Author Topic: Agilent BenchVue released  (Read 60973 times)

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Offline free_electronTopic starter

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Agilent BenchVue released
« on: February 20, 2014, 05:05:48 pm »
I can finally announce it is ready ( i've known about this for almost 2 year . I was alpha and Beta tester for this thing)
www.agilent.com/find/benchvue

What is it ?

A piece of software that connects to all your Agilent equipment (multimeters, scopes, spectrum/network, signal sources) and lets you control them, script them and perform configuration saving / restoring including data and image capture .
Works with GPIb , RS232 , USB and LXI (ethernet) instruments.
Can interact directly with Excel , word and Matlab.
Automatically pulls in the electronic manuals and appnotes for the equipment it detects so you have on-line help for the instrument.
You can save the entire state of your bench (not just a single instrument !)
You can live connect a bench setup to a mobile device like a smartphone or Tablet to keep a remote eye on your setup (Ios or Android )



It's the bee's knees !


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Offline dr.diesel

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Re: Agilent BenchVue released
« Reply #1 on: February 20, 2014, 05:16:59 pm »
It's the bee's knees !

That is awesome!  How does it feel, fairly mature?  Are they planning to add old school equipment in as well?

Offline Sparky

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Re: Agilent BenchVue released
« Reply #2 on: February 20, 2014, 05:28:38 pm »
Whoa!  Sounds incredible!  And it's free!  Totally awesome!
 

Offline grego

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Re: Agilent BenchVue released
« Reply #3 on: February 20, 2014, 05:29:21 pm »
Wow!  And it's free!  I'll be able to hook it up to my scope, bench DMM and freq counter.  Woohoo!
 

Offline con-f-use

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Re: Agilent BenchVue released
« Reply #4 on: February 20, 2014, 06:19:56 pm »
Windows only.... Sucks!
 

Offline Fsck

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Re: Agilent BenchVue released
« Reply #5 on: February 20, 2014, 06:40:27 pm »
It's the bee's knees !

That is awesome!  How does it feel, fairly mature?  Are they planning to add old school equipment in as well?

yeah, the compatibility list is pretty short.
"This is a one line proof...if we start sufficiently far to the left."
 

Offline nadona

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Re: Agilent BenchVue released
« Reply #6 on: February 20, 2014, 07:18:54 pm »
This is a really great product.

free_electron: Thank you for the info and the participation in the program.

I hope they will expand the supporting DMM to like 3456A, 57A, 58A.
Ha-ha-ha. That's good, too!
 

Offline dr.diesel

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Re: Agilent BenchVue released
« Reply #7 on: February 20, 2014, 07:23:06 pm »
Windows only.... Sucks!

Yes, that does suck.  Doesn't run under wine either, unfortunately uses .net 4.0.

yeah, the compatibility list is pretty short.

They said more was coming, just hoping they don't leave older stuff off the list.

Offline dc101

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Re: Agilent BenchVue released
« Reply #8 on: February 20, 2014, 07:41:59 pm »
I wouldn't hold my breath.  Agilent is pretty good about about providing support for "obsolete" (their words not mine) equipment, but this program seems like it's missing some rather obvious new equipment.  I was really hoping to see support for DC loads and frequency counters.  I noticed there was no sig gen support either, but I suppose that's because they don't want to step on the toes of Signal Studio, which by the way, also doesn't support "obsolete" equipment, only E44xxC and above.

Windows only.... Sucks!

Yes, that does suck.  Doesn't run under wine either, unfortunately uses .net 4.0.

yeah, the compatibility list is pretty short.

They said more was coming, just hoping they don't leave older stuff off the list.
 

Offline gaijin

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Re: Agilent BenchVue released
« Reply #9 on: February 20, 2014, 07:44:46 pm »
And how long until someone creates a program to act as a man in the middle and translate between this and unsupported instruments?

I made one to translate between a Rigol ds2072 and Agilent's Oscilloscope Mobile Agent.
Not that it was useful to me but just because I could.
 

Offline free_electronTopic starter

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Re: Agilent BenchVue released
« Reply #10 on: February 20, 2014, 08:01:09 pm »
give it time guys. it's version 1.0 after all.
more is coming. they first want to polish this one.

for the 'windows only' crybabies :  Too bad you have to live without all the great software available on that platform.
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Offline bxs

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Re: Agilent BenchVue released
« Reply #11 on: February 20, 2014, 08:17:12 pm »
A new soft that don't support MAC OSX or even Linux  ::)

Nice they thought of mobile, but I'm almost sure that you need a PC as server to use the mobile app...
 

