Getting Started with Connection Manager

This chapter introduces the Connection Manager and explains how to configure the server IO, access the client's user interface, connect instruments, and customize and save the Connection Manager configuration.

Overview

Connection Manager is the ADS implementation of Agilent Technologies Connected Solutions.
Connected Solutions encompasses the integration of ADS software and specific Agilent instruments (signal generators and signal analyzers) into a solution that enables new design and verification capabilities. It combines simulation and measurement, and allows the seamless sharing of signals, measurements, algorithms, and data between the simulation and measurement domains.

Using Connection Manager, you can:

Connection Manager consists of two parts:

Connection Manager server provides dynamic access and control of remote instruments and IO diagnostics.

Refer to Connection Manager Server for more information.

Note

One critical customer issue is that certain newer Dell Precision PCs have a problem with their "Bluetooth Stack for Windows by Toshiba" that conflicts with installing the Connection Manager Server.

  • When the CM Server is installed on such PCs, the PC will crash and will require a reimage of the PC.
  • This is a problem inherent with the Toshiba driver.
  • The work around to use the "Agilent Connection Manager" is to uninstall the "Bluetooth Stack for Windows by Toshiba".
  • Although the Bluetooth Stack for Windows by Toshba is uninstalled, XP still provides a Bluetooth capability.  So, the Bluetooth is still there.

The Connection Manager client provides the interface between ADS and the Connection Manager server's functionality and extensibility. The client allows the ADS user to dynamically manage data, configure the server, control input and output, and make device measurements.

Refer to Connection Manager Client for more information.

Configuring the Server IO on the PC

Prior to using Connection Manager for the first time, you must configure the IO on the server workstation.

This section provides instructions for automatically configuring common LAN and GPIB interfaces, and for manually configuring other interfaces such as LAN/GPIB gateways.
To Configure Common LAN or GPIB Interfaces provides simplified instructions to configure a common LAN or GPIB interface.

To manually configure an available interface (for example, the Agilent E5810A LAN/GPIB gateway), see To Manually Configure Other Interfaces.

Using the Agilent IO Libraries Version M versus Agilent IO Libraries Suite

The Connection Manager supports the latest version of the IO Libraries, the Agilent IO Libraries Suite . If you have installed the IO Libraries Suite before installing the Connection Manager server, the server installer will not overwrite that installation with an old version of the IO Libraries (otherwise, it would install the older version by default).

The CM client window will recognize the new version and display the status information accordingly. The diagnostics will recognize the new IO Libraries version, although the new version identifies itself in the registry with an unusual version string.
If the Agilent IO Libraries Suite is not previously installed or the existing installation is insufficient for the CM's needs, the CM server installation will continue to install the Agilent IO Libraries Version M (version M.01.01.04).

Note

For systems configured with the ADS 2004A CM server, the server will provide instrument IO using the new IO Libraries Suite. However, the ADS 2004A CM server window will display a red status in the server's Required Conditions field due to a change in the Agilent IO Library registry name. Starting with the Agilent IO Libraries Suite 14 release, the Windows Registry naming structure was changed from previous IO Libraries version alpha-numeric format (M.01.01.04) to a numeric format (78.0.7202.1), resulting in the false red status.


To Configure Common LAN or GPIB Interfaces

Follow the instructions in this section to auto-configure the IO and connect instruments to the server using a LAN or GPIB interface.

  1. In the server's Windows system tray, select IO > Run IO Config .
    This opens the IO Config dialog. The Available Interface Types group box lists the IO types supported by the Agilent IO Libraries. List entries with and asterisk ( * ) can be automatically configured in step 2.
  2. To automatically configure common LAN and GPIB interfaces in the IO Config dialog, select Auto Config .
    Auto-configured interfaces appear in the Configured Interfaces group box, as shown.

If you encounter a problem

For GPIB interfaces, ensure that the GPIB interface is installed/connected to the server.
For LAN interfaces, the IO auto-configuration routine creates a TCPIP network tunnel and displays TCPIP lan in the Configured Interfaces group box. The routine creates only one TCPIP interface regardless of how many LAN cards are installed on the server workstation. Follow the steps in To Connect Instruments to the Server through the LAN to complete the LAN interface configuration.

