How to connect an AG34970A with the instrument control toolbox? (Missing driver?)

I am trying to connect to an AG34970A using a GPIB Ni adapter: GPIB-USB-HS.

I have installed the support packages for VISA so that I can open the Instrument Explorer (instrumentExplorer). I have been able to detect the Agilent datalogger, the driver was missing.

I went on the Keysight/Agilent page and installed the following driver: https://www.keysight.com/gb/en/lib/software-detail/driver/34970a-34972a-data-acquisition-switch-unit-ivi-and-matlab-instrument-drivers-1639533.html

with a quick check:

ividriverlist

I have the following output:

 14×4 table

             VendorDriver          MATLABDriver            IVIClass             SupportedModels     
          __________________    __________________    __________________    ________________________

    1     "Ag34970"             ""                    ""                    {["34970A"    "34972A"]}
    2     "IviACPwr"            "IviACPwr"            "IVIACPwr"            {[""                  ]}
    3     "IviCounter"          "IviCounter"          "IVICounter"          {[""                  ]}
    4     "IviDCPwr"            "IviDCPwr"            "IVIDCPwr"            {[""                  ]}
    5     "IviDigitizer"        "IviDigitizer"        "IVIDigitizer"        {[""                  ]}
    6     "IviDmm"              "IviDmm"              "IVIDmm"              {[""                  ]}
    7     "IviDownconverter"    "IviDownconverter"    "IVIDownconverter"    {[""                  ]}
    8     "IviFgen"             "IviFgen"             "IVIFgen"             {[""                  ]}
    9     "IviPwrMeter"         "IviPwrMeter"         "IVIPwrMeter"         {[""                  ]}
    10    "IviRfSigGen"         "IviRfSigGen"         "IVIRfSigGen"         {[""                  ]}
    11    "IviScope"            "IviScope"            "IVIScope"            {[""                  ]}
    12    "IviSpecAn"           "IviSpecAn"           "IVISpecAn"           {[""                  ]}
    13    "IviSwtch"            "IviSwtch"            "IVISwtch"            {[""                  ]}
    14    "IviUpconverter"      "IviUpconverter"      "IVIUpconverter"      {[""                  ]}

I reopen the instrment Explorer, I am now able to select the driver AG34970, but when clicking on Confirm, I get the following error:

I am not sure how to progress to be able to connect to the datalogger. Can anyone help with this?

[Sylvain]

Note that I also installed this one too: "Instrument Control Toolbox Support Package for Keysight IO Libraries and VISA Interface"

[Sylvain]

I have seen this link: https://uk.mathworks.com/help/instrument/set-and-measure-dac-data-acquisition-channel-voltage-on-keysight-agilent-34970a-switch-using-the-ivi-c-driver.html

it seems to be a good start but I have some questions:

• makemid: it allows to create a Matlab from the hardware driver, it will be removed in future releases. what is the alternative?
• Ag34970.mdd created with the makmid: how to add it in the MATLAB instrument Explorer. The file is stored in my project folder (Current Folder) ?
• ivoke method arguments: The example use the invoke method using some instructions sets e.g.

invoke(Dac, 'dacsetvoltage', DacChannel,DacVoltage);

Where are these instructions accessible? I am trying hard to find them in the agilent documentation but without success.

Answer 1

[Sylvain]

I have been able to progress and I have a much better understanding of how the MATLAB call works.

First, invoke, uses the IVI-C driver that is compiled or wrapped using the makemid function.

Second, the API is available if you downlowad the Keysight IO suite Library, and install the module Command Expert. Once installed, the Launch the IO Suite, and open the Command Expert. In the command Expert, you can connect to the AG34970A.

On the connection, it will ask which driver you want to use: use the IVI-C driver called ag34970. (this can be changed later by changing the Command set.

You can draft some communication by writing one by one the command, the command reference tells you what kind of variable is expected and the output (MATLAB was not providing these info). As an example, I have underlined some specific values you might input.

Once you are happy, click : File-> Export Sequence, and Select MATLAB with call to IVI-C.

You can copy/paste the script in MATLAB and try if everything works fine.

I hope this will help others looking for some information on the AG34970A API.