Installing the HPAK Falcon Service Software for E44xx Signal Generators

[MaxFrister]

I’m working on repairing an HP E4432B signal generator.  I thought it might be helpful to be able to run the HP service software which was internally known as “Falcon”.  Falcon allows a variety of tests and adjustments to be run from a GPIB connected PC.  Unfortunately Falcon requires Windows XP. 

I don’t remember Windows XP with fondness so I was reluctant to go down this path.  I decided it might be slightly less unpleasant to run windows XP in a virtual machine.  It turned out the path was very dark indeed with lots of losing the way and backtracking.

You need to install the right version of the right software in the right order and configure it in the right way for it all to work.

I thought I might leave some bread-crumbs for the next sucker soul that decides to take the path.  If I wasn’t so stupid stubborn, I would have never found my way out of the woods. 


Preliminaries:
Windows XP is even less secure than recent windows.  Find the oldest, cruftiest computer you can.  Given the amount of random software installed from the net, you may want to air-gap it and burn it when done.   You may need to enable “virtualization” under the bios settings. 

Get resources:
Download the required software (list is bellow).  Place it under one “stuff” directory on the host computer.

Install Virtualbox:
Run the virtualbox installer. 

Install windows XP 32:
Start virtual box and create a new machine using the windows XP ISO.  Make sure to check the box for Install Guest Additions.  Enter a product key (see below)  and change the host name to “WindowsXP32” (no spaces).  Checkpoint machine.

Install Virtualbox Guest additions:
Locate the virtualbox guest additions virtual “CD” and run the installer.  Checkpoint the machine.

Test USB:
Test that USB is working by viewing a thumb drive.  N.B., usb resources are only available in virtual box after you after you click on the usb hieroglyph at the bottom of the page and select the device.   

Enable sharing:
In virtual box (under devices/shared folders) enable sharing of the host “stuff” directory.    Checkpoint machine.

Install IO libraries:
Run the HPAK IO libraries installer.  Checkpoint machine.

Test and configure connection:
Enable the usb/GPIB interface under the USB hieroglyph.   Start “connection expert”.  Under the usb/GPIB interface, change the “SICL interface ID” to “hpib7” (N.B., not “gpib7”).    You should be able to connect to the signal generator and get a response from “*IDN?”.  Checkpoint machine.

Install Falcon:
Run the “service software” installer. Checkpoint machine.

Run falcon.
Run the service software.  Login is “admin”, password “Falcon”.


That’s it.  Nothing to it.

In my case the software was disappointing.  Most of the tests require particular old HP test equipment.  Despite having what I consider a well equipped lab, I mostly didn’t have the exact make and model that they called for.  I could only run a couple of tests and they reported everything nominal.

I’m sure that unless you are running the same hardware, same software, and in the same phase of the moon, your path will not be exactly mine but hopefully close enough you can find the way.




Resources:

VirtualBox
https://www.oracle.com/virtualization/technologies/vm/downloads/virtualbox-downloads.html

Windows XP 32-bit ISO file (key is J76RR-MY44M-VTJ9T-6PMWX-FH88T)
https://archive.org/details/hthsp-3

HPAK IO libraries version 15:
https://www.keysight.com/us/en/lib/software-detail/instrument-firmware-software/keysight-io-libraries-suite-150-sw165.html

HPAK E44xxB ESG Signal Generator, A/D Service Software (falcon software):
https://www.keysight.com/us/en/lib/software-detail/computer-software/e44xxb-esg-signal-generator-ad-service-software-1000001117epsgsud.html

[microbug]

Thanks for this post. I managed to get this to work in QEMU under virt-manager on Kubuntu 23.10.

I had to install NI drivers for the GPIB-USB-HS I was using (see this forum post). I then had to click through the 'let Windows install drivers' wizard when I connected the GPIB-USB-HS.

After that, I managed to follow the rest of your steps successfully. I had to reinstall the HPAK IO libraries quite a few times -- I would get a crash in the Agilent instrument service shortly after boot except after some reinstalls.

Off topic, but the easiest way to get data into a Windows XP VM under QEMU is just to shut it down, mount the filesystem, and copy it across.