To Connect Instruments to the Server through the LAN

Unlike GPIB interfaces where instruments communicate directly with the server via an exclusive bus, the Agilent IO libraries do not dynamically discover instruments connected to the server via LAN. You must manually add LAN devices to the server IO.

To add LAN devices, complete the following steps.

  1. In the IO Config dialog, highlight TCPIP0 in the Configured Interface group box and click Edit .
  2. In the LAN Client dialog, click Edit VISA Config .
  3. In the TCPIP devices dialog, click Add device .
  4. In the Add a TCPIP device dialog Machine Name/IP field, enter the IP address of the instrument you would like to connect to the server and click OK .
  5. In the TCPIP devices dialog, click OK .
  6. In the LAN Client dialog, click OK .
  7. In the IO Config dialog, click OK .

If you encounter a problem

Ensure the following conditions are met:

To start the Connection Manager client, see Accessing the Client From a Schematic Page.

To Manually Configure Other Interfaces

This section explains how to manually configure an IO that cannot be auto-configured by the Agilent IO Library. This section explains how to configure a LAN/GPIB gateway, such as the Agilent E5810A. Follow the screen prompts to manually configure your installed interface.

Follow the instructions in this section to manually configure a LAN/GPIB gateway.

  1. In the Windows system tray, select IO > Run IO Config .
  2. In the Available Interface Types group box, highlight VISA LAN Client Interface (E5810A) and click Configure .
  3. In the VISA LAN Client Interface (LAN to GPIB) dialog Local Settings group box, use the scroll box to choose a VISA Interface Name.
  4. In the Remote Settings group box, enter the hostname or IP address of the LAN/GPIB gateway.
  5. In the Remote Settings group box, enter the SICL interface name assigned to the LAN/GPIB gateway (or other network interface device) and click OK .
    During the process of configuring the LAN/GPIB gateway, you must assign a SICL interface name to the device. You must enter the same SICL interface name in the Remote SICL Interface Name data entry field.
  6. In the VISA LAN Client Interface (LAN to GPIB) dialog, click OK .
    To exit the IO configuration without connecting instruments to the server, in the IO Config dialog click OK . To connect instruments to the server, follow the steps in To Connect Instruments to the Server through the LAN.

To start the Connection Manager client, see Accessing the Client From a Schematic Page.

If you encounter a problem

Ensure the following conditions are met:

Accessing the Client From a Schematic Page

  1. From the ADS Main window open or create an ADS project.
  2. From an ADS Schematic window, select Tools > Connection Manager Client ... .
    This opens the Connection Manager Client main window. When the client starts, the Getting Started dialog is displayed, as shown.
  3. To dismiss the Getting Started dialog, click OK .
    Selecting the Don't show this dialog box again checkbox prevents this dialog from appearing again.

Selecting a Server Workstation and Connection Port

The Connection Manager client requires TCP/IP network connectivity to a computer running the Connection Manager server.
To specify a machine as the Connection Manager server, follow these steps.

  1. From the Connection Manager Client main window, select Server > Set Server... .
    This opens the Set Server dialog. Use this dialog to connect the client to a specific port on a specific server for the remainder of the client session. Values entered in the Server Host Configuration group box specify the workstation running the Connection Manager server.
  2. Enter an IP address or a DNS (host) name in the upper data entry field and click OK .
    An IP address takes the form of a series of period-separated numeric entries representing a workstation, such as 162.156.24.58 .
    Hint
    You can find the IP address of a Windows workstation by typing the command ipconfig -all into a command line window.

    You can also specify the server using either the short form or fully qualified DNS (Domain Name Server) host name. If the client and server workstations have been configured to do so, you can use the short form of DNS name. For example you may wish to use myserver , the short form of the fully qualified DNS name myserver.mycompany.com .
    Note
    You can find the server workstation host name
    by typing the command hostname into a command window.

