Keysight IO
Libraries Suite 2024 Update 1(for Windows)

Contents:

What is the Keysight IO Libraries Suite?

What's New in Keysight IO Libraries Suite 2024
Update 1

New Feature(s):

Enhancement(s):

Note

Getting Started

System Requirements

Installing the Software

Known Issues

Feature Obsolescence Note

License Grant

Trademarks and Copyright

What
is the Keysight IO Libraries Suite?

The Keysight IO Libraries Suite is
a collection of libraries and utility programs. The IO libraries (SICL, VISA,
VISA.NET, and VISA COM) enable instrument communication for a variety of
development environments (Keysight VEE Pro, Microsoft Visual Studio, etc.) that
are compatible with GPIB, USB, LAN, RS-232, PXI, AXIe, and VXI test instruments
from a variety of manufacturers. Several utility programs help you quickly and
easily connect your instruments to your PC.

Establishing communication between
your instruments and your PC is as easy as 1, 2, 3:

Install the IO Libraries Suite: Get all the software
you need to connect instruments to your PC via GPIB, USB, LAN, and other
standard interfaces.

Install Instrument Software and Connect Your
Instruments: Install any software and drivers with your instruments.
Connect cables and apply power.

Run Keysight Connection Expert to Identify and
Communicate with Instruments: See connected instruments, send commands to
your instruments, and configure the settings.

What's
New in Keysight IO Libraries Suite 2024 Update 1

Reporting a Product
Cybersecurity Issue

Keysight is committed to cybersecurity. Ensure your products
are secure by following best practices, including keeping Windows updated,
using firewalls, and maintaining up-to-date antivirus software. Report any
suspected vulnerabilities or cybersecurity issues related to Keysight products
through the appropriate channels:

Product
Cybersecurity Information

Responsible
Disclosure

Report
a Cybersecurity Issue

New
Feature(s):

Installation Split into Two Installers

IO Libraries Suite installation process has undergone a major change.

Installation:
Now there will be 2 installers.
Refer to the Installation Section for more
details.

Moving
towards a componentized IOLS and package management approach.

.NET
3.5 is no longer offered as an installation option. Users should update
their software and installers to manage dependencies accordingly.

Uninstallation:

Prerequisites
cannot be uninstalled except via the Control Panel.

Prerequisites
uninstaller is located in C:\Program Files\Keysight\IO
Libraries Suite Prerequisites\uninstall but it only
removes itself and its registry entry.

The
main product uninstaller is in C:\Program Files\Keysight\IO Libraries Suite\uninstall, but
use the Control Panel for a clean uninstallation.

Repair Operation:

There
is no explicit “Repair” option; re-run the respective
installer to perform a repair.

Log Files:

The
new installer generates multiple log files starting with kt_ in %TEMP%. ZIP these
files for any product operational discussions.

Upgrade Compatibility:

Cannot
seamlessly upgrade from InstallShield-based versions to
InstallBuilder-based versions. Manual uninstallation of older versions is
required before installing the new version.

Anonymous Secure Socket ConnectionIO
Libraries 2024 Update 1 introduces secure, encrypted, anonymous
communication on a Socket connection.

Addition of a new VISA attribute
VI_KTATTR_TCPIP_SASL_PASSWORD

Use this attribute for PLAIN/SCRAM secure Authentication over HiSLIP
Connection via Programming.

Addition of a New VISA utility

With IO Libraries Suite 2024 Update 1 onwards,
you will not get the option to choose a 32-bit primary VISA during
installation, if another VISA is already present, the installer configures
Keysight VISA as a secondary VISA. If no VISA exists, it configures
Keysight VISA as the primary VISA. IO Libraries 2024 Update 1  provides
a CLI utility that lets you choose a primary VISA anytime. You can
access this utility by navigating to the IO control icon, selecting
"Utilities," and then choosing "Set 32-bit Primary
Visa".

