Agilent IO Libraries Suite 16.3 Update 1

 

 

Table of Contents

What is Agilent IO Libraries Suite?

System Requirements

Installing the Software

What's New?

Known Issues

Uninstalling the Software

License Grant

 


What is Agilent IO Libraries Suite?

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Agilent IO Libraries Suite is a collection of libraries and utility programs. The IO libraries (SICL, VISA, and VISA COM) enable instrument communication for a variety of development environments (Agilent 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:

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

2.  Connect Your Instrument:  Connect cables and apply power.

3.  Run Agilent Connection Expert to Configure Your Connection: See your system graphically and send commands to your instruments.

If you received two CD-ROMs with your Agilent product, install the IO Libraries Suite first. Then browse the second CD to find instrument drivers, documentation, and other application software, depending on the product you have purchased.

 

System Requirements for Agilent IO Libraries Suite 16.3

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The following table lists the system configurations that Agilent tested IO Libraries Suite 16.3 on and that are therefore guaranteed to work. In general, any x86 or x64 (except Itanium) processor should work but there may be a decrease in performance.

Operating
System

Windows XP SP3

(32-bit only)

Professional and Home

Windows Vista®,
SP1 and SP2 (32-bit and 64-bit),
Business, Ultimate, Enterprise, Home Basic, and
Home Premium

Windows 7 SP1
(32-bit and 64-bit) Starter,
Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional,
Ultimate, Enterprise

Windows 8
(32-bit and 64-bit),
Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro, Windows 8 Enterprise

Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1
(64-bit) Standard and Enterprise

Windows Server 2012
(64-bit) Standard

 

 

 

Processor Speed

600MHz or higher required
800MHz recommended

1Ghz 32-bit (x86), 1GHz 64-bit (x64),
no support for Itanium64

1Ghz 32-bit (x86), 1GHz 64-bit (x64),
no support for Itanium64

1Ghz 32-bit (x86), 1GHz 64-bit (x64),
no support for Itanium64 or Windows 8 RT

1.4 GHz (x64 processor) or 1.3GHz (Dual Core)

no support for Itanium64

1.4 GHz (x64 processor) or 1.3GHz (Dual Core)

no support for Itanium64

 

Available
Memory

256 MB minimum
(1 GB or greater recommended)1

1 GB minimum1

1 GB minimum1

1 GB minimum1

1 GB minimum1

1 GB minimum1

 

Available
Disk Space3

1.5 GB available hard disk space, includes:

·  1GB available for Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0

·  100MB for Agilent IO Libraries Suite

1.5 GB available hard disk space, includes:

·  1GB available for Microsoft .NET Framework 4.02

·  100MB for Agilent IO Libraries Suite

1.5 GB available hard disk space, includes:

·  1GB available for Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0

·  100MB for Agilent IO Libraries Suite

1.5 GB available hard disk space, includes:

·  1GB available for Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0

·  100MB for Agilent IO Libraries Suite

1.5 GB available hard disk space, includes:

·  1GB available for Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0

·  100MB for Agilent IO Libraries Suite

1.5 GB available hard disk space, includes:

·  1GB available for Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0

·  100MB for Agilent IO Libraries Suite

 

Display

Minimum of 1024 x 768, 96 or 120 DPI

Minimum of 1024 x 768, 96 or 120 DPI

Minimum of 1024 x 768, 96 or 120 DPI

Minimum of 1024 x 768, 96 or 120 DPI

Minimum of 1024 x 768, 96 or 120 DPI

Minimum of 1024 x 768, 96 or 120 DPI

 

Browser

Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or greater

Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 or greater

Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 or greater

Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 or greater

Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 or greater

Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 or greater

 

1 On older PCs with minimum RAM, installation can take a long time when installing the IO Libraries Suite and the .NET Framework.
2 .NET Framework Runtime Components are installed by default with Windows Vista. Therefore, you may not need this amount of available disk space.

3 Because of the installation procedure, less disk space may be required for operation than is required for installation. The amount of space listed above is required for installation.

You may want the Adobe Reader, which will allow you to read Agilent IO Libraries Suite manuals in PDF format. It can be obtained at http://www.adobe.com.

Who is licensed to install IO Libraries Suite 16.x?

 

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

 

What if I need support for an older operating system?

It is generally best to use the current version of the Agilent IO Libraries Suite. This version will support the newest interfaces and operating systems, and will have the most advanced features. However, you may need to install an earlier version of the IO Libraries Suite to support an older interface or operating system. Refer to http://www.agilent.com/find/iosuite to locate the version you need.