    For clients on PC platforms, the default server entry is localhost (specifying the client and server on the same PC workstation). On other platforms, the Server IP Address or DNS Name entry field is undefined by default.

The default port is 4790. For information on how to change the port number refer to Connection Manager Server.

Discovering Connected Hardware

All instruments must connect to or through the server workstation. The Remote Instrument Explorer dialog provides information about the server workstation.

For PC-based systems, the Connection Manager client and server commonly reside on the same physical machine. Because of this, instrument configuration may take place on the same workstation that the client resides.

Note

If you have not already done so, follow the steps in To Configure Common LAN or GPIB Interfaces to configure your Agilent IO Libraries.



  1. To access the Remote Instrument Explorer dialog from the Connection Manager Client window, select Instruments > Remote Instrument Explorer... .
  2. Enter the DNS host name or IP address of the workstation on which the Connection Manager server is running.
  3. If the default port number is not being used, enter the port number on which the server listens for incoming requests.
    Note

    By default the port number is 4790. For information on changing the port refer to Understanding IO Configuration.
  4. Select OK to access the Remote Instrument Explorer dialog.

This dialog box shows the VISA (Virtual Instrument Software Architecture) Resource identifiers of all instruments that are currently connected to the workstation running the Connection Manager server. A VISA Resource identifier can uniquely identify an instrument among all the instruments connected to the workstation through all available interfaces.
To map the VISA Resource identifiers to the associated instrument model number, click Query All Instruments' IDs .

This instructs the Connection Manager server to send *IDN? (the IEEE 488.2 standard command for instrument identification) to all instruments on the bus.

Note

Some older instruments cannot respond to *IDN? and show an error, usually a time out, in the Instrument ID field.


Five instruments (and one printer pass-through at address 15) have been discovered on the GPIB0 interface.
Note

Though the VISA Resource column lists the instruments resource identifier syntax, it is not necessary to remember these VISA identifiers. The measurements that use these instrument resource identifiers display them in a drop-down list within the measurement panels.

To repopulate the list after adding or removing instruments from the server, click Refresh .

Customizing Instrument Identification Strings


File-based instrument discovery allows you to apply your own identification string to instruments displayed in the Remote Instrument Explorer dialog. This IO configuration file can be configured on either the client workstation (IOConfig.iml) or the server workstation (IOConfig.xml).
The Connection Manager server will attempt to populate the Instrument Explorer in the following order:

  1. With the contents of the $HOME/hpeesof/Config/IOConfig.iml (the client-based configuration file)
  2. With the contents of the <CM server installation directory>/IOConfig.xml (the server-based configuration file)
  3. With dynamically discovered instruments connected to the server.

Client-Based IO Configuration

Instead of the server querying the IO for connected instruments or the contents of a server-side user-defined XML file, the server queries a file on the client workstation and displays the results in the Remote Instrument Explorer dialog.

The VISA libraries do not have the capability to dynamically discover instruments through the TCPIP entry in the IO Libraries IO Configuration database. Using file-based instrument discovery allows the Remote Instrument Explorer dialog to list network-connected instruments that would otherwise not appear.

This configuration is useful for installations where many clients are connected to a single server. Using a client-side configuration allows for a smaller list of selectable instruments than are physically present on the server, making it possible to tailor the Instrument Explorer to display on the instruments of interest to a particular user.

Note

When using file-based instrument discovery, no instrument communication takes place during the discovery process.

This procedure modifies and then references the IOConfig.iml file on the client computer for instrument discovery.

