Agilent IntuiLink PSA/ESA
Connectivity Software for Agilent PSA and ESA E/L/EMC-series Spectrum
Analyzers
Frequently Asked Questions, Trouble Shooting Guide, and Release Notes
for Version 2.4
Copyright (c) Agilent Technologies 1999-2003
Contents:
What
models are supported by IntuiLink PSA/ESA 2.4?
"Not
Enough Memory" error in Excel 97
Is Segmented Sweep supported
in Microsoft Excel?
Excel displays an "Invalid .DOT file"
message when it starts. How do I fix this?
Excel
displays an "Invalid .XLA file" message when it starts. How do
I fix this?
Why can't other users of the
same computer see the toolbar in Excel?
I uninstalled IntuiLink, but
other users of the computer still see the toolbar in Excel. How do they get rid
of it?
Why does the ToolBar pop up in Outlook?
Why does the captured
display image look different than the instrument display?
Why aren't the colors
inverted on the display images I capture?
RS-232 Communications
RS-232 Considerations with
One-Button Measurements, Measurement Personalities and Long Sweep Times
Windows 95 and Agilent SICL
F.01.01 and Earlier
Windows 95 and Agilent SICL
'Options' Menu
Unable
to find BenchLink XL/ESA shortcut when Excel opens
What models are supported by IntuiLink PSA/ESA 2.4?
The following ESA and PSA Spectrum
Analyzer models are supported:
Model E4401B
Model E4402B
Model E4403B
Model E4404B
Model E4405B
Model E4407B
Model E4408B
Model E4411B
Model E7401A
Model E7402A
Model E7403A
Model E7404A
Model E7405A
Model E4440A
Model E4443A
Model E4445A
Model E4446A
Model E4448A
"Not Enough Memory" error in Excel 97
You might get a "Not Enough Memory" error in Excel if you create too many charts with the "get repeated measurement" option. It usually fails on the 62nd chart. The error is related to automatic scaling of fonts in Excel. There is a MS Knowledge base article about this problem in Excel: Q168650 that states it is fixed in Excel SR-2, but it is not fixed.
To resolve the problem, you can add an entry to the registry that disables
automatic font scaling for charts.
WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems
that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot
guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can
be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.
To do this:
1. Quit all running programs
2. Click the Start button, and then click Run.
3. In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.
4. Go to the following registry subkey (folder):
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\8.0\Excel\Microsoft Excel
5. Point to New on the Edit menu, and then click String Value. Type AutoChartFontScaling, and then press ENTER.
6. Click Modify on the Edit menu. Type 0, in the Value Data box, and then click OK.
7. Click Exit on the File menu to quit the Registry Editor
Is Segmented Sweep supported in Microsoft XL?
The ESA analyzer's Segmented Sweep function (providing discontinuous spans in one sweep) is not currently supported when transferring trace data into MS Excel. Although the y-axis amplitude values will be correct, the x-axis frequency and time values will be incorrect. The transfer of screen images is fully supported.
Why does the ToolBar pop up in Outlook and how can I remove it?
If Microsoft Word is your designated editor, then the toolbar will appear in Outlook when the editor is invoked.
You cannot remove the toolbar, but you can dock it and it will stay docked. It will not affect Outlook.
Why does the captured display image look different than the instrument display?
Because the displays of ESA and PSA instruments have black backgrounds, when the display image is captured to a worksheet or document and then printed, the result is a "wet square" because so much ink is used to create the black background. To make the captured image more "printer friendly," IntuiLink inverts the colors of the display image so that the background is white. Aside from the color changes, the image is the same as that on the instrument display at the moment the display image was captured.
Why aren't the colors inverted on the display images I capture?
In order for IntuiLink PSA/ESA to produce "printer friendly" display images, the instrument being used must be an ESA-E/L/EMC with firmware A.08.00 and above. Due to an issue concerning the ability of users to place the instrument display in full screen mode, IntuiLink can only produce the exact screen images (with black backgrounds) of PSA instruments and ESA instruments with versions of firmware earlier than A.08.00. This issue is resolved with ESA firmware A.08.00.
Excel gives an "Invalid .DOT file" message when it starts.
How do I fix this?
Also:
Install process warns of Word and Excel startup paths being the same.
What do I do?