New Directory for VISA DLLs

The utility will
use a pre-created folder to store the  visa32.dll
files from each VISA vendor. Place them at the following location:

C:\Program Files (x86)\IVI
Foundation\VISA\WinNT\visa32Store

Enhancement(s):

IO Monitor View Enhancements

Auto Grouping Async VISA APIs in IO
Monitor

IO Monitor now automatically groups relevant async VISA APIs, cumulates
the time spent on them and presents the aggregated data and elapsed time
as a single API entry. This feature mimics the behaviour of synchronous viRead/viWrite APIs,
offering a clearer overview of async operations.

Note that this is a configurable feature and is disabled by default.
Users must update the IO Monitor settings to enable it.

Displaying VISA APIs handling secure
data

IO Monitor now displays all VISA/SICL APIs handling data on a secure
connection, while obscuring the content. Previously, APIs like viRead, viWrite, viPrintf, and viScanf were hidden
when secure connections were used. With this update, the data sent or
received is labelled as "<secure data>", and the data
length is shown as "4294967295".

Known issue(s):

·
Discovery issues with Streamline Series VNAs
using both USB or Thunderbolt interfaces.

·
Upgrading to this version causes loss of
previously configured instruments in Connection Expert. Please add those
instruments back after installation.

Note

Windows on ARM does not support
the following features:

Serial Interface or Serial Instrument

GPIB Interface or GPIB Instrument

Remote GPIB, Remote Serial, and Remote USB

Getting
Started

System
Requirements

Keysight has tested IO Libraries
Suite 2024 Update 1 on the following system configurations. The product should
run on any x86 or x64 (except Itanium) processor. Note that performance may be
impacted with less powerful systems.

#

Operating
System

Processor
Speed

Available
Memory

(Limited RAM on older PCs can cause longer installation times)

Available
Disk Space

(Minimum disk space required for installation may be higher than actual
space utilized)

Minimum
Display

1

Windows 11 on ARM (64-bit x86
emulated applications or ARM64EC applications)

2.40 GHz, 8 Core

4 GB minimum

2.5 GB hard disk space:

2
GB for Microsoft .NET Framework 4.6

100
MB for Keysight IO Libraries Suite

1024x768, 96, or 120 DPI

2

Windows 11 (64-bit):

Home

Pro

Enterprise

1 GHz 64-bit (x64)

No support
for Itanium64 or Windows 11 RT

1 GB minimum

2.5 GB hard disk space:

2 GB for Microsoft .NET Framework 4.6

100 MB for Keysight IO Libraries Suite

1024x768, 96, or 120 DPI

3

Windows 10 (64-bit):

Home

Pro

Enterprise

1 GHz 64-bit (x64)

No support for
Itanium64 or Windows 10 RT

1 GB minimum

2.5 GB hard disk space:

2 GB for Microsoft .NET Framework 4.6

100 MB for Keysight IO Libraries Suite

1024x768, 96, or 120 DPI

4

Windows Server

Windows Server 2016 (64-bit)/

Windows Server 2012 (64-bit, Standard)

Windows Server 2019 (64-bit, Standard)

Windows Server 2022 (64-bit, Standard)

1.4 GHz (x64 processor)

1.3 GHz (Dual Core)

No support
for Itanium64

1 GB minimum

2.5 GB hard disk space:

2 GB for Microsoft .NET Framework 4.6

100 MB for Keysight IO Libraries Suite

1024x768, 96, or 120 DPI

5

Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1
(64-bit):

Standard

Enterprise

1.4 GHz (x64 processor)

1.3 GHz (Dual Core)

No support
for Itanium64

1 GB minimum

1.5 GB hard disk space:

1 GB for Microsoft .NET Framework 4.6

100 MB for Keysight IO Libraries Suite

1024x768, 96, or 120 DPI

Other Requirements

Windows Server version 2012 R2
requires Windows update 2919355 before
Keysight IO Libraries can be properly installed.

Licensing

See the License Grant at the end of this file to
determine whether you are licensed to install this software.

Support for Older Operating Systems

Keysight recommends you use the
current version of the IO Libraries Suite. It supports the newest interfaces
and operating systems and has the most advanced features. If you need to
install an earlier version to support an older interface or operating system,
go to IO Libraries Suite to locate legacy versions.

