User`s guide

150 Agilent VISA User’s Guide
interface
A connection and medium of communication between
devices and controllers. Interfaces include mechanical,
electrical, and protocol connections.
interface descriptor
A handle, returned from ibfind, that uniquely identifies a
GPIB interface (board) in Agilent 488 original API calls.
Also called a board descriptor or board unit descriptor.
interface driver
Software that communicates with an interface. The
interface driver also handles commands used to perform
communications on an interface.
interface messages
GPIB commands encoded as individual bytes. Also called
GPIB commands or command bytes.
interface session
A session that communicates and controls parameters
affecting an entire interface.
interrupt
An asynchronous event that requires attention and actions
that are out of the normal flow of control of a program.
IO Control
The icon in the Windows notification area (usually the
lower right corner of your screen). The IO Control gives
you access to Agilent I/O utilities such as Connection
Expert, Agilent I/O documentation, and VISA options.