NF FRA 5010A :Looking for user maual or GPIB command list - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: z80tw
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 22, 2017, 03:16:47 am
content: 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.

author: alm
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2017, 02:25:38 pm
content: 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.

author: z80tw
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2017, 02:59:31 pm
content: 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.

author: yytseng
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 21, 2017, 12:20:31 am
content: May try "?ID"If it works, you may use the manual of FRA 5087.

author: z80tw
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2017, 01:12:43 pm
content: Tried "?ID" command and got same error response on NF FRA5010A display: "Error:Illeagal header".Thanks for your suggestion.

author: merox
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2017, 08:30:45 pm
content: 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.

author: z80tw
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 24, 2017, 03:26:08 pm
content: 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.......

author: yytseng
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 27, 2017, 02:10:54 am
content: Could you send me the Serial Number of this FRA5010?

author: thermistor-guy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 27, 2017, 04:36:15 am
content: Quote from: z80tw on September 23, 2017, 02:59:31 pm"*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.pdfAre 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?

author: z80tw
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 02, 2017, 04:37:34 pm
content: Quote from: thermistor-guy on November 27, 2017, 04:36:15 amThe 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.