Issue with SCPI Query Commands on Tektronix 5 Series MSO58 AFG using PyVISA

Hi Tektronix Community,

I am currently testing the AFG functionality on the Tektronix 5 Series MSO58 using PyVISA and SCPI commands from the manual. I encountered issues when executing the following query commands from the AFG command group:

    •    afg:output:mode?
    •    afg:ccount?

The execution of these commands fails with the error code 0xBFFF0015, indicating that the operation timed out before completion. I performed the tests using the Tektronix OpenChoice software.

Here are the details of my setup:

    •    Instrument Model: Tektronix 5 Series MSO58
    •    Software: Tektronix OpenChoice
    •    Library: PyVISA
    •    Connection Methods: USB and Network (both methods result in the same timeout issue)

It is worth noting that other query and write commands within the AFG command group work correctly without any issues.

Has anyone experienced similar issues or could provide guidance on resolving this timeout error? Any suggestions or insights would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

Hi Emma,

Thank you so much for your suggestion! I checked the firmware version of my MSO58, and it was quite old (Ver 1.2). After updating it to Ver 1.44, I am now receiving the correct responses from the MSO58 for the afg:output:mode? and afg:ccount? query commands. Your advice was incredibly helpful and resolved the issue.

Thanks again for your assistance!

Best regards, 

Minho

Hi there,

I've encountered similar issues with Tektronix hill climb racing instruments. To resolve the timeout error with your Tektronix 5 Series MSO58, ensure your firmware is up to date and increase the timeout setting in PyVISA. Make sure commands are sent in the correct sequence, and flush the buffer before sending new commands. Verify communication by sending the `*IDN?` command first, and ensure the termination character is correctly set in PyVISA. If these steps don't work, contact Tektronix support for further assistance. Good luck!