National Instruments MXI-2 Reference Manual page 96

National Instruments
Software Choices
NI-VXI/NI-VISA
© National Instruments Corporation
This section discusses the National Instruments software available for your
MXI-2 kit.
If you choose to program your VXI system using a standard language such
as C, C++, or BASIC, you should realize that standard programming
languages do not come with built-in VXI capability. Rather, VXI capability
is added through a VXI bus interface software library. This software
component is very important, because it affects the choice of VXI computer
hardware, operating system, programming language, and ADE or
application software package. Software is a major thrust for National
Instruments, relating to our involvement with both the VXI Consortium and
the VXIplug&play Systems Alliance.
If you ordered your MXI-2 hardware as part of a kit such as the
VXI-PCI8000, you also received the NI-VXI/NI-VISA bus interface
software. This software consists of interface-independent software
(NI-VISA) for certain platforms addressed by VXIplug&play standards,
as well as VXI-specific software (NI-VXI).
The NI-VXI/NI-VISA software includes a Resource Manager (Resman),
an interactive configuration and troubleshooting program, a comprehensive
library of software routines for VXI/VME programming, a logging utility
you can use for debugging, and graphical interactive control programs for
interacting with VISA. You can use this software to seamlessly program
multiple-mainframe configurations and have software compatibility across
a variety of controller platforms.
NI-VISA has a comprehensive library of software routines not only for
VXI/VME programming, but also for GPIB, GPIB-VXI, PXI, TCP/IP, and
Serial. You can use this software to program instruments connected via
different types of interfaces.
C-1 MXI-2 Configuration Reference Manual
C