National Instruments AT-GPIB/TNT User manual

© Copyright 1995 National Instruments Corporation.
All Rights Reserved.
Getting Started with Your
AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) and the
NI-488.2™Software for DOS
March 1995 Edition
Part Number 370884A-01

National Instruments Corporate Headquarters
6504 Bridge Point Parkway
Austin, TX 78730-5039
[phone]
Technical support fax: [phone]
[phone]
Branch Offices:
Australia [phone], Austria [phone], Belgium 02/757.00.20,
Canada (Ontario) [phone], Canada (Québec) [phone],
Denmark 45 76 26 00, Finland (90) 527 2321, France (1) 48 14 24 24,
Germany 089/741 31 30, Hong Kong 2637 5019, Italy 02/48301892,
Japan [phone], Korea 596-7456, Mexico 202 2544,
Netherlands 03480-33466, Norway 32-84 84 00, Singapore 2265886,
Spain (1) 640 0085, Sweden 08-730 49 70, Switzerland 056/20 51 51,
Taiwan 62 377 1200, U.K. 1635 523545

Limited Warranty
The AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) hardware is warranted against defects in materials and
workmanship for a period of two years from the date of shipment, as evidenced by
receipts or other documentation. National Instruments will, at its option, repair or replace
equipment that proves to be defective during the warranty period. This warranty includes
parts and labor.
The media on which you receive National Instruments software are warranted not to fail
to execute programming instructions, due to defects in materials and workmanship, for a
period of 90 days from date of shipment, as evidenced by receipts or other
documentation. National Instruments will, at its option, repair or replace software media
that do not execute programming instructions if National Instruments receives notice of
such defects during the warranty period. National Instruments does not warrant that the
operation of the software shall be uninterrupted or error free.
A Return Material Authorization (RMA) number must be obtained from the factory and
clearly marked on the outside of the package before any equipment will be accepted for
warranty work. National Instruments will pay the shipping costs of returning to the
owner parts which are covered by warranty.
National Instruments believes that the information in this manual is accurate. The
document has been carefully reviewed for technical accuracy. In the event that technical
or typographical errors exist, National Instruments reserves the right to make changes to
subsequent editions of this document without prior notice to holders of this edition. The
reader should consult National Instruments if errors are suspected. In no event shall
National Instruments be liable for any damages arising out of or related to this document
or the information contained in it.
EXCEPT AS SPECIFIED HEREIN, NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS MAKES NO
WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY
WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
CUSTOMER'S RIGHT TO RECOVER DAMAGES CAUSED BY FAULT OR NEGLIGENCE
ON THE PART OF NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE AMOUNT
THERETOFORE PAID BY THE CUSTOMER. NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS WILL NOT BE
LIABLE FOR DAMAGES RESULTING FROM LOSS OF DATA, PROFITS, USE OF
PRODUCTS, OR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF ADVISED OF
THE POSSIBILITY THEREOF. This limitation of the liability of National Instruments will
apply regardless of the form of action, whether in contract or tort, including negligence.
Any action against National Instruments must be brought within one year after the cause
of action accrues. National Instruments shall not be liable for any delay in performance
due to causes beyond its reasonable control. The warranty provided herein does not
cover damages, defects, malfunctions, or service failures caused by owner's failure to
follow the National Instruments installation, operation, or maintenance instructions;
owner's modification of the product; owner's abuse, misuse, or negligent acts; and power
failure or surges, fire, flood, accident, actions of third parties, or other events outside
reasonable control.

Copyright
Under the copyright laws, this publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any
form, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, storing in an
information retrieval system, or translating, in whole or in part, without the prior written
consent of National Instruments Corporation.
Trademarks
NAT4882®, NI-488®,Turbo488®, NI-488.2™, and TNT4882C™are trademarks of
National Instruments Corporation.
Product and company names listed are trademarks or trade names of their respective
companies.
WARNING REGARDING MEDICAL AND CLINICAL
USE OF NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS PRODUCTS
National Instruments products are not designed with components and testing intended to
ensure a level of reliability suitable for use in treatment and diagnosis of humans.
Applications of National Instruments products involving medical or clinical treatment can
create a potential for accidental injury caused by product failure, or by errors on the part
of the user or application designer. Any use or application of National Instruments
products for or involving medical or clinical treatment must be performed by properly
trained and qualified medical personnel, and all traditional medical safeguards,
equipment, and procedures that are appropriate in the particular situation to prevent
serious injury or death should always continue to be used when National Instruments
products are being used. National Instruments products are NOT intended to be a
substitute for any form of established process, procedure, or equipment used to monitor
or safeguard human health and safety in medical or clinical treatment.

