5444B labview

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cagrabu
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Joined: Tue Jan 21, 2014 4:30 pm

5444B labview

Post by cagrabu »

Dear,
My name is Camilo, I'm a PhD student at KUL. We have recently bought a picoscope 5444B. We will use it to visualize the number of count after laser ionize different elements. I would like to make a program in labview to visualize the counts given by the picoscope vs the wavelength of the laser.

I'm having troubles with the communication with the picoscope. When I use the labview files that are in the intalation cd.
When I run for example the file "PicoScope5000ExampleBlock.vi" labview is not able to recognize the picospcope.
I also noticed that my computer (I also tried in other computers) do not recognize the picoscope as an usb component. Then I can not use neither the "Measurement and automation Explorer" of labview.

Summarizing, I can work with the picospcope using the program that you provide but I can not use the labview programs you supply to make my own program and communicate with the picoscope.

Could you please help me with this issue?

Best and thanks a lot

Camilo

Hitesh

Re: 5444B labview

Post by Hitesh »

Hi Camilo,

Have you got PicoScope 6 running at the same time as LabVIEW? If so, you will not be able to control the scope using both software applications at the same time.

Please copy the following dlls from the SDK into the C:\Program Files\National Instruments\LabVIEW 20XX\resource folder on your PC:
  • PS5000a.dll
  • PicoIpp.dll
  • ps5000aWrap.dll
LabVIEW 20XX should be changed to your version e.g. LabVIEW 2013

If you are running 32-bit LabVIEW on a 64-bit operating system, then the location would be:

C:\Program Files (x86)\National Instruments\LabVIEW 20XX\resource

Is the PicoScope displayed in the Windows Device Manager?

I hope this helps.

cagrabu
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Posts: 0
Joined: Tue Jan 21, 2014 4:30 pm

Re: 5444B labview

Post by cagrabu »

Dear,

I'm NOT running both programs, i.e. PicoScope6 and LabView.
already copy the files you suggest and there is not change in the problem, I mean, LabView can not recognize the Scope.
Now, I changed the LabView for 2013 (I was using 2012) and at the beginning I saw the green light, continuously but I could not see anything in the graph. Then I stopped the program and I connected the signal generator output to the channel A, I started the LabView and then an error saying: PicoScope can not be found.
Then, I thing the function open is no working properly.
I changed, as is shown in the attach file, one function from "true" to "false". The change is inside the black circle.
The error is solved but I still cannot see the signal of the signal generator in the scream.

When I go to the Windows Device Manager I can see the Scope in the unknown devises. But I can not see it in NI MAX for example.
I really do not know what is the problem...
Best
Camilo
Attachments
openunit problem.png

Rob_T
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Posts: 0
Joined: Tue Jan 21, 2014 9:22 am

Re: 5444B labview

Post by Rob_T »

Hey Camilo!

I have the same oscilloscope and I had the same problems at the beginning.

Install the SDK that I mentioned in my post and it will work. At least It was the case for me.

I'm starting in using the pico in labview since few days.
Let's keep in touch!

Hitesh

Re: 5444B labview

Post by Hitesh »

Hi Camilo,

It appears that you are using the SDK for the older PicoScope 5203 and 5204 units.

As Rob_T mentioned, please use the PicoScope 5000a SDK. There is a vi file called Picoscope5000aExampleBlock.vi in the SDK.

Regards,

Jesper66
Newbie
Posts: 0
Joined: Thu Sep 17, 2015 8:09 am

Re: 5444B labview

Post by Jesper66 »

Hello.
Sorry to disturb, but I have a quite similar problem with a PS2004A USB scope when trying to use the SDK examples...
No USB entry in Win7 Device Manager, but the Pico Instrument appears alright and works fine with your Win-App.
No entry in the NI M&A Devices & Interfaces.
I've copied the suggested files....
What could be missing...?
Using Win7 64-bit with NI2014 SP1 in 32-bit and using the Pico SDK in 32-bit.
Thanks.
BR - Jesper.

Hitesh

Re: 5444B labview

Post by Hitesh »

Hi Jesper,

Are you using the PicoScope2000 examples with the ps2000.dll or the PicoScope2000a examples with the ps2000a.dll?

The PicoScope 2204A uses the ps2000 driver.

Regards,

Jesper66
Newbie
Posts: 0
Joined: Thu Sep 17, 2015 8:09 am

Re: 5444B labview

Post by Jesper66 »

Hello again.
I'm using the ps2000a ones, since my scope is a ps2204a model...
I'm really a bit confused now...
To be honest - have you reviewed the contents of the SDK regarding the contents of the LabVIEW folders for the ps2000/ps20004a models lately?
It really looks like things have been messed up....
Now you tell me that I should use the ps2000.dll for the ps22004a model... and in the ps2000 folder, there is an example for using the AWG, which this model does not have...
Finally, most of examples point to places for dll's etc. that does not exist and which could easily have been incorporated within the SDK "installation tree"...
Ehhh....
Could you please provide me with a .zip'ed package / "tree" of working LabVIEW examples for the ps2204a - alternatively give a short list of installation hints?
By the way - which dll's are the better? The ones of the SDK or the ones from the Picoscope App itself?
Or just the newest of them?
Thanks.
BR - Jesper K.

Hitesh

Re: 5444B labview

Post by Hitesh »

Hi Jesper,

The PicoScope 2204A (and 2205A) models use the API functions provided by the ps2000 driver as shown in this post. The PicoScope 2205 MSO and 2206/7/8 A use a different driver model and hence use the API functions used by the ps2000a driver.

The SDK was reviewed prior to the release of the new installers and these do include an AWG example for the PicoScope 2204A/2205A which I believe you have found (PicoScope2000ExampleAWG.vi) - the third BNC connector on your PicoScope 2204A should be marked 'AWG' on the top of the case as this PicoScope model does have an Arbitrary Waveform Generator.

We have investigated where best to place dll files in order for the LabVIEW environment to find them and were advised by National Instruments to place dll files in the resource folder (as shown in this video). With the new SDK installer, which adds the location of the dll files to the Windows PATH environment variable, it might be able to pick up the location if just the name of the dll is given or you can change the location in the relevant Call Function Library Node in the example if you wish.

If you are using a 32-bit version of LabVIEW, then you can use the drivers from the PicoScope 6 install if it has been released after the SDK version. If you are using a 64-bit version of LabVIEW, then you will need to use the dll files from the 64-bit SDK installer.

Regards,

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