  1. In the Connection Manager Client main window, choose Instruments > Remote Instrument Explorer .
  2. In the Remote Instrument Explorer dialog, click Query All Instrument ID's , as shown.
  3. In the Connection Manager Client main window, choose File > Save As .
  4. For UNIX and Linux systems , browse to the ADS configuration directory (by default $HOME/hpeesof/config/ ), enter the file name IOConfig.iml (case sensitive), and click Save .
    For PC systems_ , in the Save As dialog, use the Look in: drop-down box to navigate the to ADS configuration directory (by default C:\users\default\hpeesof\config ), enter IOConfig.iml (case sensitive).
  5. In a text editor on the client workstation, open the IOConfig.iml file, as shown. <MsmtClientConfig Version="1.0" RemoteHost="localhost" Port="4790" ServerSelected="0">
    <InstExplorer RemoteHost="localhost" Port="4790">
    <IOConfigEntries>
    <IOConfigEntry VisaResource="GPIB0::14::INSTR" InstrumentDescription="Agilent
    Technologies,8753E,0,7.14" />
    <IOConfigEntry VisaResource="GPIB0::15::INSTR" InstrumentDescription="VI_ERROR_TMO: A
    timeout occurred" />
    <IOConfigEntry VisaResource="GPIB0::16::INSTR" InstrumentDescription="Agilent
    Technologies,E8358A,US40210024,A.04.25" />
    <IOConfigEntry VisaResource="GPIB0::18::INSTR" InstrumentDescription="Agilent
    Technologies,E4406A,US41152605,A.04.21 20000921 10:42:11" />
    <IOConfigEntry VisaResource="GPIB0::19::INSTR" InstrumentDescription="Agilent Technologies,
    ESG-D4000B, MY41000133, B.03.75" />
    <IOConfigEntry VisaResource="GPIB0::7::INSTR" InstrumentDescription="Agilent
    Technologies,54832D,MY42000431,I.02.25 R,080" />
    </IOConfigEntries>
    </InstExplorer>
    <Measurements />
    </MsmtClientConfig>
  6. Add additional bolded sections, as shown, for every server you want to search for instruments. <MsmtClientConfig Version="1.0" RemoteHost="localhost" Port="4790" ServerSelected="0">
    <InstExplorer RemoteHost="localhost" Port="4790">
    <IOConfigEntries>
    <IOConfigEntry VisaResource="GPIB0::14::INSTR" InstrumentDescription="Agilent
    Technologies,8753E,0,7.14" />
    <IOConfigEntry VisaResource="GPIB0::15::INSTR" InstrumentDescription="VI_ERROR_TMO: A
    timeout occurred" />
    <IOConfigEntry VisaResource="GPIB0::16::INSTR" InstrumentDescription="Agilent
    Technologies,E8358A,US40210024,A.04.25" />
    <IOConfigEntry VisaResource="GPIB0::18::INSTR" InstrumentDescription="Agilent
    Technologies,E4406A,US41152605,A.04.21 20000921 10:42:11" />
    <IOConfigEntry VisaResource="GPIB0::19::INSTR" InstrumentDescription="Agilent Technologies,
    ESG-D4000B, MY41000133, B.03.75" />
    <IOConfigEntry VisaResource="GPIB0::7::INSTR" InstrumentDescription="Agilent
    Technologies,54832D,MY42000431,I.02.25 R,080" />
    </IOConfigEntries>
    </InstExplorer>
    <InstExplorer RemoteHost="sanc070322977.soco.agilent.com" Port="4790">
    <IOConfigEntries>
    <IOConfigEntry VisaResource="GPIB1::16::INSTR" />
    </IOConfigEntries>
    </InstExplorer>
    <InstExplorer RemoteHost="123.456.789.10" Port="4790">
    <IOConfigEntries>
    <IOConfigEntry VisaResource="GPIB2::7::INSTR" InstrumentDescription="My Scope" />
    </IOConfigEntries>
    </InstExplorer>
    <Measurements />
    </MsmtClientConfig>
    For each server (in this example, sanc070322977.soco.agilent.com and 123.456.789.10 ) connected to instrument you wish to list, there is an InstExplorer attribute, contained in the <InstExplorer> </InstExplorer> tags.
    The RemoteHost attribute describes the server to which the instruments are connected.
    The IOConfigEntries tag surrounds the list of instruments you want to list for the associated server. Each IOConfigEntry entry lists the information for one instrument.
    The VisaResource attribute is the string that will be used to identify the instrument to the IO Libraries.
    The InstrumentDescription attribute populates the Instrument ID field in the Instrument Explorer. If you do not include an InstrumentDescription attribute, the Instrument Explorer will display the string No corresponding instrument description in IO configuration file in the Instrument ID field.
  7. Change the InstrumentDescription attributes to customize the instrument identification, as shown. <IOConfigEntries>
    <IOConfigEntry VisaResource="GPIB0::14::INSTR" InstrumentDescription="NWA on my bench" />
    <IOConfigEntry VisaResource="GPIB0::15::INSTR" InstrumentDescription="NWA printer
    pass-through" />
    <IOConfigEntry VisaResource="GPIB0::16::INSTR" InstrumentDescription="Agilent E8358A in the
    lab" />
    <IOConfigEntry VisaResource="GPIB0::18::INSTR" InstrumentDescription="VSA on my bench" />
    <IOConfigEntry VisaResource="GPIB0::19::INSTR" InstrumentDescription="PSG on my bench" />
    <IOConfigEntry VisaResource="GPIB0::7::INSTR" InstrumentDescription="Infiniium on my bench" />
    </IOConfigEntries>
  8. To list network-connected instruments, create the following IOConfigEntry, where TCPIP0 is the configured network IO, server1.mycompany is the DNS name of the remote server to which the hardware is connected, and PSG in Japan is the customized instrument identifier, as shown.

