Technical data

204 Agilent Connectivity Guide
8 Glossary
IO Libraries
Application programming interfaces (APIs) for direct I/O
communication between applications and devices. There are four
Agilent IO Libraries in the Agilent IO Libraries Suite: VISA, VISA
COM, SICL, and Agilent 488.
IP address
An Internet Protocol (IP) address is an identifier for a computer or
device on a TCP/IP network. Networks using the TCP/IP protocol
route messages based on the IP address of the destination. The
format of an IP address is a 32-bit numeric address written as four
numbers separated by periods. Each number can be zero to 255. For
example, 1.160.10.240 could be an IP address.
Within an isolated network, you can assign IP addresses at random as
long as each one is unique. However, connecting a private network to
the Internet requires using registered IP addresses (called Internet
addresses) to avoid duplicates. The four numbers in an IP address are
used in different ways to identify a particular network and a host on
that network. The InterNIC Registration Service assigns Internet
addresses from the following three classes.
• Class A - supports 16 million hosts on each of 127 networks
• Class B - supports 65,000 hosts on each of 16,000 networks
• Class C - supports 254 hosts on each of 2 million networks
LAN
Local Area Network. A computer network that spans a relatively
small area. Most LANs are confined to a single building or group of
buildings. However, one LAN can be connected to other LANs over
any distance via telephone lines and radio waves. A system of LANs
connected in this way is called a wide-area network (WAN).
Most LANs connect workstations and personal computers. Each
node (individual computer) in a LAN has its own CPU with which it
executes programs, but it also is able to access data and devices
anywhere on the LAN. This means that many users can share
expensive devices, such as laser printers, as well as data. Users can
also use the LAN to communicate with each other, by sending e-mail
or engaging in chat sessions.