Using a USB connection

In addition to LAN and GPIB ports, newer instruments are also equipped with USB ports. A USB connection is typically easy to setup and very inexpensive. A USB2.0 connection is also faster than a LAN or GPIB connection. However, USB does not work with Windows NT. You can connect your instrument using a standard USB cable or with a USB /GPIB converter. For instruments that do not offer a USB port, the Keysight 82537A USB/GPIB interface connects to the GPIB port of the instrument and to a USB port on the computer.

USB Cable

Connect the cable from your PC to the instrument. The Found New Hardware Wizard should automatically open on your computer. Select all defaults to install the appropriate drivers for the USB cable. Click Finish.

Click the IO icon in the system tray and select Keysight Connection Expert. The Keysight Connection Expert will automatically detect the instrument connected with a USB cable and list it under the Instrument I/O on this PC column. When connecting to your instrument in Visual Basic, use can use the VISA alias or the VISA address as the address of your instrument.

 Dim ioMgr As VisaComLib.ResourceManager 
 Dim instrument As VisaComLib.FormattedIO488

 Set ioMgr = New VisaComLib.ResourceManager
 Set instrument = New VisaComLib.FormattedIO488
 Set instrument.IO = ioMgr.Open("UsbDevice1")
 ' or
 Set instrument.IO = ioMgr.Open("USB0::2391::1031::PROTO03::0::INSTR")

USB/GPIB Converter

Connecting to an instrument using an Keysight 82357A USB to GPIB converter is relatively straightforward. Connect your GPIB end of the UBS/GPIB converter to your instrument. Plug the USB end of the cable into your computer. Windows will automatically detect the connection and begin installing the appropriate drivers. Accept all defaults. Click Finish when it is done installing.

The USB to GPIB connection is established as a GPIB connection. Like always, you can check your connections in Keysight Connection Expert. In Visual Basic, the address of the instrument is something like GPIB2::10::INSTR.

 Dim ioMgr As VisaComLib.ResourceManager 
 Dim instrument As VisaComLib.FormattedIO488

 Set ioMgr = New VisaComLib.ResourceManager
 Set instrument = New VisaComLib.FormattedIO488
 Set instrument.IO = ioMgr.Open("GPIB2::10::INSTR")