FCC/DOC Radio Frequency Interference Compliance
This equipment generates and uses radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used
in strict accordance with the instructions in this manual, may cause interference to radio
and television reception. This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the
following two regulatory agencies:
Federal Communications Commission
This device complies with Part 15 of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Rules for a Class B digital device. A Class B device is distinguishable from a Class A
device by the appearance of an FCC ID number located on the Class B device.
Canadian Department of Communications
This device complies with the limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus set
out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department of
Communications (DOC).
Le présent appareil numérique n’émet pas de bruits radioélectriques dépassant les limites
applicables aux appareils numériques de classe B prescrites dans le règlement sur le
brouillage radioélectrique édicté par le ministère des communications du Canada.
Instructions to Users
These regulations are designed to provide reasonable protection against interference from
the equipment to radio and television reception in residential areas.
There is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation.
However, the chances of interference are much less if the equipment is installed and used
according to this instruction manual.
If the equipment does cause interference to radio or television reception, which can be
determined by turning the equipment on and off, one or more of the following
suggestions may reduce or eliminate the problem.
• Operate the equipment and the receiver on different branches of your AC electrical
system.
• Move the equipment away from the receiver with which it is interfering.
• Reorient or relocate the receiver’s antenna.
• Be sure that the equipment is plugged into a grounded outlet and that the grounding
has not been defeated with a cheater plug.

Notice to user: Changes or modifications not expressly approved by National
Instruments could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment
under the FCC Rules.
If necessary, consult National Instruments or an experienced radio/television technician
for additional suggestions. The following booklet prepared by the FCC may also be
helpful: How to Identify and Resolve Radio-TV Interference Problems. This booklet is
available from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402, Stock
Number 004-000-00345-4.
Bescheinigung des Herstellers/Importeurs
Hiermit wird bescheinigt, daß die AT-GPIB in Übereinstimmung mit den Bestimmungen
der Vfg. 1046/1984 funk entstört ist.
Der Detuschen Bundespost wurde das Inverkehrbringen dieses Gerätes angezeigt und die
Berechtigung zur Überprüfung der Serie auf Bestimmungen eingeräumt.

© National Instruments Corp. vii AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) for DOS
Contents
About This Manual ............................................................................................... ix
How to Use the Manual Set ............................................................................. ix
Organization of This Manual........................................................................... x
Conventions Used in This Manual................................................................... x
Related Documentation ................................................................................... xi
Customer Communication ............................................................................... xi
Chapter 1
Introduction.............................................................................................................. 1-1
How to Use This Manual................................................................................. 1-1
What You Need to Get Started ........................................................................ 1-2
Optional Equipment......................................................................................... 1-2
AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) Hardware Overview ..................................................... 1-2
NI 488.2 Software Overview........................................................................... 1-3
Plug and Play Overview................................................................................... 1-3
ni-pnp Utility Overview................................................................................... 1-4
Optional Programming Tools .......................................................................... 1-4
Chapter 2
Installation and Configuration......................................................................... 2-1
Install Your NI-488.2 Software ....................................................................... 2-1
Install the AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) Hardware..................................................... 2-2
Configure Your NI-488.2 Software................................................................. 2-3
Chapter 3
Verify the Installation........................................................................................... 3-1
Run the Hardware Diagnostic Test .................................................................. 3-1
Run the Software Diagnostic Test ................................................................... 3-1
Chapter 4
Begin to Use the AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP)......................................................... 4-1
Introduction to ibic........................................................................................... 4-1
General Programming Considerations............................................................. 4-1
Appendix A
Specifications .......................................................................................................... A-1
Hardware.......................................................................................................... A-1
Software........................................................................................................... A-2