Offline Rigby

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Re: Agilent BenchVue released
« Reply #12 on: February 20, 2014, 08:24:13 pm »
Ah, man, why can't someone write one of these that isn't vendor-specific?   |O  All this does is make me want to avoid Agilent stuff.  It DOES NOT make me want to buy Agilent.

AGILENT: THIS MAKES ME WANT TO AVOID YOUR PRODUCTS.

Vendor lock-in is silly to those who have gear from more than one vendor, like every place I've ever worked or set foot in for any reason.
 

Offline plesa

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Re: Agilent BenchVue released
« Reply #13 on: February 20, 2014, 08:24:56 pm »
Wauu, it seems to be pretty amazing. Thanks for sharing. I hope it will be more stable than Agilent DMM Connectivity Kit.
The Library with all documents and related drivers is pretty good idea
« Last Edit: February 20, 2014, 08:35:27 pm by plesa »
 

Offline Fsck

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Re: Agilent BenchVue released
« Reply #14 on: February 20, 2014, 08:36:46 pm »
Windows only.... Sucks!

Yes, that does suck.  Doesn't run under wine either, unfortunately uses .net 4.0.

yeah, the compatibility list is pretty short.

They said more was coming, just hoping they don't leave older stuff off the list.

the thing is, I'm a bit skeptical (I'm a pessimist, sue me) about exactly how old they'll go. the 3456 is like ~10 years older than me, the 3457 is like ~5, there probably aren't too many of those in the field for business use relative to the 34401 and newer pieces so the marketing/business types might just have them offer limited functionality or none at all in an attempt to force an upgrade to a new model.

however, my skepticism could be completely off as they do not list compatibility with the 3458a, which is so brutally common and once support is added for the 3458, adding the 56 and 57 wouldn't be much additional work.
"This is a one line proof...if we start sufficiently far to the left."
 

Offline con-f-use

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Re: Agilent BenchVue released
« Reply #15 on: February 20, 2014, 08:52:30 pm »
for the 'windows only' crybabies :  Too bad you have to live without all the great software available on that platform.

Too bad Agilent is ignoring a fair share of their customers. Also I don't appreciate being called a crybaby just because I made a valid but different choice. Why are you crying about crybabies?
 

Offline plesa

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Re: Agilent BenchVue released
« Reply #16 on: February 20, 2014, 09:21:19 pm »
for the 'windows only' crybabies :  Too bad you have to live without all the great software available on that platform.

Too bad Agilent is ignoring a fair share of their customers. Also I don't appreciate being called a crybaby just because I made a valid but different choice. Why are you crying about crybabies?

I installed it on the EXA analyzer, it is based on XP platform and it is working like charm. From PC I use the VNC :-)
 

Offline Rigby

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Re: Agilent BenchVue released
« Reply #17 on: February 20, 2014, 09:23:53 pm »
Too bad Agilent is ignoring a fair share of their customers. Also I don't appreciate being called a crybaby just because I made a valid but different choice. Why are you crying about crybabies?

I kind of see your point.  In fact I do see your point.  Are you in a position that you don't see free_electron's point?  Seriously?

If you are a hobbyist or a professional, you want to get things done.  Build a kit, test a device, fix something.  Does it REALLY matter if you have to use an OS you might dislike to get that done?  It shouldn't.  Your primary concern should be to get the effin job done.  Everything else is secondary.

The truth of the matter is that Windows makes development of software like this a lot easier than it would be to develop on other platforms.  Agilent had something they needed to get done and they chose the tool they thought best suited the task at hand, and look at this, they succeeded.

I don't like that they only support Agilent hardware.  C# and .NET in general is object oriented.  They could have written an interface that I could have crafted a plugin for that supported the instruments that I have on my bench.  But, no.  Agilent management believes that if you have a choice you will choose non-Agilent hardware, so they find ways to remove choices and lock users into their products artificially with software like this.

If their hardware was the best, people would use it for everything, hobbyists included.  Agilent, every other hardware vendor, too: let the freaking market decide and stop trying to fix the game with this vendor lock-in crap.  It makes me hate you very quickly.  It makes me believe your products are necessarily inferior BECAUSE you're trying to force people to choose you.  It's weak, it's lame, it's short-sighted.  Stop.

Yes, it was Agilent's effort that created the software.  Why would they let anyone just piggy-back on that?  For the same reason that Microsoft lets anyone write software for their operating system; it encourages adoption of the operating system.  Allowing other vendors to offer plugins for BenchVue would encourage adoption of BenchVue.  The greater the adoption of BenchVue, the greater mindshare that Agilent/Keysight will have in customers' minds. 