Installing the Software

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To install Agilent IO Libraries Suite 16.x:

First, disconnect any USB instruments, USB/GPIB converters, and FireWire (IEEE 1394)-VXI interfaces that are connected to your PC.

Shut down all other applications that are running on the PC.

If you have the Automation-Ready CD in your CD/DVD drive:

1.     Open Windows File Explorer and browse the CD/DVD drive.

2.     Browse to the Autorun folder and double-click to execute auto.exe.

If you are downloading Agilent IO Libraries Suite from the Web:

1.  Go to http://www.agilent.com/find/iosuite.

2.     Download the IO Libraries Suite self-extracting zip file (*.exe) to any location on your hard disk.

3.     Double-click the .exe file to extract all files and start the installation process. Follow the instructions as prompted during the installation.

You can select either a Typical or a Custom installation. In most cases, you can select a Typical installation which installs the IO Libraries Suite using the recommended settings. Select the Custom installation to:

·         Install the IO Libraries Suite in another directory (for 32-bit operating systems only).

·         Save disk space by not installing interface manuals.

·         Use Agilent 32-bit VISA with another vendor’s VISA on the same PC in side-by-side mode. Details on side-by-side mode are available at www.agilent.com/find/side-by-side-install and in the IO Libraries Suite Help following installation.

After the installation is complete, re-connect any devices that you disconnected prior to installing.


What's New in Agilent IO Libraries Suite 16.3 Update 1?

Agilent IO Libraries 16.3 Update 1 provides a number of defect fixes for improved stability and performance, particularly when used with PXI systems. Some of the issues fixed are:

  • In some multi-vendor PXI systems, Agilent Connection Expert displayed an extra PXI chassis which did not actually exist. This has been resolved.

  • In some cases, a call to viDisableEvent() on a PXI interrupt experienced significant delays. This has been resolved.

  • In some cases, IO Libraries Suite experienced operational failures when installed on a Windows 8 systems without .NET Framework 3.5 being installed. The IO Libraries Suite installer now installs .NET Framework 3.5 in this case.


New in Agilent IO Libraries Suite 16.3

 

Agilent IO Libraries 16.3 retains the functionality of IO Libraries 16.2 and includes new features, improvements, and additions:

 

·         Support for Windows 8.  Note: VXI is NOT supported on Windows 8.

·         Support for Windows Server 2012.  Note: VXI is NOT supported on Windows Server 2012.

·         Support for USB3.0-based USBTMC. 

·         Support for composite USBTMC devices. A typical composite USBTMC device contains a USBTMC interface for instrument communications and a USB Mass Storage interface. The mass storage interface allows users to access data on their instrument using Windows Explorer, for example.

·         Improved Agilent PXI Resource Manager and improved PXI/PXIe interoperability.

·         Support for the IVI VISA Plug-In Specification. This allows for communication to third-party PCI/PXI devices with compliant plug-ins.

Defect Fixes:

·         In Agilent Connection Expert, you no longer have to be logged in as System Administrator to make changes to an RS-232 (serial) interface.

Installer Changes:

·         The Agilent IO Libraries Suite > Utilities menu selection has been removed from the Start menu for all operating systems. The Agilent Connection Expert menu selection is still available in the Start menu for older operating systems, and from the Start screen for Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012. You can also launch Agilent Connection Expert and most utilities from the Agilent IO Control on your Windows taskbar.

16.3 Known Issues:

 

None

 


Previous Version Information - Agilent IO Libraries Suite 16.2 offered these new features:                                                             top

 

·         Support for IPv6 (Internet Protocol Version 6) added to the existing IPv4 (Internet Protocol Version 4) instrument addressing, for HiSLIP and Raw Sockets LAN-based instruments.1 The older IPv4 uses 32-bit IP addresses, the new IPv6 uses 128-bit addresses. Note: IPv6 is NOT supported on VXI-11 and SICL-LAN protocols. Devices and interfaces configured through the Agilent Remote IO Server do not operate with IPv6.

·         Increased support for AXIe. Discovery of AXIe chassis and modules in chassis by the resource manager and Connection Expert.

