Enhanced I/O Test Suite Facilitates Test Connections

Demand for simple and fast test-system connections in multivendor instrument setups pushed Agilent to come up with E2094N I/O Libraries Suite 14.0, which enables error-free connections in under 15 minutes. Its updated I/O libraries and automated connection tools, like Connection Expert, detect PC-connected instruments, configure the interfaces, and verify connections even in test systems that mix Ethernet/local-area network, GPIB, RS-232, USB, and VXI instruments from any vendor.

"Agilent's new I/O Libraries Suite eliminates hours of effort for engineers faced with the challenge of combining multivendor instruments that use different software and I/O technologies to create new test systems or add on to existing systems," says Mark Pierpoint, vice president of Agilent's Measurement and Analysis Software Group. "They can now connect instruments from multiple vendors to their PCs as easily as they connect a printer to a PC."

The suite's "smart default" feature automatically identifies installation defaults based on the hardware configuration and previously installed software. Engineers then can customize the defaults if desired. I/O utility tools enable expert debugging and system optimization. Tools such as interactive I/O, VISA Assistant, and IO Control let test-system experts control and debug both the bus and the instrument.

Sample "hello world" instrument programs are available in common development languages. Engineers can copy and paste sample code directly into their programs to accelerate test development.

Libraries Suite 14.0 is available free to users who are developing test systems that include at least one Agilent product, such as instrument I/O hardware, VEE, or Toolkit. As a standalone product, it costs $395.