I'm sure that Bill & Dave would have let end-users spend their own time to connect BenchVue to any GPIB hardware they had available because that's the kind of people I understand that they were.  What happened to "If we don't innovate, someone else will do it for us?"  I think John Deere said that, or something like it.  He freaking innovated.  He didn't lock anyone in to using only his attachments if you bought one of his plows.  He stood behind his stuff and let the market decide.  And now, John Deere is the #1 farming equipment manufacturer in the world, and they still don't require that you use Deere attachments on Deere tractors.

Lock-in is shortsighted and anti-competitive.

Hell, HP INVENTED HP-IB, and chose not to keep it proprietary.  They opened it, standardized it, and called it GP-IB because they knew it would advance the trade.  What happened to that attitude? 

Ok I'm done ranting now.

... but I'm not done talking to Agilent :)

If Agilent opened this app to be usable by other test gear, they could identify any shortcomings of non-Agilent hardware when the user tried to do something that only Agilent gear can do, and alert the user to the functionality gap.  "Sorry, but Device X doesn't support feature Y.  Would you like to view known hardware that supports this feature?  Yes button, No button, ask me later button, never ask again for this feature button."  That's a freaking solid sales & marketing opportunity.  By not supporting (or even allowing) non-Agilent gear you've cut those opportunities out.  There would have been a hell of a lot of opportunities with that, too, because there is a LOT of hardware in the field that supports LXI, USB, or GP-IB that is not Agilent hardware.  The user might not have even known about the missing feature(s) to begin with.  Also, with this, you start to enlist employees within organizations to start asking for Agilent gear from within, while your normal sales and marketing do their usual job of approaching from without.

If you're fair, Agilent, and I've already established that you're not, you'd allow other vendors to show features that their own hardware has that other vendors' hardware does not, including Agilent.

Geez, the more I think about this, the more boneheaded it is that only Agilent gear is supported.
« Last Edit: February 20, 2014, 10:36:41 pm by Rigby »
 

Offline Rufus

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Re: Agilent BenchVue released
« Reply #18 on: February 20, 2014, 09:47:46 pm »
I made a valid but different choice. Why are you crying about crybabies?

So your choice got less valid - live with it or choose again.
 

Offline free_electronTopic starter

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Re: Agilent BenchVue released
« Reply #19 on: February 20, 2014, 10:29:04 pm »
A new soft that don't support MAC OSX or even Linux  ::)

Nice they thought of mobile, but I'm almost sure that you need a PC as server to use the mobile app...
Your PC is indeed the server. the mobile apps can remote connect to the PC provided they reside on the same network. ( so it only works behind your router.
You can alo take control from anothe rPC that does not have the instruments attached.
Your stuff is running in the lab and you can take a quick glance, or change a setting from your cubicle / office / ipad in the breakroom
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Offline free_electronTopic starter

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Re: Agilent BenchVue released
« Reply #20 on: February 20, 2014, 10:31:33 pm »
Ah, man, why can't someone write one of these that isn't vendor-specific?   |O  All this does is make me want to avoid Agilent stuff.  It DOES NOT make me want to buy Agilent.

AGILENT: THIS MAKES ME WANT TO AVOID YOUR PRODUCTS.

Vendor lock-in is silly to those who have gear from more than one vendor, like every place I've ever worked or set foot in for any reason.
let's flip this around : go complain to the other vendors that you want them to make something for their products.. they don't have anything.

besides , you can use other vendors machines. simply flick em into compatibility mode. Set your rigol multimeter in 34401 mode. Same for the Fluke or Keithleys that can emulate the 34401 commandset.
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Offline con-f-use

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Re: Agilent BenchVue released
« Reply #21 on: February 20, 2014, 10:35:08 pm »
Does it REALLY matter if you have to use an OS you might dislike to get that done?  It shouldn't.  Your primary concern should be to get the effin job done.  Everything else is secondary.
It's an extra hassle and extra cost. I don't want to buy a windows copy nor install an extra operating system just for this reason. Don't get me wrong I appreciate the software even exists. I will do it if I need the capability, but it still annoys me because it wastes my time needlessly.

The truth of the matter is that Windows makes development of software like this a lot easier than it would be to develop on other platforms.
Not true. It is actually harder to write Windows software than to write Linux software.

