SCPI (Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments) is a standard that defines a language for communicating with instruments based on messages. The majority of the GPIB instruments use the SCPI but also RS-232, Ethernet, VXI, PXI may use it. Several measurement instrument manufacturers have adopted this standard as HP / Agilent for example, allowing some communication uniformity between several devices.
Some examples of SCPI commands:
Instrument identification querry: *IDN? Instrument reset: RST Measure querry: MES?IVI (Interchangeable Virtual Instrumentation) is a specification of instrument driver published by the IVI Foundation, formed by the biggest names in the instrumentation as Agilent, National Instruments, Rohde & Schwarz, Aeroflex, Tektronix, Teradyne, Pickering and other.
This specification defined instument classes (multimeter, oscilloscope, power supply, ...). All drivers in the same class have the same exported functions. This ensures instruments compatibility and interchangeability: measurement software is linked to the driver class that needle to the specific driver of the used instrument.
Example: I have a test application which measures voltage with a multimeter. My software calls the driver of the multimeter class. IVI refers to the specific driver for the X model from Agilent. Thus, we can change this multimeter by the Y model from Agilent or the Z model from Tektronix with a simple configuration without modifying the software (for since we have installed the IVI driver of these three instruments).
List of instrument classes defined by IVI:
Digital multimeter (DMM) Oscilloscope Arbitrary waveform/function generator DC power supply AC power supply Switch Power meter Spectrum analyzer RF signal generator Upconverter Downconverter Digitizer Counter/timer Some specific instruments do not fall into this classification. In this case it is possible to create a new class.LabWindows/CVI provides wizards for developing drivers and adding a new class.
IVI driver scan be called by any type of programming language. However TestStand, LabVIEW, and Measurement Studio can offer all the key functions in hand for their use.
- fieldpoint
- IVI driver
- dot NET
- VXI
- industrial computer
- C language
- formation
- measurement studio
- testexec
- windows mobile
- test bench
- profibus
- fortran
- multimeter
- real time
- PCI
- CAN
- oscilloscope
- VAN
- SCPI
- Cplusplus
- labview
- unix
- ARINC
- bluetooth
- MXI
- communication bus
- waveform generator
- excel
- DIO
- UPL
- database
- modbus
- PXI
- GPIB
- visual basic
- teststand
- PAC
- citrix
- serial RS
- embedded
- switches
- PLC
- pascal
- UHF
- camera
- vision
- C sharp
- acquisition board
- audio analyzer
- OPC
- labwindows cvi
- programmable logic controller
- Pocket PC
- qbasic
- I2C
- windev
- protocol AK
- real time embedded
- WIFI
- windows
- DSC
- linux
- visual studio