Existing Industrial Solutions and Virtual Instrumentation

Integration into GANMVL

Reinhard Bacher, Michael Seebach

DESY

2005-12-06 R. Bacher et al. VI Integration 2

Motivation• Use of stand-alone, off-the shelf T&M (test and

measurement) instruments such as– Oscilloscopes– Spectrum analyzers– Signal and function generators– Digital multi-meters etc.

• Scenarios:– In a mobile environment– For a short time– On short notice etc.

2005-12-06 R. Bacher et al. VI Integration 3

Objectives

• 1st Priority: Visualization and / or control of T&M-specific functions through the MVL framework from a remote site

• 2nd Priority: Integration of the T&M specific data-flow into the MVL framework

2005-12-06 R. Bacher et al. VI Integration 4

Off-the Shelf T&M Instruments

Databus interface:

• USB

• TCP/IP Ethernet

• GPIB

Operating system:

• Proprietary operating system

• Windows (desktop-type, embedded / restricted)

2005-12-06 R. Bacher et al. VI Integration 5

Scenario 1Analog / Digital I/O

T&M Instrument (e.g. Oscilloscope)

Vendor-Specific Application Software

VNC Server / Remote Desktop Server

Intranet / Internet

VNC Client / Remote Desktop Client for Instrument Control and Data Visualization

2005-12-06 R. Bacher et al. VI Integration 6

Scenario 2Analog / Digital I/O

T&M Instrument (e.g. Oscilloscope)

Vendor-Specific Application Software

Web Server

Intranet / Internet

Web Browser

Customized Page (e.g. HTML, Applet) for Instrument Control and Data Visualization

2005-12-06 R. Bacher et al. VI Integration 7

Scenario 3

Analog / Digital I/O

T&M Instrument (e.g. Oscilloscope)

Vendor-Specific Server Software

Intranet / Internet

Vendor-Specific Client Software (Licenses!)

Vendor-Specific Application Software (Licenses!) for Instrument Control and Data Visualization / Data

Integration

2005-12-06 R. Bacher et al. VI Integration 8

Scenario 4Analog / Digital I/O

T&M Instrument (e.g. Oscilloscope)

Data Bus Interface (e.g. GPIB, RS232, PXI, TCP/IP)

Data Bus Link

Bus-Specific Data Bus Driver Software

Vendor-Specific Instrument Driver Software

Customized Application (e.g. LabView) for Instrument Control and Data Visualization / Data Integration

Web Server

Intranet / Internet

Web Browser

Customized Page (e.g. HTML, Applet) for Instrument Control and Data Visualization

2005-12-06 R. Bacher et al. VI Integration 9

MVL Instrument Integration

Web Server-based Integration

VNC Remote Desktop Server-based Integration

IVI-based Integration

T&M Instrument

Vendor-specific Application Software

Client

2005-12-06 R. Bacher et al. VI Integration 10

Standardization by Industry

Problem:

• Vendor-specific instrument drivers

• Vendor-specific virtual instrument software

Proposed MVL solution:

• Generic virtual instruments based on

• VISA-compliant databus drivers (VISA = Virtual Instrument Software Architecture)

• IVI-compliant instrument drivers (IVI = Interchangeable Virtual Instrument)

• LabView / Web-Publishing

2005-12-06 R. Bacher et al. VI Integration 11

IVI Foundation Members

e.g.

• Agilent Technologies

• Keithley Instruments

• National Instruments

• Rohde & Schwarz

• Tektronix

• LeCroy

2005-12-06 R. Bacher et al. VI Integration 12

IVI-Supported Instrument Classes

• DC power supply• Digital multi-meter• Function & Arbitrary generator• Oscilloscope• Power meter• RF signal generator• Spectrum analyzer• Switch

2005-12-06 R. Bacher et al. VI Integration 13

IVI: ExampleIviScopeBase FunctionsAbortAcquisition StatusActual Record Length (IVI-C only)Configure Acquisition RecordConfigure Acquisition Type (IVI-C only)Configure ChannelConfigure Channel CharacteristicsConfigure Edge Trigger SourceConfigure TriggerConfigure Trigger Coupling (IVI-C only)GetChannelName (IVI-C Only)Fetch WaveformInitiate AcquisitionIs Invalid Waveform ElementRead WaveformSample Rate (IVI-C only)

IviScopeBase AttributesAcquisition Start Time

Acquisition Type

Channel Count

Channel Enabled

Channel Item (IVI-COM only)

Channel Name (IVI-COM only)

Horizontal Minimum Number of Points

Horizontal Record Length

Horizontal Sample Rate

Horizontal Time Per Record

Input Impedance

Maximum Input Frequency

2005-12-06 R. Bacher et al. VI Integration 14

IVI Architecture

e.g. ividmm.dll

e.g. ke2700_32.dll

e.g. VISA Library

COM specific

Specific Instruments

IVIConfigurationStore.xml

2005-12-06 R. Bacher et al. VI Integration 15

Prerequisites

• Install “IVI Shared Components” and “IVI –supported Instruments” class libraries (→ IVI foundation)

• Install “NI IVI Compliance Package” (→ National Instruments)

• Install “VISA Runtime” and “NI Measurement and Automation Explorer (MAX)” (→ National Instruments)

2005-12-06 R. Bacher et al. VI Integration 16

Instrument Integration (1/6)

• Connect instrument to data bus and configure communication parameters, e.g. IP address

• Install IVI class compliant specific driver (→ instrument vendor or National Instruments)

2005-12-06 R. Bacher et al. VI Integration 17

Instrument Integration (2/6)

• Configure the device interface parameters using MAX – e.g. Specify / check

IP address and TCP-port number

2005-12-06 R. Bacher et al. VI Integration 18

Instrument Integration (3/6)• Configure IVI

Driver: – Specify /

check hardware asset

2005-12-06 R. Bacher et al. VI Integration 19

Instrument Integration (4/6)

• Configure IVI Driver: – Specify / check

instrument driver software module

2005-12-06 R. Bacher et al. VI Integration 20

Instrument Integration (5/6)

• Configure IVI Driver: – Create driver

session

• Hardware

• Software

2005-12-06 R. Bacher et al. VI Integration 21

Instrument Integration (6/6)

• Configure IVI Driver: – Create logical

name

– Save IVI configuration

2005-12-06 R. Bacher et al. VI Integration 22

Generic Instrument Test Applications