Release of the "HP8753 Companion" program

[Michael-VK2BEA]

Hello EEVbloggers....

I have written and released a program for use with the HP8753 vector network analyzer.
It communicates with the analyzer (naturally) over the HPIB using the Linux GPIB driver (but is likely to work with the NI driver/library also).

The program facilitates the saving and restoration of configuration and setup profiles.
It also retrieves, displays and prints the traces, trace data and markers.
 
I hope other Linux users (who have an HP8753 ... both of you) may find it useful.
 
A brief description video shows it's operation: https://youtu.be/ORWQE22tbRo
 
The program is freely available (Apache 2.0 licence) from  https://github.com/VK2BEA/HP8753-Companion
and https://copr.fedorainfracloud.org/coprs/vk2bea/HP8753/

On Fedora Linux, install with:
$ sudo dnf copr enable vk2bea/HP8753
$ sudo dnf copr enable vk2bea/GPIB
$ sudo dnf install hp8753
 
On the Raspberry Pi, use the autotools instructions to build and install (in the [README.md file)

If you have suggestions for enhancements or if you find bugs, please let me know on Github.

thanks,
   Michael

[Tony_G]

This looks excellent - congrats on the work.

Do you happen to know if there is a Linux GPIB driver that supports the NI GPIB-ENET/100? I was looking at the drivers and your install script and it seems to be focused/predicated on having a physical adapter in the machine and NI has removed all the 488.2 drivers of 17.6 and earlier which is needed to support the GPIB-ENET/100.

Thanks,

TonyG

[Michael-VK2BEA]

The program just uses the Linux or NI GPIB library calls. The actual hardware is an abstraction that the driver handles. I'm using a USB connected Keysight dongle for example so you don't need a card in the machine - just a supported device.
It looks as if the ENET device is not one of the controllers that the Linux GPIB driver handles. You may be out of luck if even NI has abandoned it.

Michael

[DrNefario]

After several attempts getting it to work on Linux Mint, I installed Fedora Cinnamon and finally got it working.
I have an HP 82350b card so I had to manually edit the gpib.conf file.  It took a while to figure out what the board_type would accept.
Fedora is new to me (not a SW guy) and I will offer the following gpib.conf that works:

Code: [Select]

interface {
    minor = 0    /* board index, minor = 0 uses /dev/gpib0, minor = 1 uses /dev/gpib1, etc. */
    board_type = "agilent_82350b"    /* type of interface board being used */
    name = "PCI_gpib"    /* optional name, allows you to get a board descriptor using ibfind() */
    pad = 0    /* primary address of interface             */
    sad = 0    /* secondary address of interface           */
    timeout = T3s    /* timeout for commands */

    eos = 0x0a    /* EOS Byte, 0xa is newline and 0xd is carriage return */
    set-reos = yes    /* Terminate read if EOS */
    set-bin = no    /* Compare EOS 8-bit */
    set-xeos = no    /* Assert EOI whenever EOS byte is sent */
    set-eot = yes    /* Assert EOI with last byte on writes */

/* settings for boards that lack plug-n-play capability */
    base = 0    /* Base io ADDRESS                  */
    irq  = 0    /* Interrupt request level */
    dma  = 0    /* DMA channel (zero disables)      */

/* pci_bus and pci_slot can be used to distinguish two pci boards supported by the same driver */
/*    pci_bus = 0 */
/*    pci_slot = 7 */

    master = yes    /* interface board is system controller */
}

device {
minor = 0
name = "8753c"
pad = 16
}

This is great and I thank you for posting it.

[Michael-VK2BEA]

After several attempts getting it to work on Linux Mint, I installed Fedora Cinnamon and finally got it working.
I have an HP 82350b card so I had to manually edit the gpib.conf file.  It took a while to figure out what the board_type would accept.
Fedora is new to me (not a SW guy) and I will offer the following gpib.conf that works:

Glad you got it running.
The board types are listed here.... https://linux-gpib.sourceforge.io/doc_html/supported-hardware.html
You can optionally use the board number and 8753 GPIB address and not bother with gpib.conf. (the board ID for the first card will be 0 and the HPIB address 16 (if its the default in the 8753))

What issues did you see on Mint?  (I think its using apt as a package manager)
The 'autotools' setup **should** have worked (as is used with RPi which is also an 'apt' system) but there's always something  .

Michael

[Georg - PY5ZSE]

Michael,

after some try and error (missing dependencies) I managed to compile and install the program on an OpenSuse Leap 15.4 KDE system. It was necessary to install the following packages to achieve an error - free build:

   yelp, yelp-tools, libsqlite3-0, sqlite3, sqlite3-devel, ghostscript-devel, gtk3-devel.

probably these are more or less the same packages you mention for the raspberry, just under another name.