If the Microsoft Office 97 installation on your system is configured to use
the same folder as the Word Startup folder and Excel Alternate startup file
location, Excel attempts to load the Word .DOT template files which are located
in that folder, putting up an error message that it could not load an invalid
.DOT file. This is a bug in Excel that has been reported to Microsoft and is
fixed in Office 2000.
There are three options to deal with this: ignore the error message every time
Excel starts, change the Excel Alternate startup file location, or change the
Word Startup path. Below are detailed the last two options.
For changing the Excel Alternate startup file location (recommended):
1. In Excel, click the Tools menu, then click Options.
2. Select the General tab. Note the location specified in the Alternate startup file location.
3. Using Windows Explorer, check to see whether any Excel files (i.e. .XLA, .XLS files) are located in the folder specified in that location. If not delete the contents of the Alternate startup file location field in Excel. If so, continue with step 4.
4. Move all Excel files (i.e. .XLA and .XLS) from the Alternate startup file location to a new folder.
5. Change the Alternate startup file location field to the new folder location.
For changing the Word Startup file location:
1. In Word, click the Tools menu, then click Options.
2. Select the File Locations tab. Note the location specified in the Startup location
3. Using Windows Explorer, open the location you noted in step 2, and move all Word files and shortcuts (i.e. .DOT, .DOC files) to a new location.
4. Returning to Word, modify the Startup file location to refer to the new location used in step 3.
I re-installed IntuiLink to a different drive than last time, now I get an error message from Excel about an "invalid XLA" file. How do I correct this?
1. In Excel, click on the Tools menu, then click on Add-Ins.
2. From the Add-Ins available list, click on ESA or ESA Spectrum Analyzer.
3. Excel will then show an error message stating that you selected an invalid XLA and do you want to delete it. Click Yes. This will delete the reference to the previous installation location and stop any further error messages.
When IntuiLink is installed, the toolbar add-in for Excel gets registered in Excel for that user only. Other users with different logons on the same computer will not have the toolbar automatically registered when they use Excel.
In order for other users to have access to the toolbar in Excel, they will need to log on to the computer as they normally do and then go to the Start menu and click on
Programs|Agilent IntuiLink|PSA-ESA|Start Excel Toolbar Add-in
This will start Excel and load the IntuiLink toolbar. After this has been done once, Excel will have the toolbar registered and it will be available to that user every time Excel is opened.
1. Start Excel, Click on the View menu, then click on Toolbars, then on Customize...
2. In the Customize dialog box, choose the Toolbars tab.
3. In the Toolbars list, find the toolbar name (PSA/ESA Spectrum Analyzer), click on it to highlight it, and then click on the Delete command button to the right of the Toolbars list. When asked if you are sure that you want to delete the toolbar, click OK. The toolbar name will be removed from the Toolbars list.
4. Click the Close button to close the Customize dialog. The toolbar should now be removed from Excel.
NOTE: This procedure may need to be performed for every user of the same computer who registered the IntuiLink Excel toolbar add-in for their login name.
Please note: The E4440A PSA does not support RS232 communications. Attempting to communicate to the E4440A PSA may result in an application and/or instrument error.
For proper RS-232 communications between your ESA E/L/EMC-series instrument and Agilent IntuiLink PSA/ESA, it is important that the correct RS-232 cable is used. Please refer to the on-line help system for RS-232 cable selection and pin information.
It is also important that the baud rate set within Agilent IntuiLink PSA/ESA and the baud rate set on your ESA E/L/EMC-series instrument are in agreement. Ensure that Agilent IntuiLink PSA/ESA's baud rate matches that of your ESA E/L/EMC-series instrument. If the ToolBar "Connect" dialog box attempts to communicate with the ESA E/L/EMC using a mismatched baud rate (you will get an error), it may be necessary to cycle power on the ESA E/L/EMC to enable communication using the correct baud rates.
If you are using DCOM to connect to a remote computer, you might find that Excel will give you a warning message such as "Microsoft Excel is waiting for another application to complete an OLE action". This generally means that the I/O operation has taken too long. Try changing the baud rate to a faster rate on the ESA E/L/EMC, reconnect to the instrument and rerun the Excel operation.
