NF FRA 5010A :Looking for user maual or GPIB command list

[z80tw]

I bought an used NF FRA 5010A Frequency Response Analyzer about one year ago and planning to connect it to my PC recently,it has GPIB interface,Now I need user manual and GPIB command list to know how to control it with a PC.

Does anyone knows where it could be downloaded?please help if you can.

[alm]

Looks like it might be modern enough to support SCPI (IEEE 488.2). Try sending it *IDN?. If it responds with the model, try finding a similar instrument from another manufacturer that also use SCPI and try if the same commands work. If it pre-dates SCPI, then it likely uses custom device dependent commands that may be hard to figure out without reverse-engineering the firmware.

[z80tw]

I tried to issue "*IDN?" command the response on NF FRA5010A is "Error:Illeagal header" on display.
I believe it is an earlier model.thanks for your suggestion.

[yytseng]

May try "?ID"

If it works, you may use the manual of FRA 5087.

[z80tw]

Tried "?ID" command and got same error response on NF FRA5010A display: "Error:Illeagal header".

Thanks for your suggestion.

[merox]

Have you tried asking them for a manual? Usually japanese companies are quite proud about ther service and quality, so maybe send them a message via their contact form: http://nf-user.jp/en/

If you don't want to do this you might get a hint about useful commands at their japanese website. They have some LabView drivers for other gear from the FRA 50**-series there, may they could become handy.

[z80tw]

I just sent a manual request to NF.
I had done similar requests to different Japanese companies before,but got no reply,
may be the manuals I asked are too old.......

[yytseng]

Could you send me the Serial Number of this FRA5010?

[thermistor-guy]

I tried to issue "*IDN?" command the response on NF FRA5010A is "Error:Illeagal header" on display.
I believe it is an earlier model.thanks for your suggestion.

"*IDN?" should work. But your instrument may not like the characters used to terminate the command.

Have a look at the syntax for command termination in this NF manual, page 41:
https://www.nfcorp.co.jp/english/sup/dl/manual/pp/e_dp_remote.pdf

Are you sending a carriage return (decimal 13) after the "*IDN?" ? Try terminating the command with just a line feed (decimal 10) instead.

Edit: on the FRA5087 you can select the delimiter (page 1-4 here: https://www.nfcorp.co.jp/english/sup/dl/manual/mi/e_fra5087_2.pdf). Do you have a similar menu on your instrument?

[z80tw]

"*IDN?" should work. But your instrument may not like the characters used to terminate the command.

Have a look at the syntax for command termination in this NF manual, page 41:
https://www.nfcorp.co.jp/english/sup/dl/manual/pp/e_dp_remote.pdf

Are you sending a carriage return (decimal 13) after the "*IDN?" ? Try terminating the command with just a line feed (decimal 10) instead.

Edit: on the FRA5087 you can select the delimiter (page 1-4 here: https://www.nfcorp.co.jp/english/sup/dl/manual/mi/e_fra5087_2.pdf). Do you have a similar menu on your instrument?

The delimiter (CR & LF)works,many old Japanese instruments do not support "ID?","IDN?" or "*IDN?" commands.NF FRA5010A is just one of them.

I had been contacted by local agent of NF and received the GPIB interface manual.the NF FRA5010A accepts only 8 single letter commands +one two letter query.

Anyone who wants the GPIB interface manual should contact NF Japan (as merox suggested) or "yytseng" who is the agent of NF products in Taiwan.
I can't upload the GPIB maunal here because the manual was sent to me by private message,besides NF likes to know more about their users.