John Miles's Prologix > Configurator to exercise it. Don't feel stupid Jim. When I went into my lab the other day, I finally realized that my Thunderbolt just didn't give any signal, I found that the PSU feeding the GPS splitters didn't have signal and things just looked funny. It took some time to figure out, but when finally getting behind the rack I realized that it was strange everything was failing... until I realized that my UPS was in error condition, so clearing the error and enabling it... and all of a sudden everything came awake. Good thing is that nothing is broken, I am doing stuff in the lab again and things gets sorted out. LPRO and Cesium testing progressing nicely. Cheers, Magnus

Connectivity to the prologix from host isn't the problem. The challenge is on the gpib side. It was almost working, so I was wondering if there was a systematic way to test. Maybe getting a second prologix to serve as an instrument emulator? Cheap if it saves hours debugging a rack full of gear. Actually. I've been thinking about going to a prologix per instrument model. Then it's just an ip address per instrument On Jan 27, 2013, at 8:33, "Prologix" <support@prologix.biz> wrote: > Hi Jim, > > We recommend starting with the procedure described in the FAQ to verify > connectivity: > http://prologix.biz/gpib-ethernet-1.2-faq.html > > Regards, > Abdul > > -----Original Message----- > From: time-nuts-bounces@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-bounces@febo.com] On > Behalf Of Jim Lux > Sent: Sunday, January 27, 2013 8:16 AM > To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement > Subject: [time-nuts] GPIB, Proloigix, cables > > I spent a couple frustrating hours debugging a test setup with programmable > power supplies and counters (to make automated measurements of freq/Vtune on > some VCOs, as well as "Vsupply pushing") > > I'm using something hacked from the sample Python code and the Prologix > Ethernet device (which has been wonderful for the past few years), but this > time it was a positive ordeal. I would get timeouts and error messages back > from the devices. > > Turns out that I had one bad cable and one with a little piece of paper that > had gotten into the connector when mating it. > > So.... is there some sort of systematic test scheme using the Prologix that > can be used to check out a setup? Or using John Miles's Prologix > Configurator to exercise it. > > _______________________________________________ > time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to > https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > and follow the instructions there. > > _______________________________________________ > time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com > To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > and follow the instructions there.

What you can do, is to have the program know the addresses and status code of the items on the bus, then do an serial poll to get the status of each item on the bus. It wont work on all items, but it should be possible to avoid problems like the one you describe and instrument not turned on. In addition, you could have several like instruments with different adresses, and let the program just choose the one thats turned on. Br. Thomas. 2013/1/27 Jim Lux <jimlux@earthlink.net> > Connectivity to the prologix from host isn't the problem. The challenge > is on the gpib side. It was almost working, so I was wondering if there was > a systematic way to test. Maybe getting a second prologix to serve as an > instrument emulator? Cheap if it saves hours debugging a rack full of gear. > > Actually. I've been thinking about going to a prologix per instrument > model. Then it's just an ip address per instrument > > On Jan 27, 2013, at 8:33, "Prologix" <support@prologix.biz> wrote: > > > Hi Jim, > > > > We recommend starting with the procedure described in the FAQ to verify > > connectivity: > > http://prologix.biz/gpib-ethernet-1.2-faq.html > > > > Regards, > > Abdul > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: time-nuts-bounces@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-bounces@febo.com] On > > Behalf Of Jim Lux > > Sent: Sunday, January 27, 2013 8:16 AM > > To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement > > Subject: [time-nuts] GPIB, Proloigix, cables > > > > I spent a couple frustrating hours debugging a test setup with > programmable > > power supplies and counters (to make automated measurements of > freq/Vtune on > > some VCOs, as well as "Vsupply pushing") > > > > I'm using something hacked from the sample Python code and the Prologix > > Ethernet device (which has been wonderful for the past few years), but > this > > time it was a positive ordeal. I would get timeouts and error messages > back > > from the devices. > > > > Turns out that I had one bad cable and one with a little piece of paper > that > > had gotten into the connector when mating it. > > > > So.... is there some sort of systematic test scheme using the Prologix > that > > can be used to check out a setup? Or using John Miles's Prologix > > Configurator to exercise it. > > > > _______________________________________________ > > time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to > > https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > > and follow the instructions there. > > > > _______________________________________________ > > time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com > > To unsubscribe, go to > https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > > and follow the instructions there. > _______________________________________________ > time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com > To unsubscribe, go to > https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > and follow the instructions there. > -- Please avoid sending me Word or PowerPoint attachments. See <http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/no-word-attachments.html> PDF is an better alternative and there are always LaTeX!