RS-232 Considerations with One-Button Measurements, Measurement Personalities and Long Sweep Times
Please note: The E4440A PSA does not support RS232 communications. Attempting to communicate to the E4440A PSA may result in an application and/or instrument error.
Certain built-in one-button measurements and Agilent Measurement Personalities on Agilent spectrum analyzers are performance-optimized within the instrument such that the instrument may ignore RS-232 command inputs and queries while measurement personalities are running.
As a result, while one-button measurements and measurement personalities are in use, Agilent IntuiLink PSA/ESA may be blocked from RS-232 communications with the ESA E/L/EMC-series instrument. It, therefore, may be unable to find instruments during search operations or to acquire screen images, trace data or save/restore instrument states.
Examples of such built-in one-button measurements are as follows:
10 Peak Table
N dB points
Marker Count Mode (with high counter resolution)
Percent AM
Channel Power
Third Order Intermodulation
Occupied Bandwidth
Adjacent Channel Power
Examples of such Agilent measurement personalities are as follows:
Link measurements personality
EMC measurements personality
Digital radio measurements personality
Scalar measurements personality
GSM900 measurements personality with modulation accuracy
CT2-CAI measurements personality
NADC/PCS-TDMA measurements personality
Noise figure measurements personality
PDC measurements personalities
Cable TV measurements personality with video tests
DCS1800 measurements personality with modulation accuracy
DECT measurements personality
Broadcast measurements personality
CDMA measurements personalities
PHS measurements personalities
This same situation occurs with long sweep times, where RS-232 communications with the instrument may be temporarily blocked.
To transfer information to Agilent IntuiLink PSA/ESA while one-button measurements, Agilent Measurement Personalities or long sweep times are in use, it may be necessary to either 1) acquire the data after executing a single sweep, 2) stop the measurement then acquire the data, or 3) use GP-IB, rather than RS-232, to connect to your ESA E/L/EMC-series instrument.
Windows 95 and Agilent SICL F.01.01 and Earlier
Windows 95 32-bit Agilent SICL and VISA versions F.01.01 and earlier will,
by default, yield the CPU during I/O operations. Agilent IntuiLink requires
that the CPU not be yielded during I/O operations. This is the default
operation for Agilent SICL versions F.01.02 and later.
For Agilent SICL versions F.01.01 and earlier, add a registry entry which
instructs SICL not to yield during I/O operations.
Add the following key:
"HKLM/Software/Hewlett-Packard/SICL/CurrentVersion/Options"
Under this key, add a string entry "Yield" with a value
"false".
To get an updated I/O library, go to the web site www.agilent.com and search for the words
"io libraries download". Download and
install the latest version available.
Back to Top
Windows 95 and Agilent SICL 'Options' Menu
In the I/O Configuration program, the following selections are available in
the 'Options' menu:
SICL Yield (Win95 only)
- False (Default) * SICL does not yield the CPU during I/O
- True * SICL yields the CPU during I/O
Note: SICL Yield must be 'False' for proper operation of some Plug&Play drivers. This will prevent a potential
deadlock from within a Windows message handler.
Unable to find BenchLink XL/ESA shortcut when Excel opens
WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may
require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that
problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.
If you get an error when Excel opens stating that it is unable to find the
shortcut or program for BenchLink XL ESA, there is most likely a registry entry
or two that still point to BenchLink XL ESA, even though it was previously uninstalled.
To check, run REGEDIT (click Start->Run and then type regedit
in the text box and click OK). Look for the value
"<drive>:\Program Files\Agilent\BenchLink XL\ESA\ESA.xla"
(where <drive> is the drive letter to which BenchLink XL ESA was installed)
under the key
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\8.0\Excel\Add-in Manager (for
Office 97 users)
OR
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\9.0\Excel\Add-in Manager (for
Office 2000 users)
If the value exists, delete it by highlighting it and pressing delete.
Also, check under the following registry key
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\8.0\Excel\Microsoft Excel (for
Office 97 users)
OR
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\9.0\Excel\Options (for Office 2000
users)
for values that are named OPENx (OPEN, OPEN1, OPEN2,
etc.). If any of these values has the following data entry, delete that value:
"<drive>:\Program Files\Agilent\BenchLink XL\ESA\ESA.xla"
(where <drive> is the drive letter to which BenchLink XL ESA was installed)