MATLAB: Do I get the error “Unable to create VISA object. The required drivers may not be installed properly.” when using the Instrument Control Toolbox 2.8 (R2009a)

gpibInstrument Control Toolboxvisa

I am trying to connect to a National Instruments GPIB device using VISA as follows:
gpibObj = visa('ni','gpib::20::INSTR');
When I do so, I get the following error message:
 ??? Error using ==> visa.visa at 241
 Unable to create VISA object.  The required drivers may not be installed properly.
 Type 'instrhelp visa' for more information.
I am using the following NI driver:
NI-488.2 2.7 – Real-Time OS, Windows 2000/Vista x64/Vista x86/XP

Best Answer

In order to be able to access your GPIB device using VISA you need to use a supported driver, which in this case would be:
National Instruments NI-VISA version 3.0 (or higher)
Reference:
 Instrument Control Toolbox - Supported Hardware - VISA
 <http://www.mathworks.com/products/instrument/supportedio13784.html>
For more information on VISA see:
 VISA Overview
 <http://www.mathworks.com/help/instrument/visa-overview.html>
If for some reason you cannot upgrade your VISA driver, then you can also access your GPIB device directly from MATLAB as it possesses this capability. For more information see:
 Controlling Instruments Using GPIB
 <http://www.mathworks.com/access/helpdesk/help/toolbox/instrument/f13-5310.html>
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