[Test-Equipment] Any GPIB and/or LabVIEW users?

[Steve]

At 02:26 AM 11/18/2010, you wrote:
>I'm looking to a little bit of "amateur experimenting" in physics. To
>monitor my results I want to connect 3 pieces of test equipment (arb.
>wave. gen.; scope; DMM) and control them via a feedback loop program
>(modify the gen. depending on readings from the other 2).

In the good old days, I used an HP85 computer with GPIB port to write 
HP Basic programs to control test equipment. Worked really well but 
was slow, couldn't accept much data (limited to something like 65 
KILObytes memory), and didn't have any way to port the data to a PC, 
could only print a strip of paper with the data.

>The only ways I know to do this is with National Instruments' LabVIEW
>or to write a custom program.
>
>LabVIEW is the off-the-shelf answer, but the controllers are spendy
>(US$800-plus and up) unless I go with e-Bay, but the software is also
>pricey.

That's why I won't touch labview.

>There are several other hardware options (ie, third-party
>controllers). Most are re-labeled Prologix USB or Ethernet
>controllers. The Prologix drivers provide a virtual serial port
>through which you can communicate using a terminal program. This is
>different from the NI controllers, but I'm not clear on the
>differences.

Using KE5FX's free software, you can use a Prologix to download plots 
from many test equipment. But I'm unaware of any software to control the stuff.

Steve K0XP