Some other details: adapter NI-PCI, VNA HP8753B Firmware 3.0
Comminication with the VNA works using ibtest.

The program does not work. When started, it first reports "Contact with HP8723 established". When I try to retrieve a trace, the program reports "cannot query identity - cannot proceed". The VNA goes from local to remote.
The trace drawing  widget (right part of the program's window) does not appear. In some of my attempts, the program wrote some debug information in the termional window it was started from. This began with:

Code: [Select]

Widget::Paint Engine should not longer be called
OPainter::Begin: Paint Device returned engine == 0, type 1
OPainter::Translate: Painter not active

And then a long list of other "OPainter::something: Painter not active"  errors.

When I try to retrieve the trace a second time, the program crashs with a segmentation fault.

The "option" tab shows "Firmware unknown". "IDN?;" issued in ibterm returns "HEWLETT PACKARD,8753B,0,3.00"
"Analyze lern string" returns the same "cannot query identity" error as trying to get a trace. In ibterm, "OUTPLEAS;" returns 2048 (0x800) bytes of data.

Log output shows the following:

Code: [Select]

hp8753: HP8753 Companion Version: v1.13.1
hp8753: GPIB write status/error: 8100/2
hp8753: GPIB communication prevented reading of IDN
hp8753: cannot query identity - cannot proceed
kernel: tnt4882: write bus error

So, when the program tries to write "IDN?;" to the GPIB, it gets ibsta = 8100 and iberr = 2 back. The error code means "you have attempted to write data or command bytes, but there are no listeners currently addressed."  The status is 8000=error and 100= IO operation complete. Doing the same write with ibtest, the result is ibsta = 2100 and iberr = 0


Also, the help system does not work. In an earlier build, Pressing F1 returned a window of the KDE Help system stating that help was not available. In the latest build, nothing happens. Help files are installed in /usr/local/share/help/C/HP8753

Actually, It seems I have several issues, at least 3: communication, widget painting, and help.

Any idea what to do?

Georg, PY5ZSE / DK4SE

[Michael-VK2BEA]

Hi Georg,

after some try and error (missing dependencies) I managed to compile and install the program on an OpenSuse Leap 15.4 KDE system. It was necessary to install the following packages to achieve an error - free build:

   yelp, yelp-tools, libsqlite3-0, sqlite3, sqlite3-devel, ghostscript-devel, gtk3-devel

Yes, to compile you do need some other packages. This varies between Linux varieties. The RPM package handles all that for you automatically.
I didn't mention yelp because it must be installed by default on the PI (hence it didn't complain that is was not found). I'll update the notes & the RPM spec file.

Some other details: adapter NI-PCI, VNA HP8753B Firmware 3.0
Comminication with the VNA works using ibtest.

I presume this is with the linux GPIB driver and not the NI driver (that I haven't tried .. but **should** work)
What version of the linux-gpib driver are you using?

The program does not work. When started, it first reports "Contact with HP8723 established". When I try to retrieve a trace, the program reports "cannot query identity - cannot proceed". The VNA goes from local to remote.
The trace drawing  widget (right part of the program's window) does not appear. In some of my attempts, the program wrote some debug information in the termional window it was started from. This began with:

Code: [Select]

Widget::Paint Engine should not longer be called
OPainter::Begin: Paint Device returned engine == 0, type 1
OPainter::Translate: Painter not active

And then a long list of other "OPainter::something: Painter not active"  errors.

I don't know what "OPainter::" is. It might be something to do with the desktop but it is not part of the program or GTK.
Do you see the window with the HP logo ? (one of two GTK drawing windows)

When I try to retrieve the trace a second time, the program crashs with a segmentation fault.

Code: [Select]

hp8753: HP8753 Companion Version: v1.13.1
hp8753: GPIB write status/error: 8100/2
hp8753: GPIB communication prevented reading of IDN
hp8753: cannot query identity - cannot proceed
kernel: tnt4882: write bus error


So, 8100 is ERR | CMPL (status is complete with error) and the error of 2 is "You have attempted to write data or command bytes, but there are no listeners currently addressed."
https://linux-gpib.sourceforge.io/doc_html/reference-globals-iberr.html
(which you found).

Clearly the GPIB comms is not working for you.
I'll write a stripped down program to just IDN? the analyzer with the same asynchronous calls. This will be easier to debug.
Please send me a message with your email and we can correspond off the list.

Michael