I don't like that they only support Agilent hardware.  C# and .NET in general is object oriented.  They could have written an interface that I could have crafted a plugin for that supported the instruments that I have on my bench.  But, no.  Agilent management believes that if you have a choice you will choose non-Agilent hardware, so they find ways to remove choices and lock users into their products artificially with software like this.
[...]
Yes, it was Agilent's effort that created the software.  Why would they let anyone just piggy-back on that?  For the same reason that Microsoft lets anyone write software for their operating system; it encourages adoption of the operating system.  Allowing other vendors to offer plugins for BenchVue would encourage adoption of BenchVue.  The greater the adoption of BenchVue, the greater mindshare that Agilent/Keysight will have in customers' minds. 
Well put and agreed. But now that I understand more easily. I hate it but I understand. In an ideal world they'd be selfless and not money-driven so they'd include an API. But Agilent wants to sell Agilent equipment. I'd even get it if they'd be making windows, and their software would be windows only. But since Agilent's making test equipment, they're annoying some of their customers with not supporting MacOS and Linux. Cross platform is not as hard as making and API to support every peace of test equipment possible. Its easier to wrap my head around than not being cross platform.
« Last Edit: February 20, 2014, 10:37:34 pm by con-f-use »
 

Offline Rigby

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Re: Agilent BenchVue released
« Reply #22 on: February 20, 2014, 10:41:33 pm »
The truth of the matter is that Windows makes development of software like this a lot easier than it would be to develop on other platforms.
Not true. It is actually harder to write Windows software than to write Linux software.

Only someone who hasn't developed on Windows would say that.  I'm not even talking about Eclipse vs. Visual Studio, I'm talking about SDKs and frameworks and documentation.  If there's ANYTHING AT ALL like MSDN available for ANY distribution of Linux at all, past or present, I will gladly stand corrected and admit I was wrong.  If you say "kernel-dev list" or "IRC" I'm going to strangle something, because there is no more incorrect answer than kernel-dev or IRC.
 

Offline Rigby

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Re: Agilent BenchVue released
« Reply #23 on: February 20, 2014, 10:44:46 pm »
let's flip this around : go complain to the other vendors that you want them to make something for their products.. they don't have anything.

besides , you can use other vendors machines. simply flick em into compatibility mode. Set your rigol multimeter in 34401 mode. Same for the Fluke or Keithleys that can emulate the 34401 commandset.

Ok, but I don't want 6 tools from 6 vendors for my 6 pieces of test gear when the point is to get one bit of software to talk to all of it.  I want one, from any vendor at all, that talks to all of it. 

And, do we know that emulated commandsets are supported with BenchVue?  You might know, but I don't.  And how much functionality is lost?  Just be real and support real-world gear that's found in real-world labs.  The first to market with that would be in a very good position going forward.
« Last Edit: February 20, 2014, 10:47:55 pm by Rigby »
 

Offline free_electronTopic starter

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Re: Agilent BenchVue released
« Reply #24 on: February 20, 2014, 10:55:44 pm »
Too bad Agilent is ignoring a fair share of their customers. Also I don't appreciate being called a crybaby just because I made a valid but different choice. Why are you crying about crybabies?
[rant]
Because there just is no pleasing what i call the crybaby crowd. There, i said it. You can like it or not. it is my opinion and i stand behind it. If it were up to 'that crowd' everything would have to be built using 2 by 4's and 3 inch nails. Because only that is 'open' and available everywhere.

There is a simple reason that this is windows only. It uses VISA to connect to the equipment. Neither National nor Agilent nor NCS support that on platforms other than Windows. Not anymore. VISA used to exist on Solaris ( which is a dead and buried Os as both desktop workstations and OS are dead) , HP-UX ( Dead and buried both desktop hardware and OS wise) and even on Digital VAX ( also a fossilized dinosaur now)

99% of the TAM ( total accessible market) are running windows in the lab environment or to control instruments.


So pardon me if, the first thing the "church of Linux" crowd does is throw in the "it's not available for -insert flavor of distro's here- ". this irks me.

There is just no pleasing that crowd.
what will you complain about next ? that it only interacts with word excel and Matlab ? why not openoffice ? why not Octave or Scilab ? why GPIB ? why only agilent machines ? why only instruments i don't happen to have ? i don't like the color scheme ? why does it need a mouse to operate ? why can't it be command line driven ? it's RHEL only , i want Ubuntu , or BSD ... or the other 'flavor du jour'. there's no sourcecode ...

Here is a great tool. It's free (Gratis as in free beer). Runs on cheap computers. ( A PC with windows installed goes for 230$ these days). Made by a large instrument maker , talks to a list of commonly used equipment and more are in the works.

[end rant]
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