Virtual instrument software architecture: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 07:15, 21 June 2010

Revision as of 11:28, 30 June 2010

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'''Virtual Instrument Software Architecture''', commonly known as '''VISA''', is a widely used [[Input/output|I/O]] [[Application programming interface|API]] in the Test & Measurement industry for communicating with [[Measuring instrument|instruments]] from a [[Personal computer|PC.]] VISA is an [[industry standard]] implemented by several T&M (Test & Measurement) companies, such as [[Agilent|Agilent Technologies]], [[National Instruments|National Instruments]], [[Tektronix|Tektronix]] and [[Kikusui|Kikusui]].

The VISA standard<ref name="VISA Specification">{{cite news |url=http://www.ivifoundation.org/specifications/default.aspx

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The VISA library has standardized the presentation of its operations over several software reuse mechanisms, including through a C [[Application programming interface|API]] exposed from Windows [[Library (computer science)#Dynamic linking|DLL]], visa32.dll and over the Microsoft [[Component Object Model|COM]] technology. Although there are several VISA vendors and implementations, applications written against VISA are (nominally) vendor-interchangeable thanks to the standardization of VISA's presentation and operations/capabilities. Implementations from specific vendors are also available for less common programming languages and software reuse technologies.

== History ==

VISA was originally standardized through the VXIplug&play Alliance, a now-defunct T&M standards body. The current standard, "VISA Specification 4.2", is maintained by the [http://www.ivifoundation.org IVI Foundation].

== External References references==

{{Reflist}}

== See also ==

* [[Interchangeable Virtual Instruments]] (IVI)

* [[SICL]]