Contents
AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) for DOS viii © National Instruments Corp.
Appendix B
Troubleshooting...................................................................................................... B-1
Troubleshooting ni-pnp Error Messages ......................................................... B-1
Troubleshooting ibdiag Error Messages .......................................................... B-2
Resource Conflicts............................................................................. B-2
Interrupt Conflicts ............................................................................. B-2
DMA Conflicts .................................................................................. B-2
I/O Address Range Conflicts............................................................. B-3
Steps to Troubleshoot ibdiag Error Messages................................... B-3
Resolving Conflicts with the Intel Configuration Utility .................. B-4
Troubleshooting ibtest Error Messages ........................................................... B-5
Presence Test of Software Components ............................................ B-5
Presence Test of Driver ..................................................................... B-5
Presence Test of Board...................................................................... B-6
GPIB Cables Connected .................................................................... B-6
ULI Driver Loaded ............................................................................ B-6
Appendix C
Common Questions ............................................................................................... C-1
Appendix D
Customer Communication................................................................................. D-1
Glossary...................................................................................................................... G-1
Figures
Figure 2-1. NI-488.2 Software Installation Screen.................................................. 2-1
Figure 2-2. Installing the AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) Board ........................................... 2-3
Tables
Table A-1. AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) Hardware Characteristics .................................. A-1
Table A-2. NI-488.2 Software Characteristics for the AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP)......... A-2

© National Instruments Corp. ix AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) for DOS
About This Manual
This manual contains instructions to help you install and configure the National
Instruments AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) interface board, and the NI-488.2 software for DOS.
The NI-488.2 software is intended for use with MS-DOS version 4.0 or higher (or
equivalent). This manual assumes that you are already familiar with DOS.
How to Use the Manual Set
Getting Started
Manual
Novice
Users
Installation and
Configuration
Experienced
Users
NI-488.2 User
Manual for DOS
Application
Development
and Examples
NI-488.2 Function
Reference Manual for
DOS/Windows
Function
and Routine
Descriptions
Use this getting started manual to install and configure your AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) board
and the NI-488.2 software for DOS.
Use the NI-488.2 User Manual for DOS to learn the basics of GPIB and how to develop
an application program. The user manual also contains debugging information and
detailed examples.
Use the NI-488.2 Function Reference Manual for DOS/Windows for specific NI-488
function and NI-488.2 routine information, such as format, parameters, and possible
errors.

About This Manual
AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) for DOS x © National Instruments Corp.
Organization of This Manual
This manual is organized as follows:
• Chapter 1, Introduction, explains how to use this manual, lists what you need to get
started, and briefly describes the AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) board and the NI-488.2
software.
• Chapter 2, Installation and Configuration, contains instructions to help you install
and configure your NI-488.2 software and AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP).
• Chapter 3, Verify the Installation, describes how to verify the hardware and software
installation.
• Chapter 4, Begin to Use the AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP), describes the ibic utility and
lists some programming considerations.
• Appendix A, Specifications, describes the physical characteristics of the
AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) hardware and software, along with the recommended
operating conditions.
• Appendix B, Troubleshooting, describes how to troubleshoot problems.
• Appendix C, Common Questions, lists common questions and answers.
• Appendix D, Customer Communication, contains forms you can use to request help
from National Instruments or to comment on our products and manuals.
• The Glossary contains an alphabetical list and a description of terms used in this
manual, including abbreviations, acronyms, metric prefixes, mnemonics, and
symbols.
Conventions Used in This Manual
The following conventions are used in this manual.
italic Italic text denotes emphasis, a cross reference, or an
introduction to a key concept.
bold italic Bold italic text denotes a note, caution, or warning.
monospace Text in this font denotes text or characters that are to be
literally input from the keyboard, sections of code,
programming examples, and syntax examples. This font is
also used for the proper names of disk drives, directories,
programs, subprograms, subroutines, device names, functions,
variables, field names and filenames.