Installing the Software

IO Libraries Suite installation process has undergone a
major change. Now there will be 2 installers:

Prerequisites Installer: installs
all the necessary dependencies and components that the Keysight IO
Libraries Suite requires to function correctly. This might include
libraries, drivers, and other software components essential for running
the main software.

Main Installer: installs the
primary Keysight IO Libraries Suite software itself. This is the core
application that users interact with for their tasks.

The separate installers allow for more modular installation
and easier management of dependencies, potentially reducing the overall
installation size and improving flexibility.

To install Keysight IO Libraries
Suite:

Download the Prerequisites installer and Main
installer from www.keysight.com.

Disconnect any USB instruments, USB/GPIB converters,
PXI and AXIe chassis, and FireWire (IEEE 1394)/VXI interfaces connected to
your PC.

Close all applications running on the PC.

Install the software:

Start with the prerequisites installer and then proceed with the main
installer.

Step-by-Step Installation

Run the
executable for each installer and follow the interactive steps to complete the
prerequisites installer first, then the main installer.

Silent Installation

For detailed options, refer to the IO Libraries Suite: Silent Installation guide

Re-connect any devices that you disconnected before
installation.

Uninstallation

Prerequisites
cannot be uninstalled except via the Control Panel.

Prerequisites
uninstaller is located in C:\Program Files\Keysight\IO
Libraries Suite Prerequisites\uninstall but it only removes
itself and its registry entry.

The
main product uninstaller is in C:\Program Files\Keysight\IO Libraries Suite\uninstall, but
use the Control Panel for a clean uninstallation.

General
Known Issues

Missing
Components in VISA COM Applications

Ivi.Visa.Interop.dll is missing in the 32-bit VISA COM
applications. The workaround to fix the issue is as follows:

Install .NET Framework 3.5

Uninstall VISA shared component

Repair IO Library Suite to install VISA shared
component

Another way to fix the issue is as follows:

Open Visual Studio developer command window with
elevated privilege

Change to C:\Program
Files (x86)\IVI Foundation\VISA\VisaCom\Primary
Interop Assemblies

Run "IviPiaRegistration.bat"

Known Issue with Delinea Tool
Interference

We've identified
issues when installing or upgrading IO Libraries Suite (IOLS) on systems where the
Delinea tool is used. These issues may include failures during installation or
upgrading certain IOLS components.

Action Required: If you encounter
problems with IOLS installation or upgrades while using Delinea, please contact
Keysight Support for assistance.

Feature
Obsolescence Note

Here is the list of features no
longer supported in IO Libraries Suite 2024 and later versions:

Feature

Details

VXI Interface

IO Libraries Suite 2024 and later versions will no longer
support VXI on Windows 8 or Windows 11.

Operating System Support

IO Libraries Suite 2024 and
later versions will no longer support the following operating systems:

Windows 7

Windows 8 and 8.1

Windows 10 32-bit.

IO Libraries Suite Upgrade

Upgrades from IO Libraries Suite
18.0 or earlier versions will not be possible with the upcoming release of
the IO Libraries Suite.

.NET Framework 3.5 Install

Installing .NET Framework 3.5 as
a part of IO Libraries is no longer supported.

License
Grant

Keysight grants you a
non-exclusive license of the Software at no charge pursuant to the terms of the
License Agreement. The License Agreement is displayed when you install the
software and is available in the IO Libraries Suite Online Help. You may download
the Software, and store or run the Software for internal use and purposes by
this Agreement and the documentation provided with the Software. Such
documentation may include license terms provided by Keysight's third-party
suppliers, which will apply to the use of the Software and take precedence over
these license terms. In the absence of documentation specifying the applicable
license, you may store or run the Software on your PC(s) and instrument(s). If
the Software is otherwise licensed for concurrent or network use, you may not
allow more than the maximum number of authorized users to access and use the
Software concurrently.

Trademarks
and Copyright

PCIe® and PCI EXPRESS® are
US-registered trademarks and/or service marks of PCI-SIG.

© Keysight Technologies
1983-2024