Bought an Agilent 82357B clone and tried to use it
with the Agilent software and acient GPIB devices. Together with John's plotter
software, timelab (HP5371A, hi John) and EZGPIB. This did not work out well,
lots of trial and error and problems. Obviously this could be the clone. But i
think it was, at least partly, because of incompatiblity between user software
and the Agilent software. E.g. i could get things to work (plotting) by writing
SICL and reading VISA (or was it the other way around) or by giving the command
on the "prompt" in the Agilent software and processing the response manually
from that window. Big Pita.
?
So now i'm using a prologix usb and all works
without a problem. Plotting from various acient devices (which will have their
own interpretation of GPIB standards) with EZGPIB and running timelab with the
TIA. No hassle. So if that's your goal, i would
not start experimenting and get a prologix. Mabye a cheap second hand NI, but i
have no experience.
Note i'm not using SRQ, there is no need in my
case. There are 5 devices on the bus and i get away with only powering up the
one device i need.