About This Manual
© National Instruments Corp. xi AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) for DOS
bold monospace Bold text in this font denotes the messages and responses that
the computer automatically prints to the screen.
IEEE 488 and IEEE 488 and IEEE 488.2 refer to the ANSI/IEEE Standard
IEEE 488.2 488.1-1987 and the ANSI/IEEE Standard 488.2-1992,
respectively, which define the GPIB.
AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) AT-GPIB/TNT (Plug and Play) interface board.
Abbreviations, acronyms, metric prefixes, mnemonics, symbols, and terms are listed in
the Glossary.
Related Documentation
The following documents contain information that you may find helpful as you read this
manual.
• ANSI/IEEE Standard 488.1-1987, IEEE Standard Digital Interface for
Programmable Instrumentation
• ANSI/IEEE Standard 488.2-1992, IEEE Standard Codes, Formats,
Protocols, and Common Commands
•Microsoft MS-DOS User's Guide, Microsoft Corporation
Customer Communication
National Instruments wants to receive your comments on our products and manuals. We
are interested in the applications you develop with our products, and we want to help if
you have problems with them. To make it easy for you to contact us, this manual
contains comment and configuration forms for you to complete. These forms are in
Appendix D, Customer Communication, at the end of this manual.

© National Instruments Corp. 1-1 AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) for DOS
Chapter 1
Introduction
This chapter explains how to use this manual, lists what you need to get started, and
briefly describes the AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) board and the NI-488.2 software.
How to Use This Manual
No
Chapter 3
Troubleshooting
Passes?
Install the NI-488.2 Software
Verify the Installation
Chapter 2
Yes
Chapter 4
User Manual and
Function Reference
Manual
Review Programming
Considerations
Write Application Program
Run ibic
Chapter 1
Gather What You Need
to Get Started
Install the AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP)
Configure the Software

Introduction Chapter 1
AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) for DOS 1-2 © National Instruments Corp.
What You Need to Get Started
Make sure you have all of the items listed before you attempt to install the
AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) hardware and software.
AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) board, which comes with your kit
3.5 in. high density (1.44 MB) NI-488.2 Software for DOS. Distribution Disk for
the AT-GPIB/TNT+, AT-GPIB/TNT (Plug and Play), EISA-GPIB, AT-GPIB/TNT,
and AT-GPIB, which comes with your kit
MS-DOS version 4.0 or higher (or equivalent) installed on your computer
GPIB cables—single-shielded or double-shielded, Type X1, X2, X4, X5, or X11,
which you can order from National Instruments
Optional Equipment
Call National Instruments for more information about the following optional equipment.
• Serial or parallel bus extender and cables
• Bus expander/isolator
• GPIB mechanical switch
• GPIB data buffer
AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) Hardware Overview
The AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) board transforms any PC AT compatible computer into a
full-functioning GPIB Talker/Listener/Controller. The AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) is
completely software-configurable and is compliant with the Plug and Play ISA standard.
In non Plug and Play systems, the AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) can be fully configured through
the NI-488.2 software. In Plug and Play systems, the board is fully configured on power-
up. The TNT4882C chip on the board combines the circuitry of the NAT4882 ASIC, the
Turbo488 ASIC, and GPIB transceivers to create a single-chip IEEE 488.2 interface. The
TNT4882C also implements the HS488 high-speed protocol, which increases the
maximum data transfer rate of the AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) up to 3.4 Mbytes/s, when used in
an EISA computer. For more information about HS488, refer to Chapter 7, GPIB
Programming Techniques, in the NI-488.2 User Manual for DOS.

