Agilent Technologies E3633A, E3634A manual RS-232 Troubleshooting

Chapter 3 Front-Panel Operation

RS-232 Interface Configuration

The power supply monitors the DSR line to determine when the bus controller is ready to accept data over the interface. The power supply monitors the DSR line (pin 6 on the RS-232 connector) before each character is sent. The output is suspended if the DSR line is FALSE. When the DSR line goes TRUE, transmission will resume.

The power supply holds the DTR line FALSE while output is suspended. A form of interface deadlock exists until the bus controller asserts the DSR line TRUE to allow the power supply to complete the transmission. You can break the interface deadlock by sending the <Ctrl-C>character, which clears the operation in progress and discards pending output (this is equivalent to the IEEE-488 device clear action).

For the <Ctrl-C> character to be recognized reliably by the power supply while it holds DTR FALSE, the bus controller must first set DSR FALSE.

RS-232 Troubleshooting

Here are a few things to check if you are having problems communicating over the RS-232 interface. If you need additional help, refer to the documentation that came with your computer.

•Verify that the power supply and your computer are configured for the same baud rate, parity, and number of data bits. Make sure that your computer is set up for 1 start bit and 2 stop bits (these values are fixed on the power supply).

•Make sure to execute the SYSTem:REMote command to place the power supply in the remote mode.

•Verify that you have connected the correct interface cable and adapters. Even if the cable has the proper connectors for your system, the internal wiring may be incorrect. The Agilent 34398A Cable Kit can be used to connect the power supply to most computers or terminals.

•Verify that you have connected the interface cable to the correct serial port on your computer (COM1, COM2, etc).

3

67