    <IOConfigEntry VisaResource="TCPIP0::server1.mycompany.com::INSTR" InstrumentDescription="PSG in Japan" />

  9. Save the IML file to the ADS configuration directory (by default $HOME/hpeesof/config/ ).
  10. To display your customized instrument identifiers, in the Remote Instrument Explorer dialog, click Refresh > Query All Instrument ID's , as shown.

Server-Based IO Configuration

Instead of the server querying the IO for connected instruments, the server displays the contents of a user-defined XML file in the Remote Instrument Explorer dialog.

The VISA libraries do not have the capability to dynamically discover instruments through the TCPIP entry in the IO Libraries IO Configuration database. Using file-based instrument discovery allows the Remote Instrument Explorer dialog to list network-connected instruments that would otherwise not appear.

Note

When using file-based instrument discovery, no instrument communication takes place during the discovery process.



This procedure modifies and then references the IOConfig.xml file on the server PC for instrument discovery.

  1. In the Connection Manager Client main window, choose Instruments > Remote Instrument Explorer .
  2. In the Remote Instrument Explorer dialog, click Query All Instrument ID's , as shown.
  3. In the Connection Manager Client main window, choose File > Save As .
  4. For UNIX and Linux systems , enter the file name IOConfig.xml (case sensitive), note the directory to which the file is being saved, and click Save .
    Next, from the server PC transfer this file from the UNIX or Linux directory to the Connection Manager installation directory on the server PC. This directory is C:\Program Files\Agilent\Connection Manager Server by default.
    For PC systems_ , in the _Save As dialog, use the Look in: drop-down box to navigate the to CM server installation directory.
    This directory is C:\Program Files\Agilent\Connection Manager Server\ by default.
    In the Save As dialog File name: entry box, enter IOConfig.xml (case sensitive).
    In the Save As dialog File type: drop-down box, choose Connection Manager Client Serialization Files (.xml)* and click OK .
  5. In a text editor on the server PC, open the IOConfig.xml file, as shown. <MsmtClientConfig Version="1.0" RemoteHost="localhost" Port="4790" ServerSelected="0">
    <InstExplorer RemoteHost="localhost" Port="4790">
    <IOConfigEntries>
    <IOConfigEntry VisaResource="GPIB0::14::INSTR" InstrumentDescription="Agilent
    Technologies,8753E,0,7.14" />
    <IOConfigEntry VisaResource="GPIB0::15::INSTR" InstrumentDescription="VI_ERROR_TMO: A
    timeout occurred" />
    <IOConfigEntry VisaResource="GPIB0::16::INSTR" InstrumentDescription="Agilent
    Technologies,E8358A,US40210024,A.04.25" />
    <IOConfigEntry VisaResource="GPIB0::18::INSTR" InstrumentDescription="Agilent
    Technologies,E4406A,US41152605,A.04.21 20000921 10:42:11" />
    <IOConfigEntry VisaResource="GPIB0::19::INSTR" InstrumentDescription="Agilent Technologies,
    ESG-D4000B, MY41000133, B.03.75" />
    <IOConfigEntry VisaResource="GPIB0::7::INSTR" InstrumentDescription="Agilent
    Technologies,54832D,MY42000431,I.02.25 R,080" />
    </IOConfigEntries>
    </InstExplorer>
