Installation guide

10 Chapter 1

Introducing the IO Libraries

IO Libraries Overview

The Agilent IO Libraries application consists of two libraries: Agilent Virtual

Instrument Software Architecture (VISA) and Agilent Standard Instrument

Control Library (SICL) plus four I/O Utilities: IO Config, VISA Assistant,

VXI Resource Manager, and LAN Server. See Chapter 3 - Configuring I/O

Interfaces for details on the I/O Utilities.

Agilent VISA Description

Agilent Virtual Instrument Software Architecture (VISA) is an I/O library that

can be used to develop I/O applications and instrument drivers that comply

with the VXIplug&play standards. Applications and instrument drivers

developed with VISA can execute on VXIplug&play system frameworks that

have the VISA I/O layer. Therefore, software from different vendors can be

used together on the same system.

Use VISA if you want to use VXIplug&play instrument drivers in your

applications, or if you want the I/O applications or instrument drivers that you

develop to be compliant with VXIplug&play standards. If you are using new

instruments or are developing new I/O applications or instrument drivers, we

recommend you use Agilent VISA.

VISA Support The 32-bit version of VISA is supported on this version of the Agilent IO

Libraries for Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows NT, and

Windows 2000. Support for the 16-bit version of VISA was removed in

version H.01.00. However, versions through G.02.02 support 16-bit VISA.

C, C++, and Visual Basic are supported on all these Windows versions.

VISA Users VISA has two specific types of users. The first type is the instrumentation

end user who wants to use VXIplug&play instrument drivers in his or her

applications. The second type of user is the instrument driver or I/O

application developer who wants to be compliant with VXIplug&play

standards.

NOTE

Since VISA and SICL are different libraries, using VISA functions and

SICL functions in the same I/O application is not supported.