Chapter 1 Introduction
© National Instruments Corp. 1-3 AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) for DOS
You can use standard GPIB cables to connect the AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) with up to 14
instruments. If you want to use more than 14 instruments, you can order a bus extender
or expander from National Instruments. Refer to Appendix A, Specifications, for more
information about the AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) board specifications and recommended
operating conditions.
NI-488.2 Software Overview
The NI-488.2 software, along with the AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) hardware, transforms a
general-purpose PC into a GPIB Talker/Listener/Controller with complete
communications and bus management capability. The NI-488.2 software includes the
following components:
• Device driver
• Language interface libraries for the following languages:
– BASICA
– GWBASIC
– Microsoft QuickBASIC
– Microsoft Professional BASIC
– Microsoft Visual Basic for DOS
– Microsoft C
• Configuration utilities
• Hardware and software diagnostic tests
• Interactive control program
• Utilities for software development
• Example programs that use NI-488 functions and NI-488.2 routines
Refer to Appendix A, Specifications, for more information about the NI-488.2 software
specifications and recommended operating conditions.
Plug and Play Overview
The term Plug and Play refers to a new industry standard designed to help you add
peripheral boards in a personal computer system. With Plug and Play you can configure
a new add-on board entirely from software, without moving jumpers or changing DIP
switches on the board.
A Plug and Play ready system is one in which cooperation takes place between the
hardware, the operating system, device drivers, and applications. Most add-on boards
need system resources (DMA channels, interrupts, I/O space) in order to interact with

Introduction Chapter 1
AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) for DOS 1-4 © National Instruments Corp.
software such as device drivers. Centralized resource management is needed to arbitrate
the assignment of system resources such as interrupt levels (IRQ) and DMA channels.
For example, if a given PnP ISA board is configured to use DMA channel 5, the
centralized resource manager should prevent the assignment of DMA channel 5 to any
other card. This support is not provided by DOS. However, a Plug and Play ready
system can be achieved under DOS with the Intel Plug and Play Kit for MS-DOS and
Windows, which may come pre-installed on some machines.
For systems that are not Plug and Play ready, National Instruments provides a
jumperless configuration. Specific resources must be chosen for the board using a
configuration utility, but you are not required to power down the system and
change physical jumper settings on the board.
For maximum flexibility, National Instruments provides the ni-pnp utility, which
checks the configuration of your National Instruments Plug and Play boards, regardless
of which type of system you have (jumperless or Plug and Play ready).
ni-pnp Utility Overview
The ni-pnp utility is a small program which runs each time your computer is
rebooted. It collects information about all of the National Instruments Plug and
Play boards in your system. It then creates a list of these interfaces, which is used
by the NI-488.2 driver and configuration utility, ibconf. In systems that are Plug
and Play ready, ni-pnp simply retrieves the current configuration of each
interface. In systems without Plug and Play system software, ni-pnp performs
the actual configuration of each interface. It relies on the resource settings made
with ibconf to assign resources to the boards. After the configuration of each
board is determined, ni-pnp provides this information to the NI-488.2 driver.
ni-pnp relieves the driver from the job of finding and configuring Plug and Play
boards.
Optional Programming Tools
Your kit includes the NI-488.2 software for DOS. In addition, you can order the
LabWindows®software from National Instruments. LabWindows includes instrument
driver libraries that make it easier to communicate with your GPIB instruments.
LabWindows is an interactive C/QuickBASIC development environment for building test
and measurement and instrument control systems. It includes interactive code-generation
tools and a graphical editor for building custom user interfaces. It also includes built-in
libraries for IEEE 488.2, VXI, RS-232 control, and plug-in data acquisition. When you
order LabWindows, you also get more than 300 complete instrument drivers, which are
modular, source-code programs that handle the communication with your instrument so
that you do not have to learn the programming details.
For more information about LabWindows, contact National Instruments.

© National Instruments Corp. 2-1 AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) for DOS
Chapter 2
Installation and Configuration
This chapter contains instructions to help you install and configure your NI-488.2
software and AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP).
Install Your NI-488.2 Software
Complete the following steps to run the software installation program.
1. Insert the NI-488.2 software for DOS distribution disk into an unused drive.
2. Begin the software installation by entering the following command:
x:\install
where x is the letter of the drive containing the distribution disk (usually aor b).
The software installation begins with the screen shown in Figure 2-1.
Figure 2-1. NI-488.2 Software Installation Screen