    <Measurements />
    </MsmtClientConfig>
  6. Remove all but the <IOConfigEntries> section, as shown. <IOConfigEntries>
    <IOConfigEntry VisaResource="GPIB0::14::INSTR" InstrumentDescription="Agilent
    Technologies,8753E,0,7.14" />
    <IOConfigEntry VisaResource="GPIB0::15::INSTR" InstrumentDescription="VI_ERROR_TMO: A
    timeout occurred" />
    <IOConfigEntry VisaResource="GPIB0::16::INSTR" InstrumentDescription="Agilent
    Technologies,E8358A,US40210024,A.04.25" />
    <IOConfigEntry VisaResource="GPIB0::18::INSTR" InstrumentDescription="Agilent
    Technologies,E4406A,US41152605,A.04.21 20000921 10:42:11" />
    <IOConfigEntry VisaResource="GPIB0::19::INSTR" InstrumentDescription="Agilent Technologies,
    ESG-D4000B, MY41000133, B.03.75" />
    <IOConfigEntry VisaResource="GPIB0::7::INSTR" InstrumentDescription="Agilent
    Technologies,54832D,MY42000431,I.02.25 R,080" />
    </IOConfigEntries>
  7. Change the InstrumentDescription attributes to customize the instrument identification, as shown. <IOConfigEntries>
    <IOConfigEntry VisaResource="GPIB0::14::INSTR" InstrumentDescription="NWA on my bench" />
    <IOConfigEntry VisaResource="GPIB0::15::INSTR" InstrumentDescription="NWA printer
    pass-through" />
    <IOConfigEntry VisaResource="GPIB0::16::INSTR" InstrumentDescription="Agilent E8358A in the
    lab" />
    <IOConfigEntry VisaResource="GPIB0::18::INSTR" InstrumentDescription="VSA on my bench" />
    <IOConfigEntry VisaResource="GPIB0::19::INSTR" InstrumentDescription="PSG on my bench" />
    <IOConfigEntry VisaResource="GPIB0::7::INSTR" InstrumentDescription="Infiniium on my bench" />
    </IOConfigEntries>
  8. To list network-connected instruments, create the following IOConfigEntry, where TCPIP0 is the configured network IO, server1.mycompany is the DNS name of the remote server to which the hardware is connected, and ESG in Japan is the customized instrument identifier, as shown.

    <IOConfigEntry VisaResource="TCPIP0::server1.mycompany.com::INSTR" InstrumentDescription="PSG in Japan" />

  9. Save the XML file to the CM server installation directory (by default: C:\Program Files\Agilent\Connection Manager Server\ ).
  10. To display your customized instrument identifiers, in the Remote Instrument Explorer dialog, click Refresh > Query All Instrument ID's , as shown.

Saving the Application State

Connection Manager tracks the current state of configuration and saves this information to an application state file. A application state file contains the current client configuration. The status area of the client main window updates to indicate whether the application state has changed and if an application state file has been associated with a given session.

If a content change to the client window occurs before a state file is defined by a file save operation, an asterisk appears in the status bar.

  1. In the client dialog, click File > Save as ... .
  2. Save the application to a file named state1 .

After saving the session state, the status bar records the location of the state file.

Further changes to the client session append an asterisk to the state file name.

For more information, see File Menu.

 

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