Simplifying test system development with IVI.NET

Abstract

The IVI Foundation has developed and maintained specifications for building instrument drivers for more than a decade. Until recently, there were two choices for building IVI-compliant instrument drivers - IVI-COM and IVI-C. Each of these driver technologies offers its own advantages for specific types of users, and each comes with its own set of disadvantages. The release of the IVI.NET specifications from the IVI Foundation introduces a new mechanism for controlling instrumentation from test system software. As a great deal of Windows desktop application development (as well as a considerable amount of web development) has shifted to the Microsoft .NET platform, the demand for tools that help test system developers work with .NET has grown. Conventional desktop application developers have benefited considerably from the productivity gains of working with .NET, and test system developers have already begun to enjoy the same. Having a driver technology that fully capitalizes on the benefits of the .NET platform and that marries naturally with .NET-based test system software is critical. This paper will examine the new IVI.NET standard and take a practical look at how IVI.NET drivers can simplify test system development.