Installation and Configuration Chapter 2
AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) for DOS 2-2 © National Instruments Corp.
3. Select the type of installation you want.
• Selecting Full GPIB Installation installs all NI-488.2 software files on
your hard drive.
• Selecting Custom GPIB Installation lets you select the parts of the
NI-488.2 software to install on your hard drive.
You can use the escape key <ESC> at any time to abort the installation.
4. After the installation is complete, reboot your computer.
To load the NI-488.2 driver for DOS, you must reboot your computer. If the
installation is successful, the driver displays a banner message on your screen when
DOS loads the driver.
5. After you have installed your software, you might need to modify the configuration
of the driver. If you are not using any Plug and Play system software, you must run
ibconf. Skip to the section Configure Your NI-488.2 Software. If your system is
Plug and Play ready, proceed to the next section Install the AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP)
Hardware.
Install the AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) Hardware
Warning: Several components on your AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) board can be damaged
by electrostatic discharge. To avoid such damage in handling the board,
touch the antistatic plastic package to a metal part of your computer
chassis before removing the board from the package.
Perform the following steps to install the AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) board:
1. Turn off your computer. Keep the computer plugged in so that it remains grounded
while you install the AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) board.
2. Remove the top cover (or other access panels) to give yourself access to the
computer expansion slots.
3. Find an unused 16-bit ISA expansion slot in your computer.
4. Remove the corresponding slot cover on the back panel of the computer.
5. Insert the AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) board into the slot with the GPIB connector sticking
out of the opening on the back panel, as shown in Figure 2-2. It might be a tight fit,
but do not force the board into place.

Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration
© National Instruments Corp. 2-3 AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) for DOS
Configure Your NI-488.2 Software
ibconf is an interactive utility you can use to examine or modify the configuration of
the driver.
If your system is Plug and Play ready, you do not need to run ibconf unless you are
using more than one AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) board in your system. If you are using more
than one board, you can use ibconf to associate each logical board, GPIBn, with a
particular board, as identified by its serial number.
If you are using a jumperless system, you must run ibconf to assign resources for each
AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) board in the system.
2
1
3
➀
➁
➂
1 AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) board
2 Back panel
3 Other PC AT plug-in board
Figure 2-2. Installing the AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) Board
6. Screw the mounting bracket of the AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) board to the back panel rail
of the computer.
7. Check the installation.
8. Replace the top cover or access port to the I/O channel.
9. Turn on your computer.

Installation and Configuration Chapter 2
AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) for DOS 2-4 © National Instruments Corp.
To run ibconf, go to the directory where the NI-488.2 software is installed, and enter
the following command:
ibconf
After you enter ibconf, use the cursor keys and online help information to examine the
settings and make any necessary changes. To exit ibconf, press <Esc> or the function
key <F9> and save your changes. For more information about ibconf, refer to the
NI-488.2 User Manual for DOS.
If you plan to use the HS488 high-speed protocol, you must specify in ibconf the total
length of GPIB cable in your system.

© National Instruments Corp. 3-1 AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP) for DOS
Chapter 3
Verify the Installation
This chapter describes how to verify the hardware and software installation.
Run the Hardware Diagnostic Test
To verify and test the hardware installation, run the ibdiag hardware diagnostic
program that came with your NI-488.2 software. ibdiag verifies that your hardware is
functioning properly and that the configuration of your board does not conflict with
anything else in your system.
Follow these steps to run ibdiag:
1. Disconnect any GPIB cables.
2. Go to the directory where the software is installed (for example, c:\at-gpib).
3. Enter the following command:
ibdiag
If ibdiag completes with no errors, your hardware is functioning properly. If ibdiag
returns an error message, refer to Appendix B, Troubleshooting, for troubleshooting
instructions. When ibdiag completes with no errors, continue with the next section to run
the software diagnostic test.
Run the Software Diagnostic Test
After you have run ibdiag, verify and test the NI-488.2 software installation by
running the ibtest software diagnostic program that came with your NI-488.2
software. The ibtest program is an NI-488.2 application that makes calls to the driver
just as your application does.
Follow these steps to run ibtest:
1. Disconnect any GPIB cables.
2. Go to the directory where the software is installed (for example, c:\at-gpib).
3. Enter the following command:
ibtest
If ibtest completes with no errors, you have installed the NI-488.2 software correctly.
If ibtest returns an error message, refer to Appendix B, Troubleshooting, for
troubleshooting instructions.