·         Support for Agilent Command Expert. Command Expert is a new FREE software application that provides fast and easy instrument control in many PC application environments.  Command Expert can be launched from the Connection Expert Tools menu. If this menu choice is grayed out, you need to install Command Expert. You can install Command Expert from the Automation-Ready CD or you can download the Command Expert installer from www.agilent.com/find/commandexpert.

VISA Enhancements:

·         Agilent VISA now supports IPv6 on TCPIP SOCKET and TCPIP HiSLIP INSTR devices.  Note: IPv6 addressing is not supported for VXI-11 and SICL-LAN protocols.  1

·         The viFind64 utility now reports the status of all installed 64-bit VISA implementations.

·         viFlush of the read buffer on a VISA SOCKET session now works correctly.  Previously the low-level buffer was not being flushed when viFlush was called.

·         Agilent VISA can now correctly parse addresses with embedded square brackets where the string between the square brackets can contain double colons. For example:

o   TCPIP0::127.0.0.1::usb0[2391::5938::30D3090505::0]::INSTR  (a remote USB instrument)

o   TCPIP0::[fe80::215:60ff:feb7:26a5]::hislip0::INSTR (a remote HiSLIP instrument using IPv6)

·         A new version of 64-bit VISA Shared Components is included in this version of the IO Libraries.  It fixes several issues:

o   viWaitOnEvent no longer throws an exception when called with the outContext parameter set to VI_NULL.

o   viWaitOnEvent now correctly returns VI_SUCCESS_QUEUE_NEMPTY from the underlying vendor’s VISA.

·         The VI_EVENT_IO_COMPLETION event returned from viReadAsync, viWriteAsync and viMoveAsync now includes the VI_ATTR_OPER_NAME attribute.

·         The following VISA functions are now implemented:

o   viIn8Ex, viIn16Ex, viIn32Ex, viIn64Ex

o   viOut8Ex, viOut16Ex, viOut32Ex, viOut64Ex

o   viMoveIn8Ex, viMoveIn16Ex, viMoveIn32Ex, viMoveIn64Ex

o   viMoveOut8Ex, viMoveOut16Ex, viMoveOut32Ex, viMoveOut64Ex

o   viMoveEx

o   viMemAllocEx, viMemFreeEx

·         Some issues with VISA shared locks on a HiSLIP device are fixed.

 

1 IPv6 was also supported for HiSLIP instrument addresses in IO Libraries Suite16.1.

Defect Fixes:

·         The Agilent USBTMC user-level driver now handles VI_ATTR_TERMCHAR_ENABLE for USBTMC devices that do not support it natively; VI_ERROR_NSUP_OPER is no longer returned in this case.

·         The Interactive IO utility now recognizes queries with parameters appearing after the ‘?’ as queries and automatically reads and returns the results.

·         A configuration issue in Agilent Connection Expert for non-Agilent GPIB cards (NI GPIB cards, for example) was fixed. The following changes were made:

o   To make the settings for GPIB Primary Address and System Controller state consistent with those set by the 488.2 configuration utility (NI-MAX, for example), these values are read from the 488.2 library and used by Connection Expert as the default values when first configuring the card. See GPIB Interface using 488.2 Properties in the IO Libraries Suite help for more information.

o   The default values set in Connection Expert for the above properties are now correctly set in Agilent VISA for both 32-bit and 64-bit programs.

Installer Changes:

·         The IO Libraries Suite installer installs:

o   NET Framework  2.0 and 4.0

o   New versions of IVI Shared Components (version 2.2.1)

o   New versions of the VISA COM Shared Components (version 1.4)

o   Visual C++ 2010 runtime redistributables

o    All user documentation and sample programs are removed from Start\All Programs.

 

 

 

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Uninstalling the Software

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Use the Windows Control Panel to remove the Agilent IO Libraries Suite. Do not delete files directly. To uninstall or modify the Agilent IO Libraries Suite, select Agilent IO Libraries Suite 16.x from the list of installed programs. See the Agilent IO Libraries Suite Connectivity Guide for detailed instructions.

Removing the IO Libraries Suite does not delete the standard VISA directory, standard VISA COM files, standard IVI (Interchangeable Virtual Instrument Foundation) files, and IVI Shared Components. This is because there is no reliable way for the IO Libraries Suite uninstaller to be sure that no other installed product (whether from Agilent or another vendor) is using these files and directories.


License Grant

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Agilent 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 in accordance with this Agreement and the documentation provided with the Software.  Such documentation may include license terms provided by Agilent'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.


 

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