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Instrument driver
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<h2 id="standards">Standards</h2> <h3>VXIplug&play</h3> <p>The VXIplug&play Systems Alliance was founded in 1993<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a> with the aim of unifying VXI hardware and software to achieve 'plug and play' interoperability for <a href="/facts/VXI/Al59HvsX">VXI</a> and <a href="/facts/GPIB/JdmHrwJB">GPIB</a> instruments. As part of the unifying process, VXIplug&play instrument drivers<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> were also defined. </p> <h3>IVI</h3> <p>When the IVI Foundation took over the Alliance in 2002, it defined a new generation of instrument drivers to replace the VXIplug&play standard. The IVI instrument driver specification intends to overcome the drawbacks of VXIplug&play. These IVI (Interchangeable Virtual Instrumentation) drivers<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a> are currently defined in three different architectures: </p> <ol><li>The IVI-<a href="/facts/Component_Object_Model/2DtIAufW">COM</a> driver architecture<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> is based on the Microsoft <a href="/facts/Component_Object_Model/2DtIAufW">Component Object Model</a>.</li> <li>The IVI-C drivers are based on <a href="/facts/C_(programming_language)/Ky2No763">C programming language</a> shared components (shared libraries).</li> <li>The IVI<a href="/facts/.NET_Framework/J6QDAUhP">.NET</a> driver architecture was specified in 2010.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> The IVI.NET drivers are based on the <a href="/facts/.NET_Framework/J6QDAUhP">.NET</a> framework.</li></ol> <h2 id="instrumentation-remote-control">Instrumentation remote control</h2> <p>Instrument drivers allow quicker development of remote-control applications for instrumentation. The drivers reduce the difficulty of string formatting when using <a href="/facts/Standard_Commands_for_Programmable_Instrumentation/pz4SLcVw">SCPI</a> commands by providing a well-defined <a href="/facts/API/GMlN4vUr">API</a>. The IVI and VXIplug&play Instrument Drivers use the VISA as the hardware abstraction layer so that hardware-independent applications can be developed. </p> <h2 id="io-hardware-abstraction-layer-visa">I/O hardware abstraction layer VISA</h2> <p>The <a href="/facts/Virtual_instrument_software_architecture/33RMIPVe">VISA</a> library allows test and measurement equipment to be connected through various hardware interfaces. The following interfaces are available: </p> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Serial_port/VpcrH530">Serial Port</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/GPIB/JdmHrwJB">GPIB</a>/<a href="/facts/IEEE-488/JdmHrwJB">IEEE-488</a></li> <li>VXI-11<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> (over <a href="/facts/TCP/IP/KNkxtSpw">TCP/IP</a>)</li> <li>USB488/USBTMC (USB Test & Measurement), <a href="/facts/USB/XcIKWLyg">USB</a> Test & Measurement Class Specification<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a></li> <li><a href="/facts/HiSLIP/s2V8B5dT">HiSLIP</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> (over <a href="/facts/TCP/IP/KNkxtSpw">TCP/IP</a>).</li></ul> <h3>LXI</h3> <p>The <a href="/facts/LAN_eXtensions_for_Instrumentation/NS20cby9"> LAN eXtensions for Instrumentation (LXI)</a> standard defines the communications protocols for controlling test and measurement systems using <a href="/facts/Ethernet/nMfhU8tU">Ethernet</a>. The standard requires vendors to offer IVI compliant instrument drivers. </p> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Instrument_control/5aPUu6EW">Instrument control</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Standard_Commands_for_Programmable_Instruments/pz4SLcVw">Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Automation/3YlF2K5q">Automation</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/IEEE-488/JdmHrwJB">IEEE-488</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Virtual_Instrument_Software_Architecture/33RMIPVe">VISA</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/LabVIEW/ue0vyha4">LabVIEW</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/LabWindows/j8RhSpLU">LabWindows</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Agilent_VEE/hqcDmJmw">Agilent VEE</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/MATLAB/qPjLISCk">MATLAB</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/LAN_eXtensions_for_Instrumentation/NS20cby9">LAN eXtensions for