computer science

Virtual instrument software architecture

Virtual instrument software architecture is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Virtual instrument software architecture rather than just read about it. In short: Virtual instrument software architecture (VISA) is a widely used application programming interface (API) in the test and measurement (T&M) industry for communicating with instruments from a computer. VISA is an industry standard implemented by several T&M companies, such as, Anritsu, Bustec, Keysight Technologies, Kikusui, National Instruments, Rigol, Rohde & Schwarz, and Tektronix.

Key takeaways

Virtual instrument software architecture belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Virtual instrument software architecture to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Virtual instrument software architecture from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Virtual instrument software architecture (VISA) is a widely used application programming interface (API) in the test and measurement (T&M) industry for communicating with instruments from a computer. VISA is an industry standard implemented by several T&M companies, such as, Anritsu, Bustec, Keysight Technologies, Kikusui, National Instruments, Rigol, Rohde & Schwarz, and Tektronix. The VISA standard includes specifications for communication with resources (usually, but not always, instruments) over T&M-specific I/O interfaces such as GPIB and VXI. There are also some specifications for T&M-specific protocols over PC-standard I/O, such as HiSLIP or VXI-11 (over TCP/IP) and USBTMC (over USB). The VISA library has standardized the presentation of its operations over several software reuse mechanisms, including through a C API exposed from Windows DLL, visa32.dll, over the Microsoft COM technology, and through a .NET API. 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 5.0", is maintained by the IVI Foundation.

See also Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments (SCPI) High Speed LAN Instrument Protocol (HiSLIP) Instrument driver

References

External links Fast Remote Instrument Control with HiSLIP - Application Note IVI Foundation Specifications

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Virtual instrument software architecture

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Virtual instrument software architecture claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Virtual instrument software architecture before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Virtual instrument software architecture ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Virtual instrument software architecture

In research: Virtual instrument software architecture appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Virtual instrument software architecture in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Virtual instrument software architecture is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Electronic test equipment, Input/output, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Virtual instrument software architecture outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Virtual instrument software architecture in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Virtual instrument software architecture means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Virtual instrument software architecture out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Virtual instrument software architecture in simple terms?

Why does Virtual instrument software architecture matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Virtual instrument software architecture?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Virtual instrument software architecture.