Instrumentation</a></li></ul> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="http://www.ivifoundation.org">IVI Foundation</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.ivifoundation.org/scpi/default.aspx">SCPI Consortium</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110206022050/http://www.ivifoundation.org/scpi/default.aspx">Archived</a> 2011-02-06 at the <a href="/facts/Wayback_Machine/nmQ3a6JC">Wayback Machine</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.ivifoundation.org/VXIPlug_Play/default.aspx">VXIplug&play Systems Alliance</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20100329001457/http://www.ivifoundation.org/VXIPlug_Play/default.aspx">Archived</a> 2010-03-29 at the <a href="/facts/Wayback_Machine/nmQ3a6JC">Wayback Machine</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.lxistandard.org/">LXI Consortium</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.rohde-schwarz.com/appnote/1ma170">Introduction to Attribute Based Instrument Drivers</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.rohde-schwarz.com/appnote/1ma153">Development Hints and Best Practices for Using Instrument Drivers</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>"IVI Foundation Specifications". IVI Foundation. <a href="http://www.ivifoundation.org/" target="_blank">http://www.ivifoundation.org/</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>"VXIplug&play Alliance". IVI Foundation. Archived from the original on 2010-03-29. Retrieved 2009-11-20. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20100329001457/http://www.ivifoundation.org/VXIPlug_Play/default.aspx" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20100329001457/http://www.ivifoundation.org/VXIPlug_Play/default.aspx</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>"VPP-3.1: Instrument Drivers Architecture an Design Specification" (PDF). IVI Foundation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-01-27. Retrieved 2012-11-06. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127104918/http://www.ivifoundation.org/docs/vpp2-2010-02-24.pdf" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20130127104918/http://www.ivifoundation.org/docs/vpp2-2010-02-24.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>"IVI Driver Specifications". IVI Foundation. <a href="http://www.ivifoundation.org/specifications/default.aspx" target="_blank">http://www.ivifoundation.org/specifications/default.aspx</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>"IVI-3.1: Driver Architecture Specification" (PDF). IVI Foundation. <a href="http://ivifoundation.org/downloads/Architecture%20Specifications/IVI-3.1_Architecture_2012-08-06.pdf" target="_blank">http://ivifoundation.org/downloads/Architecture%20Specifications/IVI-3.1_Architecture_2012-08-06.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>"IVI-3.1: Driver Architecture Specification" (PDF). IVI Foundation. <a href="http://ivifoundation.org/downloads/Architecture%20Specifications/IVI-3.1_Architecture_2012-08-06.pdf" target="_blank">http://ivifoundation.org/downloads/Architecture%20Specifications/IVI-3.1_Architecture_2012-08-06.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>"IVI-3.18: IVI.NET Utility Classes and Interfaces Specification" (PDF). IVI Foundation. <a href="http://www.ivifoundation.org/downloads/Architecture%20Specifications/IVI-3.18_.NET_Utility_Classes_and_Interfaces_2011-06-30.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.ivifoundation.org/downloads/Architecture%20Specifications/IVI-3.18_.NET_Utility_Classes_and_Interfaces_2011-06-30.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>"VXI-11 Bus Specification". VXI Bus Consortium. <a href="http://www.vxibus.org/?q=node/206" target="_blank">http://www.vxibus.org/?q=node/206</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>"USB Test & Measurement Class Specification". USB Implementers Forum Inc. Archived from the original on 2010-03-26. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20100326005605/http://www.usb.org/developers/devclass_docs/" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20100326005605/http://www.usb.org/developers/devclass_docs/</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>"IVI-6.1: High-Speed LAN Instrument Protocol (HiSLIP)" (PDF). IVI Foundation. <a href="http://www.ivifoundation.org/downloads/Class%20Specifications/IVI-6.1_HiSLIP-2010-06-08.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.ivifoundation.org/downloads/Class%20Specifications/IVI-6.1_HiSLIP-2010-06-08.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>